LSTC Epistle, Fall 2012 by Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

EPISTLE LSTC

FALL 2012

Magazine of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

President James Nieman installed as LSTC celebrates its first 50 years

PRESIDENT’S LETTER Dear friends in Christ: My installation as president of LSTC on October 27th was a pretty simple affair. Of course, the Eucharistic liturgy in which it occurred took months of planning and countless gifts from many people, for which I remain deeply thankful. But the installation itself? It lasted only five minutes, and at its heart were just five questions. That’s it. Some might say they sound only like pious sentiments. Before you rush past them, though, pause to consider what I vowed to do. Will you commit yourself to this new trust and responsibility, in the confidence that it comes from God through the call of the church? The emphasis here is not on my personal efforts but on recognizing God’s place in my new calling. Moreover, I am to trust that God is working through the often flawed and sometimes frail church. That surely also means I should continue to seek God’s voice as uttered by faithful folks like you. My calling does not begin with me. I can listen for God through you. Will you preach, teach, and lead in accordance with the holy scriptures and with the confessions of the Lutheran church? Hand in hand with the previous question, this one asks me to look outside myself for what grounds and guides me in this new calling. It’s easy to deceive yourself that your own intellect and experience will be sufficient for the job. Instead, I am to consult the wisdom of ancestors who walked with God long before us. I am to remember our tradition as a treasure for today. Will you carry out this ministry in harmony with the constitutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and of this seminary, and in a spirit of communion with God’s people throughout the world? Maybe this one seems dreary and bureaucratic, as if only rules and structures count. But the real point is the harmony and cooperation we build with our many partners, whether within LSTC or around the world. Healthy relationships take work, though, like behaving in reliable and responsible ways. I am bid to take such extra efforts in being trustworthy. Will you be diligent in your study of the holy scriptures and in your use of the means of grace? Will you love, serve, and pray for God’s people, nourish them with the word and sacraments, and lead them by your own example in faithful service and holy living? There’s a frightening amount here. Who could ever do all this, let alone do it well? Overwork is not the message, though. This list of faithful practices is important for a different reason. Every practice mentioned is for the good of others. I am to study

James Nieman

and serve, love and lead not for my sake but for my neighbor’s. That also means I should wonder who our neighbors really are. Will you give faithful witness in the world, that God’s love may be known in all that you do? Finally, we get to the real purpose behind all these questions, as well as the real aim of my new calling. In the end, I am not an administrator or educator, and my efforts are not for status or gratification. Like you, I am to be a witness through my life and work, that God’s mercy may be known by those who have never heard it. My calling as president is to share the good news. So as I said, that’s all there was to it. Five simple questions—simple, yes, but so deep and comprehensive. I didn’t reply to each question with a selfassured “Absolutely!” Instead, I said a little prayer: I will, and I ask God to help me. How are these also the questions facing each of us as we strive to be faithful? How are they now set before LSTC as our next half century unfolds? And how might our reply to them be more like a prayer? We will, and we ask God to help us.

James Nieman President

FEATURES LSTC

EPISTLE Fall 2012 • Volume 42 • No. 3

The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, forms visionary leaders to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ. Vision statement LSTC seeks to build up the body of Christ and work for a world of peace and justice that cares for the whole creation. Visit www. lstc.edu or call 1-800-635-1116 for more information about LSTC’s programs, conferences and special events. Editor Jan Boden Designer Ann Rezny Contributors Bob Berridge Jan Boden Jessica Houston James Nieman Rachel Wind LSTC Board of Directors Michael Aguirre Clarence Atwood, Secretary Myrna Culbertson Gregory Davis Melody Beckman Eastman Kimberlee Eighmy James Fowler Trina Glusenkamp Gould, Vice Chairperson J. Arthur Gustafson Kathryn Hasselblad-Pascale Greg Kaufmann John Kiltinen Mark Klever Susan Kulkarni Dale Landgren Michael Last Roger Lewis Gerald Mansholt Sandra Moody Harry Mueller, Treasurer Melinda Pupillo Gerald Schultz Sarah Stegemoeller, Chairperson Harvard Stephens Jr. Keith Wiens Jean Ziettlow

The LSTC Epistle is published three times a year by the Communications and Marketing Office. Printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks Cover: ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson installs James Nieman as LSTC’s seventh president Photo credits: Jan Boden, Roger Bottorff, Ashley Hochhalter, Tricia Koning, Dirk van der Duim

