Former WCC Scholar Visits New York Office
Staff at the US Conference for the WCC recently received a visit from Rev. Doris Go-Baluyos who, in 1988, arrived in the United States from the Phillipines as a World Council of Churches scholar. This was her first return visit to the United States since completing her scholarship studies.
In the interim, Rev. Go- Baluyos assumed various leadership roles in her church back home in the Philippines and also was instrumental in mentoring Rev. Calipay "Leng" Lubang, another WCC scholar who studied at the Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa and also interned in the office of the US Conference for the WCC.
During her time in NY in 2004, Rev. Lubang outlined her vision for initiating annual gatherings of WCC scholars studying in the United States. Thanks to her efforts, the support of the US Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) Committee and WCC's Scholarship Program, this idea was implemented and the first WCC Scholars Gathering - co-hosted by the Presbyterian Church - USA - was convened at the Louisville Theological Seminary in April 2004.
Since that time, WCC Scholars Gatherings have been held successively at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO; Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, KY; and Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI.
"Meeting with Dr. John Backer and [Rev.] Deborah DeWinter in the Riverside Drive office of the WCC in NY was something that I will never forget," Ms. Baluyos said. "I would like to thank John most heartily. God bless you in your ministry of helping particularly women from third world countries in furthering their theological studies in countries like the US."
Serving as National Correspondent for the WCC Scholarship Program in the United States for the past 35 years, John Backer of Church World Service is also based at The Interchurch Center at 475 Riverside Drive.
For more information on the WCC Scholarships Program, visit: http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3139
