All candidates for master of divinity degrees at the eight ELCA seminaries must complete an internship in a congregation. Each intern earns a stipend and may require a housing allowance. The Horizon Internship program provides funds to help congregations which cannot afford the full cost of supporting an intern.
Smaller congregations are often prime candidates for the Horizon program.
Each pays one-third of the funding for an intern to spend one year in a congregation,Villalon said. This year mission congregations have been added as learning sites, Villalon said. Congregations and seminarians must apply for the Horizon Internship program. Applications are screened to match the gifts of individuals with the needs of congregations. Congregations must reapply to be a Horizon Internship site every other year.