Sally Hanson, Mary Tororeiy, Nate Sutton, and Luke Williams lead the Installation Service recession

Explore the World of the Bible in Turkey

Companions on the journey

An interview with President Nieman

10 LSTC Remembers Nick and Alpha 11 Presence and Personality by Bob Berridge

Presidential Scholars Rachel Brocker, Angela Storer, Justin Tigerman, and Marissa Tweed remember their baptism

22 “God is always providing” Deb Kelly receives Schoewe Scholarship

by Jan Boden

23 Fresh Faces at LSTC by Rachel Wind

24 We are all in!

Staff responds to Annual Fund Challenge

by Rachel Wind

12 LSTC’s Gospel Choir celebrates 25 years by Jessica Houston

13 Many Voices, One Story LSTC 1962-1982 16 Inauguration Weekend at LSTC 18 2012-2013 Scholarship and fellowship recipients

Departments President’s letter Opportunities at LSTC

inside cover 2

Faculty notes

Class notes

Transitions

Opportunities at LSTC New work by David Cherwien featured at Bach for the Sem

Chapel Music Series 2012-2013 January 29, 2013, at 7:30 p.m., the Luther College Symphony Orchestra will be in concert in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC. More than 80 Luther College students play in the orchestra, which presents standard orchestral pieces as well as new music. Each year, the orchestra tours the United States and every four years maintains a three-week residency in Vienna, Austria. Daniel Baldwin conducts the Luther College Orchestra. For more information or tickets contact Daniel Schwandt at dschwandt@lstc.edu.

A new piece for choir by David Cherwien will be part of the 19th Annual Bach for the Sem Concert on Sunday, January 13 at 4 p.m. St. Luke Church, 1500 West Belmont, Chicago, hosts the concert by Chicago area musicians led by Dr. Mark Bangert.

The Lutheran Choir of Chicago presents music for Lent, “The Lamb: Grant Us Peace” in a concert on Sunday, March 17, at 4 p.m.in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC. For more information about the Lutheran Choir of Chicago and for concert tickets visit www. lutheranchoirofchicago.org/.

25th Anniversary LSTC Gospel Choir Concert Mark your calendar now for the 25th Anniversary LSTC Gospel Choir Concert on April 14 at 4 p.m. in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC. “Many Voices, One Story: Celebration!” is the theme of the concert. Choir alumni are invited to sing under director Dr. Keith Hampton. Proceeds from the concert benefit the Grover Wright and Carole A. Burns Scholarship Funds. For more information, watch www.lstc.edu, or contact Patricia Bartley at pbartley@lstc.edu or 773256-0717. Read more about the concert on page 12.

Bach for the Sem

They will perform works by Daniel Pinkham, Morten Lauridsen and Flor Peeters as well as Part 4 of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. Tickets are $20 before the concert and $22 at the door. For more information or to order tickets, contact Ruth Ann Deppe at rdeppe@lstc.edu or 773-256-0712.

Alumnus Delbert Anderson will deliver Scherer Lecture The Rev. Delbert Anderson (1958, M.Div., Augustana Theological Seminary; 1966, S.T.M., Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary) has been invited to deliver the Scherer Lecture at LSTC on February 26, 2013. He served as a missionary with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong (1959–1969) and as Program Director for East Asia for the Lutheran Church in America and ELCA Global Mission (1970– 1997). The free public lecture begins at 4 p.m. in LSTC’s Common Room.

Third Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day On Monday, January 21, at 11 a.m., Metropolitan Chicago Synod Bishop Wayne Miller will be the preacher for the Third Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Worship sponsored by the Albert “Pete” Pero Multicultural Center at LSTC. Worship will be in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC. For details about the afternoon program, watch www.lstc.edu/multicultural-center/events/ or contact Dr. Cheryl Stewart Pero at cpero@lstc.edu or 773-256-0774.

Alumni Awards LSTC will honor Distinguished Alumni on Monday, March 11, 2013, at the conclusion of the 2013 Leadership Series. Each year, LSTC confers

Distinguished Alumni Awards in various categories on those graduates of LSTC and its legacy institutions who have distinguished themselves in faithful service to the Gospel and to the body of Christ. LSTC’s Alumni Board selects the recipients from nominations submitted to them each year. To learn more about LSTC’s Distinguished Alumni Awards and to view a list of past recipients, visit www.lstc. edu/alumni-friends/resources/awards.php.

attend chapel, talk with students and faculty, and get a walking tour of Hyde Park. For more information visit www.lstc.edu/prospective-students/visit/ sampler/ or call Rachel Brocker at 773-256-0726.

