LWF scholarship holders at the webinar included, from left to right: Rev. Eva Guldonova (Slovakia), Mr Hans-Christoph Lange (South Africa), Rev. Dr Baby Rani (India), and Rev. Adrian Lopez (Malaysia). Photos: LWF/S. Gallay & Private
Strengthening the communion across regions and generations
(LWI) – Current and past recipients of scholarships from The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) hold a shared conviction. The theology and diakonia study grants are not merely about financial support: they represent experiences that have transformed individuals, shaped the work of churches and local communities.
“The studies opened the world to me in many different ways, including the beauty of the diversity of people around the globe,” said Rev. Eva Guldanova, Secretary for Foreign Relations and Chair of the Ecumenical Committee at the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic.
It can be a wonderful way to strengthen the communion across regions and generations
Rev. Eva Guldanova, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic
Guldanova was among participants in a LWF webinar, 15 August, to launch an alumni network of scholarship holders. Such a group, she said, “could be a fantastic resource of connections and experiences of people who share our Lutheran faith, and who have been enriched in many ways. It can be a wonderful way to strengthen the communion across regions and generations,” she noted.
At the time of her master’s in divinity studies in Slovakia, Guldonova received an LWF scholarship for a non-degree exchange program, 2004-2005 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), USA. The New Testament and ecumenism course included classes at Catholic and Presbyterian schools of theology, a Bible and Qur'an course with Muslim students, visiting a Jewish synagogue, celebrating with Muslims, and connecting with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Back to the LSTC under a different program, 2009-2012, she earned a master’s in theology and returned home, where she was ordained in 2012.
Her time in Chicago, she recalled, also “brought a lot of new insights” from Slovaks who have emigrated there and formed Lutheran congregations. “I met a ton of amazing people, who have been shaping my life and journey until today,” Guldonova added.
Connecting people, providing mentorship
Recent master’s in theology graduates, Mr Hans-Christoph Thapelo Lange (South Africa) and Rev. Adrian Lopez (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia), and PhD holder Kidist Bahru Gemeda (Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus) helped in planning the webinar. All three LWF scholarship holders spoke of the connections and friendships formed around the quarterly “Coming Together” online meetings and other platforms with fellow scholars and LWF staff. A highlight for Lange was hosting a workshop with three other theology scholars at the Thirteenth Assembly in Kraków, Poland. “This is something I could never have dreamed of,” he said.
At the LWF Thirteenth Assembly in Kraków, Poland: Scholarship holders display Journeys from the Crossroads, a journal documenting how studying theology has transformed students’ thoughts, lives and faith. Photo: LWF/Johanan Celine Valeriano
“Hopefully, the alumni network can serve as a valuable resource to the communion in connecting people, providing mentorship, organizing events, etc. I encourage all current scholarship holders to get involved in the existing initiatives, and join our Facebook group,” Lange added.
A member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (Cape Church), Lange studied at the Stellenbosch University, 2021-2023. He is a vicar at ELCSA’s St Martini congregation, and he looks forward to being ordained in 2025.
Inspired by women’s struggles
From Bangalore, India, Rev. Dr Baby Rani, associate professor and chairperson of the Women’s Department at the United Theological College shared how the needs of women in a remote rural parish where her husband served influenced her doctoral studies. “I struggled to learn the regional language, Tamil, very fast in order to participate in seeking solutions to the women’s struggles against child marriages, lack of proper education, health challenges and economic instability,” the ordained pastor of the Arcot Lutheran Church recalled.
Rani pursued her LWF-supported doctoral program in women’s studies at the Senate of Serampore College (University) in Kolkota, 2011-2014, and received her PhD in 2017. Today, the Church Renewal Ministry which she started with others in rural Tamil, provides free tuition to children living in vulnerable conditions, literacy, and economic empowerment for women. She has also authored publications on gender and family, and she hopes such experiences and resources can be useful for current students and past scholarship holders.
Gifts to the whole communion
Past scholarship recipients include LWF staff. Rev. Dr Marcia Blasi, Program Executive for Gender Justice and Women’s Empowerment shared how an exchange program to South Africa in the mid-1990s shaped her future studies as a member and later ordained pastor of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil.
The study opportunities “are gifts to the whole communion, fostering a shared journey of learning and support,” she said. “The LWF scholarship opened doors that profoundly shaped my life, deepened my theological understanding, and enriched my practice. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this transformative work,” she added.
At the webinar, Blasi and Rev. Katariina Kiilunen, Program Executive for Capacity Building and Leadership Development introduced LWF’s work, including highlights from the Thirteenth Assembly and the new LWF Strategy 2025-2031.
Current and former scholarship holders are encouraged to join the LWF Scholarships Alumni Network and become part of the online community. Find out more on the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/LWF.Scholars or via [email protected]
More than 4,000 women and men have been trained in theology and diakonia related fields through the LWF Scholarship program since it started in the 1950s.
