On March 21-22, six students from the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center (CCMC), Concordia University, Irvine, Calif., visited the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, for their pre-certification interviews with members of the Seminary faculty. The candidates were accompanied by Rev. Gregory Seltz, director of the CCMC and professor at Concordia University—Irvine.

Following the pre-certification interviews, the students will complete the remaining requirements of the CCMC program and receive the M.A. degree in theology and culture from Concordia University—Irvine. It is expected that they will then be certified for ordination into the pastoral ministry of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) by the faculty of Concordia Seminary. The students, and the ministries to which they are expected to be called, include

• Edgar Arroyo, Nehemiah Project, Los Angeles, Calif.;
• Assefa Kassa, Ethiopian Ministry;
• Shin-Hwan Kim, L.I.N.C., Houston, Texas;
• Xiaoyu Li, Chinese Ministry Alhambra, Calif.;
• Jubin Lim, L.I.N.C., Houston, Texas; and
• Tamba Naibaho, Indonesian Ministry, Ontario, Calif.

“We rejoice in how God is working in His church through these men and their fellow CCMC students,” commented Seltz.

The CCMC was established by Concordia University—Irvine, in conjunction with Concordia Seminary and the Pacific Southwest District of the LCMS, in order to provide directed preparation for ordained ministry to men who will serve in the socio-cultural contexts of specific ethnic populations and multicultural communities. Like traditional paths toward ordination, the CCMC includes a rigorous four-year, graduate-level academic curriculum and features four years of in-field vicarage experience.

“Concordia Seminary is thankful for its partnership with Concordia University—Irvine, and the faithful work of Rev. Seltz and others involved in making this program a success,” said Dr. David Wollenburg, Concordia Seminary’s director of distance education. “It demonstrates once again that Concordia Seminary truly does seek to engage not only the church but the world, as our graduates work to bring the message of Jesus Christ to many diverse peoples.”

For more information about the CCMC program, contact Rev. Gregory Seltz, Director, CCMC, Concordia University, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, CA 92612-3299; (949) 854-8002, ext. 1786; fax: (949) 854-6864; e-mail: greg.seltz@cui.edu.