Zygon Center hosts 5th Annual Student Symposium “Science and Spirituality in University and Seminary: Research, Religion, and Institutions of Higher Education” is the topic for the 5th Annual Symposium on Science and Spirituality on March 15, from 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Students from across the country participate. Find details about the symposium at www.zygoncenter.org/studentsymposium/.

Seminary Sampler February 17–19, LSTC’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid hosts its next Seminary Sampler for those discerning a call to professional ministry in the church. Sampler participants sit in on classes,

2013 Leadership Series, March 10–11 Faithful Living in an Interfaith World Why do Muslims and Christians engage in interfaith encounter and dialogue? What is it deep within our specific traditions that motivates us for and sustains us in this endeavor? Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core and Mark Swanson, Harold S. Vogelaar Professor of Christian-Muslim Studies and Interfaith Relations, will address those questions and more at the March 10–11, 2013 conference. The conference begins Sunday evening, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. with a free lecture by Eboo Patel. After the lecture, stay for a concert by the SalaamShalom Music Project, comprised of members of

Eboo Patel

Chicago’s Maxwell Street Klezmer Band and artists from the Arabic music community. They draw on traditional melodies of the Middle East and klezmorim to affirm the possibilities for mutual learning, enrichment and good will between Jews, Muslims, and Christians. On Monday, March 11, at 9 a.m., Dr. Mark Swanson presents “Entertaining Angels: The Whys and Wherefores of Interfaith Hospitality.” Multiple workshops will help participants get acquainted with and work in the interfaith community. Cost: $75.00. For more information or to register email leadershipconference@lstc.edu.

Mark Swanson

News from LSTC Albert H. Keck Jr., LSTC’s oldest alumnus, dies at 102

lecture are linked to YouTube from LSTC’s website at www.lstc.edu/voices/videos/2012-10-27-inaugurallecture.php. The panelists are Dr. Nancy Ammerman, professor of sociology of religion, Boston University; the Rev. Linda Norman, treasurer, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Chicago, Ill.; the Rev. Dr. Michael Burk, bishop, Southeastern Iowa Synod, ELCA; the Rev. Yehiel Curry, pastor developer, Shekinah Chapel, Chicago, Ill.; Dr. Bonnie Miller-McLemore, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling, Vanderbilt University; the Rev. Jhon Freddy Correa, Pastor, Emmaus Lutheran Church, Racine, Wis. The Rev. Dr. Linda Thomas, professor of theology and anthropology, LSTC, moderated the discussion.

The Rev. Dr. Albert H. Keck Jr., a 1934 graduate of Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary, died peacefully in his sleep at the Lutheran Home in Hickory, N.C., on July 13. He was 102 years old. Pastor Keck’s long and distinguished career began in 1934, when he was ordained and served as pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Sterling, Ill. He served two other parishes in North Carolina and taught practical theology, homiletics and liturgics at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. He retired in 1976, but supplied at 75 different congregations from 1977 to 1993. He was a gifted pastor, professor, author, and friend of many. Pastor Keck served on a number of boards, including Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary and Lenoir-Rhyne College. He was a member of the constituting convention of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA), the Commission on Worship of the United Lutheran Church in America, the Commission on the Ministry of the LCA, and the Board of Publication of the LCA. He was a member of the first board of the Catawba County Association for Special Education and an organizer of the Cooperative Christian Ministry of Greater Hickory and the Lutheran Home in Hickory. A memorial service was held on July 15 at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Hickory. Pastor Keck was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 70 years, Virginia “Ginny” Rhodes and their son, Timothy. He is survived by a daughter and two sons, eight grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

Videos now available of “Ministerial Wisdom” discussion and lecture Our churches need leaders with the practical judgment to help people better speak and live their faith in Jesus Christ. In the days ahead, what sort of ministerial wisdom will best give shape to a fuller witness to the gospel by all the faithful, and how can LSTC contribute to forming such wise leaders? Distinguished panelists and President James Nieman explored that question with several hundred audience members on October 27. Podcasts of the panelists presentations are available at www.lstc. edu/voices/podcasts/2012-10-27-forum.php. Videos of the discussion and President Nieman’s inaugural

The Rev. Linda Norman, (2006, M.Div.), treasurer of the ELCA, discusses ministerial wisdom.

