Lutherans in Great Britain support higher education of refugees and migrants

Council of Lutheran Churches announces new scholarship

(LWI) – The Council of Lutheran Churches (CLC) recently announced a scholarship for a refugee or migrant to Great Britain, giving them an opportunity for higher education at Mansfield College. The Lutheran Church in Great Britain (LCiGB) is part of the CLC, which seeks to further the work of all Lutheran churches in the UK. The church is also a member of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

“This scholarship is a wonderful opportunity for the Council of Lutheran Churches to support a cause very close to our hearts and history – supporting those seeking sanctuary,” says Tor Jørgensen, Bishop of the LCiGB and Chair of the CLC.

The CLC announced its support of Mansfield College, Oxford University, through the funding of a new scholarship for refugees and migrants.

From October 2021, Mansfield will offer a fully-funded graduate scholarship for three years for an outstanding scholar who has been forced to migrate from their home and has sought sanctuary in the United Kingdom. The new scholarship will cover living costs and all fees.

A long history of standing with refugees and immigrants

Founded in 1886, Mansfield College has welcomed students to Oxford University who were traditionally excluded from higher education. Today it continues to create a learning environment that holds the principles of human dignity and equality at its core.

The CLC supports the Lutheran presence in the United Kingdom and ecumenical and interfaith initiatives. Its membership includes congregations from nine European churches and the homegrown LCiGB. The CLC was founded by communities of refugees and immigrants coming together after both World Wars to build places of sanctuary and stability as strangers in a new country.

The new scholarship is an expression of CLC’s commitment to supporting refugees and re-establishes its historic partnership with Mansfield. From the mid-1950 to the 1990s, Lutheran pastors were trained at Mansfield through a tutorship established by the LWF in co-operation with the CLC. Before that, there were strong links between Mansfield College and members of the German Confessing Church, supporting German refugees in Oxford in the 1930s.

By LWF/A.Weyermüller

The Lutheran Church in Great Britain (LCiGB) has about 1.500 members and joined the LWF in 1988.