CHICAGO -- At least 135 new mission personnel with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are being deployed through August 2005, according to a news release. That is the highest number of new missionaries in recent years.

From September to December, additional new mission personnel will be deployed, said Sonya Lindquist, associate director for international personnel, ELCA Division for Global Mission.

"The number of people interested in mission service is overwhelming," said Lindquist. Currently there are 281 ELCA missionaries serving throughout the world.

There are four newly ordained pastors and one person soon to be consecrated as a deaconess who have accepted their first calls to serve abroad through the ELCA's Global Mission program. The Rev. Brian Konkol, the Rev. Dirk Stadtlander, the Rev. Stephanie Quick, the Rev. Shelly Satran and Sylvia Countess will be serving their first calls in Guyana, Senegal, Costa Rica, Haiti and in the West Bank of Israel, respectively.

Konkol served his internship in South America, at Ebenezer Lutheran Parish, a three-point parish, in New Amsterdam, Guyana, from August of 2003 to July 2004.

"Realizing how connected we all are ... to people all over the world" greatly impressed Konkol while in Guyana, he said.

It's important to remember "that when going to these different countries our role isn't really giver and teacher, but receiving and learning from them," Konkol said. Halfway through his internship Konkol said he knew global mission work was something he wanted to continue doing.

In August Konkol will return to Guyana to serve his first call as pastor at Emmanuel Parish, a four-point parish, in Skeldon. He is also serving as the director of a Lutheran camp and retreat center that hosts mission trips from the U.S. Konkol said he is looking forward to talking with young people about ordained ministry and sharing with them that God empowers all people and that they have the ability to use their gifts to serve God.

There are several types of service opportunities available through the ELCA Division for Global Mission: Global Mission Two- Year Personnel, Long-Term Personnel, Global Mission Volunteers, Young Adults in Global Mission and Horizon Seminary Interns.

Currently there are 40 Two-Year mission personnel, 114 Long-Term Personnel, 50 Volunteers, 39 Young Adults in Global Mission and 5 Horizon Seminary Interns, said Lindquist. There are also 33 people serving in other various patterns of service, she said.

Thirty percent of the ELCA mission personnel are clergy and 70 percent are laypeople. Mission personnel serve in a variety of roles such as administrators, doctors, nurses, pastors, program assistants and teachers.

Information about missionary opportunities is at www.ELCA.org/globalmission/ on the ELCA Web site.