Explore the World of the Bible in Turkey with Drs. Rossing and Menn

Blue Mosque

Ephesus

Ephesus Theater

Travel to the biblical sites of the Apostle Paul and the cities of Revelation in Turkey under the guidance of Dr. Barbara Rossing and Dr. Esther Menn. “World of the Bible: Biblical, Christian, Jewish and Muslim Sites in Turkey” departs Chicago on May 20 and returns June 1, 2013. Cost of the tour is just $3699 per person, double occupancy. It includes round trip airfare and all accommodations, daily breakfasts and eight dinners, private sightseeing tour bus and English-speaking guide, all itinerary-related entry fees. Single occupancy is available for an additional $460. Learn more at http://www.lstc.edu/ lifelong-learners/courses-events/studytours.php or at Tutku Tours www.tutkutours.com/00_BIBLICAL_TOURS.asp. Tour stops include Smyrna (now Izmir), Pergamon, Ephesus, Cappadocia, Istanbul, and more. Reserve your spot on the tour with a $250 deposit. Full pay-

ment is due by March 1. The tour is fast-paced and strenuous, with considerable walking on uneven ground around archaeological sites. If you have health concerns, please email Barbara Rossing at brossing@lstc.edu. Tour leader Barbara Rossing, professor of New Testament, and Esther Menn, the Ralph W. and Marilyn R. Klein Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, have traveled to Turkey with LSTC’s Muslim students and love the region’s rich history, beautiful landscapes and diverse peoples.

Temple of Trajan, Pergamon

Companions on the journey An interview with James Nieman “You have put me in my place at LSTC. And there is no other place I would rather be,” James Nieman told the gathered assembly after his installation at Rockefeller Chapel on October 28. He continued, “What’s left is the glad task of living out this call with you.” Listen to his remarks online at www.lstc. edu/voices/videos/2012-10-28-inaugural.php. Shortly before the installation weekend, President Nieman took time for a conversation to help us get to know our new companion on the journey of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through LSTC.

Lutheran Church in Manchester and I’m able to do my work from two or more places—Chicago, Connecticut, and the places I will be visiting LSTC’s alumni and friends. It’s easier now to do this by using an iPhone and iPad to keep in touch with both my family and with colleagues at LSTC. The broad plan is that every three weeks or so, I’ll spend about 10-14 days in Chicago and then 5-7 days in Connecticut. What’s messier is that which days I do that will be rather irregular so that I can be present at LSTC when I need to be for meetings or major events.

For the first two years of your tenure, you plan to commute between Chicago and Connecticut. Please tell us about that. James Nieman: Our younger daughter, Madelene, is a junior in an excellent urban school that she likes and where she has good friends. JoAnn and I would like her to be able to complete high school there. JoAnn is able to remain pastor of Concordia

Would you tell us more about your daughters? Clara is 24 and she lives in Rochester, N.Y. She stayed there after earning a master’s degree in vocal performance from the Eastman School of Music. She’s still based there because her “rent-paying” jobs are there. She’s able to get to New York City for auditions. She regularly auditions for programs and performs in these, eventually seeking to get into a

President Nieman’s father, Robert, and his spouse, Patricia; JoAnn Post, James Nieman, Clara Nieman, Madelene Nieman

young artists’ program somewhere. All this seems just fine with her. Our younger daughter, Madelene, is 15—she’ll be 16 in December. As I’ve said, she’s a junior in high school. She is very interested in tying together the study of history and film and other media. The school Madelene is in has a classical curriculum— she takes Latin, philosophy, and English literature. Madelene also plays several instruments including piano, saxophone, accordion and guitar. She is an avid canoeist, and has gone on canoeing trips with small groups on the Allagash River in Maine and on the Riviére Coulonge in Quebec. She’s tough as nails and totally hilarious.

