Academy of Faith and Leadership presents community forum
February 4, 2016
The Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary’s Academy of Faith and Leadership invite campus and community members to a forum about the recent refugee crisis and resettlement efforts in South Carolina, on Friday, February 12, at 10 a.m. in Stavros Lecture Hall on campus.
Bedrija Jazic, a service team leader for Refugee Resettlement Services, will be discussing how Lutheran services are instrumental in the resettlement of refugees in the Midlands. She will discuss the unique challenges faced by refugees entering America, and how to be the body of Christ in welcoming individuals from outside countries. Following her presentation, a panel will comment on the Biblical and theological implications of welcoming the stranger.
Jazic arrived in the United States in 1996 after fleeing her native Bosnia with her family after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When the war broke out, Sarajevo became a war zone, and inhabitants lived under siege for more than three years. They were “under constant fire with no power, no water, no food and no way to get out of the city,” Jazic recalled. More than 10,000 people were killed during those years.
Although the war ended in 1995, Jazic and her family no longer felt safe. Her family applied and was approved for resettlement to the US. They ended up in Columbia, SC, where Jazic’s sister had resettled a year earlier. After resettlement, Jazic has found fulfillment in assisting other refugees through Lutheran Services.
Please RSVP for this event as seats are limited. Visit www.lr.edu/refugeeforum to reserve a seat.
About Lenoir-Rhyne University
September 1, 2015 marked the beginning of Lenoir-Rhyne University’s 125th anniversary year. Founded in 1891, the private, coeducational University houses its primary campus in Hickory, NC. Academic programs include more than 50 undergraduate majors and 24 graduate programs at its campuses in Hickory, the Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville, NC, and the Center for Graduate Studies of Columbia which shares a campus with the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) in Columbia, SC. Today, more than 2,300 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled across the three campuses. Lenoir-Rhyne is affiliated with the NC Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and welcomes students from all religious denominations and backgrounds. The website is www.lr.edu.