finished my M.Div. In any case, Wartburg’s niche was well-suited to what I had been studying [in graduate school.] Its attention to rural ministry and small-town and rural settings in the upper Midwest, its deep roots in liturgics and social ministry made it a good place for me to be. I care very much about small, resource-poor congregations. Many people don’t realize that Wartburg also has a global sense about how it approaches ministry. It was founded as a Missionseminar. For Wartburg, to be part of the church is to be part of the global church. Hartford Seminary, with a quite different niche, provided me with a research opportunity through its Hartford Institute for Religious Research. I was able to do congregational research and to deepen and refine what I was working on. Hartford’s niche is that its programs are oriented toward leadership. It has also been focused on Christian-Muslim relations going back to the 19th Century. There are students at Hartford from Indonesia, Singapore, Turkey, and elsewhere who are observant Muslims or Christians. It gave the school a very global perspective. It was fascinating to have colleagues and students who were observant Muslims. I had to rethink my approach to what I was teaching. LSTC has still another niche: urban and multicultural while also being intentionally confessional—Lutheran, preparing ministers and teachers. It, too, has a global perspective on things. It is sending out teachers, bishops, leaders of schools and seminaries around the world. For LSTC to have an active involvement in preparing these leaders is an important role in the global church.

You’ve had an unusual first 90 days at LSTC. How has that affected you? These first 90 days have been colored by complications with JoAnn’s health. In September she needed to have surgery for a fast-growing tumor and there were complications following the surgery. Everybody I talk with has faced similar complications in their own health or the health of someone they love. At the same time JoAnn was in the hospital, several staff people at LSTC were also dealing with urgent health issues for themselves or family members. So we’re not unusual. It just came at an odd time for us. Through this, I’ve met people on a different level. We have been shown compassion and kindness. And I’ve shown a different side of myself than I would have without these complications. People have seen where my priorities are. My primary vocation is with my spouse. This has been good for me to think about. It has also allowed me to give permission to others to fulfill their primary vocations. I’ve realized in a way that I hadn’t fully expected that the role of president is symbolic. Of course I know that how I act reflects on the school, but this has been another kind of symbolism of the limits and frailties that I bear in my vocation, and that each of us has in however we’re called by God.

What do you see as LSTC’s strengths? I wrote this for the catalog and my greeting on the website and I really believe it’s true: it’s the human strengths—the people. LSTC has remarkable students. As I read through Admissions reports on the students who have started at LSTC this fall, I see a diversity of age, gender, geographical origin, international distribution. Having met our students, I find them intelligent, inquisitive, and committed to their call. As (Director of Admissions) Scott Chalmers has said, they have made a choice to come to LSTC because they like what we’re about. LSTC has a great faculty—they’re smart and active scholars in their fields. Even though they’re stretched a little thin right now, I think they also have a lot of untapped creativity.

You’ve been a faculty member or administrator at three schools. Could you tell us about their similarities and differences? Wartburg Theological Seminary, Hartford Seminary, and LSTC, on the surface, look very different, but I find a surprising continuity among them. Here’s how: Each school knows its niche. I was surprised to find myself teaching at Wartburg. I never thought I’d teach at the place I

President Nieman greets the assembly at Rockefeller Chapel on October 28. He is wearing a shawl given to him by LSTC international students as a sign of honor.

LSTC’s staff is talented and loyal. They know what they are doing and I admire what they are able to do with limited resources and in what have been stressful circumstances. The board of directors is very impressive. They have appropriately tried to address how to fulfill the school’s vision in the long run. Finally, LSTC has a great location that has huge appeal for the students. The academic resources in the neighborhood are a huge asset. It’s urban and it’s diverse.

I realize that I’m in a long period of adjustment—there are a lot of things I need to learn about being president of LSTC. There are a lot of separate components now—finances, budget, admissions, curriculum, fundraising—but after enough time, I will begin to see how all of those things are related. What we do in one of those areas affects all the others. I think that’s another strength—seeing how the parts relate as a whole. I have an extensive background in and commitment to theological education. As far as character is concerned—I’m a faithful person—both to other people and in terms of my faith. I’m a thankful person. I’m aware of how I have received so many blessings and I think I give people ways to recognize the blessings that they have received. Everyone at LSTC has faced a huge amount of challenge. One of the most important things that needs to happen is to re-stabilize. In my first year, it’s important for us to rebuild our trust -- in LSTC and in our future. If we can step back with some calm, we will be able to appreciate the huge number of resources we have. We also should acknowledge that it’s not a loss if we have to do less.

What strengths do you feel you bring to your role as president of LSTC? Of course this was something the Presidential Search Committee asked me, so let me share some of the things I told them. I’m a good problem-solver. Throughout my ministry, I’ve unfortunately come into some messy situations. So I’ve learned how to tease apart a problem to see where the real problem lies and then I’m able to help find a solution. I’m good at strategizing for change over the long run or helping people discover the strategy they can work with.

What do you see as the steps toward stability? The first is pragmatic. As much as possible, we need to stick to the budget/economic plan that we’ve laid out for LSTC. That way we’ll know the base from which we’re building. Another way to stabilize is to say “thank you” to people: publicly and privately to acknowledge the work that the faculty and staff do. The people here have a huge commitment to the school. It’s important to acknowledge that. As we move forward together, it will be important for us to apologize to one another when we do things wrong—to say, “I’m sorry that I made your work more difficult” or “I did that wrong, I’m sorry.” I also think I need to genuinely convey to people that I am a reliable and trustworthy person.

the governor was 34 years old. If you were a young person coming there, you were immediately given a lot of responsibilities. JoAnn and I were heavily involved in ecumenical activities, youth activities, and we helped plan the new synod’s first assembly. Our time in Alaska transformed my life and what I later chose to study in my doctoral research. You taught homiletics and then practical theology. Can you tell me about practical theology? Ordinarily people think about theology - like systematic theology - as a body of written material focused on a particular idea or concept. The material is a result of theological reflection on what are classic problems of the faith. This kind of reflection is really a secondary enterprise—a stepping back from life. It’s good and necessary. Practical theology is a primary activity. It focuses on what happens in disciples’ lives. How do we live our beliefs in our actions, in our bodies, in groups? It looks at what a congregation is saying theologically by the way it organizes its budgets, in the hymns it sings in worship, in the way it fights and resolves its conflicts. Practical theology, in terms of seminary curricula, typically has been a compressed way of referring to teaching skills to pastors. But that’s a small part of what practical theology is—those are only the practices of the leaders, and only part of the picture. I’m interested in how the leaders encourage each disciple to live out his or her faith. I don’t think we have any definite idea where the world is going or what the church is going to look like in 20 years. Sure, we can chart the demographics and trend lines, but what does that mean? Who knows? What we can do—and there is an identifiable body of practical wisdom that we can use—is to strengthen people in their own faith lives. It’s more about the character of our leaders and foundations they need to build.

At the seminary, we talk a lot about call stories, would you share your call story? It’s not big or magnificent. I admire people who are new to the faith or have been alienated and come back to Christianity. That’s not my story, though. I grew up Lutheran and as far back as we can trace our German ancestry the family has been part of Lutheran parishes. I was a member of an American Lutheran Church (ALC) congregation growing up. When I decided to go to seminary there were three ALC seminaries. My uncle, a bishop’s assistant, told me that I should go to Wartburg Theological Seminary because that’s where German Lutherans of my stripe went. I didn’t receive any advance materials from Wartburg. I applied and my letter of acceptance was an unsigned mimeographed form letter. I had never been to that part of Iowa until I drove to Dubuque to start classes. That’s just the way things were then—seminaries didn’t “court” students, as we do now. Of course, I’m glad that’s changed. We should interact more with folk discerning their calls and let them know why the church needs them. You served a parish in Alaska for four years, could you tell me about that experience? That was my second call and JoAnn’s first. We weren’t entirely sure about going to Alaska, but that’s where the bishop sent us. I was in an urban parish working with the Iñupiaq people. It was such an important time— it focused me on cross-cultural congregational life. I was also head of a social service agency in Anchorage. It’s a young state. When we were there,

To hear more about Ministerial Wisdom, view President’ Nieman’s inaugural lecture on LSTC’s YouTube channel VideosfromLSTC, http://www.youtube.com/user/ VideosfromLSTC/feed?feature=context-cha.

We are the Lord’s

LSTC remembers Nick and Alpha This past summer, LSTC lost two well-known members of its community. Nick Spehar was LSTC’s longest-serving employee. He began his career at LSTC two months after the school opened its doors in Hyde Park. Alpha Sabbithi was a young man, about to enter his third year of study at LSTC, full of energy, questions, and discerning the best way to use his gifts to serve the Lord he loved. On September 20, the community gathered, with members of Nick’s and Alpha’s families, to remember both of these men. Pastor Joan Beck preached and, following the service, a tree was planted in the LSTC courtyard as a living memorial.

Lawn, Ill. A memorial service was held in September in Elmhurst, Ill. He was buried in India. See Bob Berridge’s tribute to Nick Spehar on page 11. Read Pastor Beck’s memorial service sermon at www. lstc.edu/chapel/sermons/?a=sermon&id=268.

Alpha Sabbithi was an active member of the LSTC community, taking part in Pero Multicultural Center events, community celebrations, worship, and working on campus for the Information Technology Services Office. He graduated from Carthage College, Kenosha, Wis., where he majored in religion. Sabbithi is survived by his parents, a sister and a brother. He was reported missing by his family on August 19. His body was recovered on August 21 from Maple Lake in the Cook County Forest Preserve near Chicago. No foul play is suspected in his death. A wake was held at LSTC on August 24 and funeral services were held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Oak

Alpha Sabbithi studying in the commuter lounge at LSTC

Pastor Joan Beck presides at the dedication of a tree planted in memory of Alpha Sabbithi and Nick Spehar.

Presence and personality: Remembering Nick Spehar by Bobby Berridge, vice president for operations one: plumber or preacher, prince or pauper. Nick talked to you, joked with you, cared for you. He would make up special names for people: “preacher,” “boss,” “trouble.” Or special sayings, “I’m gonna keep an eye on you!” “That’s going to cost you a little extra.” “Slow down, you make me dizzy.” “Stop planning so much…I don’t know if I even be here tomorrow.” He would say it all with his wonderful smile. As we go through this day and the days to come, listen to the stories—stories where Nick will continue to make us smile. Tell the story about the day that Mike Huckelberry gave Nick a ride to the hardware store on the back of his motorcycle and popped a wheelie all the way down University Avenue. Nick held on so tight he nearly broke Mike’s ribs—and he walked back to the school. Remember how he almost burned down housing because he left soup on the stove when he walked up to the store and stopped to talk to a neighbor. Tell about how one year the seniors talked him into roasting 12 pigs in back of the Conference Center and he ended up doing it all himself. Talk about the day William Lesher came to his interview to be president and the students put a sign on the building: “Nick for President.” Or tell how Nick drove the new John Deere tractor down the sidewalk and while he was waving at the students in the cafeteria, ran into the glass at the front door.

Bob Berridge shared this eulogy at Nick Spehar’s funeral on July 9 at St. Jerome Croatian Catholic Church, Chicago. Thank you, Lord, for putting us in a family with Nick! If anyone on earth knew what the word “home” means, it was Nick. Home is where you go and things are consistent, dependable, the same—and people know your name.

Forty-five years Nick came to work at LSTC in November of 1967, two months after the school opened in Hyde Park. He cleaned and fixed and watered things, but, more importantly, was there consistently, dependably, creating family. For 45 years he was there. People came and left for a lot of different reasons—you know families. Forty-five new classes of students, perhaps 4,500 students, came and left. Hundreds of faculty and staff came and left. Seven different presidents came and left. Nick was still there. Interim President Phil Hougen, first came to LSTC as a student in 1968. He came back for a doctor of ministry degree; then he came back as Bishop of Southeastern Iowa Synod. A Nick Spehar few years ago, he came back as Board Chair and then as Interim President. Over the years, as he traveled throughout the church, people asked him about LSTC, “How is it going?” He would tell them about students or faculty, new things happening at the seminary, and then he’d say, “Yes, Nick is still there.”

Blessed to serve I have worked with Nick since 1984. Others have worked with him longer and know him better, but we all have been blessed to know and serve God’s Kingdom with Nick—the man who knew what it meant to be family.

Personality Now Nick was not just presence. Nick was personality. Everyone knew Nick—in the halls, at the front desk, outside in the courtyard. He talked to every-

LSTC Gospel Choir celebrates 25 years of sharing the gospel message in song by Jessica Houston, assistant vice president for advancement Many Voices, One Story: Celebration in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC.

choir that was multicultural, multi-ethnic, interfaith, and intergenerational. Its members included current students, alumni, faculty, staff, other seminary students and lay persons from Chicago area congregations. The membership is as diverse today as it was at its beginning.

Connecting to LSTC’s 50th Anniversary theme, this year’s concert will be a celebration of 25 years of music and ministry activities that have enriched the lives of many within the LSTC community and beyond. The anniversary concert will include special musical guests and performance artists that have participated in previous concerts. There will also be special displays of memorabilia, pictures and artifacts from the 25 years of the choir’s travel in the United States and abroad.

Songs and scholarships The choir regularly sings during weekly chapel service on campus as well as for annual celebrations such as commencement and convocation. They have shared their wonderful music ministry with Lutheran congregations in Metropolitan Chicago and the surrounding synods, and with churches of other denominations and organizations. The choir has been blessed with several opportunities to travel abroad to share the gospel message in song, both in Tanzania and South Africa. One of the most important initiatives of the choir has been establishing two student scholarship funds: The Grover Wright and Rev. Carole A. Burns Scholarships. The Grover Wright Scholarship Fund was established in 1989 in honor of the late Grover Wright, who was the associate director of the Division for Professional Leadership of the Lutheran Church in America. He encouraged persons of color to become pastors and leaders in the church. The scholarship is awarded to students of African descent, persons of color, or whose first language is not English. The Carole A. Burns Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2002 to honor the life and ministry of the Rev. Carole A. Burns. Burns, an LSTC alum, member of the Gospel Choir, and one of the founders of the Grover Wright Fund, remained active with the choir until her passing in 2001. The Burns Scholarship is awarded to African-American women studying ministry at LSTC. Both scholarships receive the majority of their funding at the annual spring concert. Updates and information on recipients of the Grover Wright and Carol Burns Scholarship Funds will be shared at the anniversary concert. Alumni may contact Patricia Bartley directly by phone, 773-256-0717, or email: pbartley@lstc.edu for more information about the alumni reunion choir.

Justin Tigerman (middler) and the LSTC Gospel Choir

A very special invitation is being made to alumni of the choir. “We want to have as many alumni choir members join us for this celebration, as we present an alumni choir and perform at least one musical selection,” said Ms. Patricia Bartley, choir founder.

Multicultural, multi-ethnic, intergenerational, ecumenical The Gospel Choir began in 1987, when Patricia Bartley, LSTC registrar, invited a group of students and staff to join together in song in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a special worship service. Afterwards, Bartley extended the invitation to the entire seminary community to keep the gospel choir going. Over the years, this invitation resulted in a

Many Voices, One Story: LSTC’s First Twenty Years 1962-1982 Highlights of LSTC’s first 20 years

“Chaotic but cheerful” is how Professor Emeritus James Scherer described LSTC’s first years in a 50th anniversary forum held on October 18. Three emeritus faculty members, Philip Hefner, Wilhelm Linss, and James Scherer, shared memories and insights about LSTC’s first 20 years. Scherer recalled that in the first months at 1100 East 55th Street, the faculty offices still lacked walls, the administrators and deans were in cubicles set up in the first floor of the library wing, and the opening convocation was held in an unfinished Chapel Auditorium. Nonetheless, they were “so happy to be here. The architecture, with the glass curtain walls embodied what we were about—emphasizing an openness to the world.” The three recalled the turbulent times of LSTC’s beginning. “Everyone was doing teach-ins. The University of Chicago administration building was occupied for 51 days by the students,” Scherer said. Phil Hefner stated that during the 1960s “students were radicalized in the sense of wanting to be part of the power process and insisting that they play an important role (in institutional decisions).” He recalled that the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hit LSTC hard and that students organized to initiate an anti-racism program for the entire Illinois Synod. They were not successful in getting a meeting with the bishop and, Hefner says, they “raised hell.” Dr. Wilhelm Linss provided another perspective. He and several colleagues came to LSTC from Central Seminary in Fremont, Neb. They were the only predecessor school to be required, by the new Lutheran Church in America, to become part of LSTC. The other predecessor schools had made their own choice to merge. Linss said that he and his Central colleagues were well-received by the other LSTC faculty. He was asked to become registrar shortly after he joined the faculty, which provided some balance to an administration that was largely from the Augustana tradition. Unfortunately, not many of the students from Central came to LSTC—many of them chose to transfer to Wartburg Theological Seminary. A podcast of the forum is available on LSTC’s website at www.lstc.edu/voices/podcasts/201210-18-50th-emeriti.php.

1962 The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago was formally established on September 4, as a result of the merger of four institutions: Augustana Theological Seminary at Rock Island, Illinois; Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary at Maywood, Illinois; and Grand View Seminary, and Suomi Theological Seminary, which had been holding their classes at Maywood since 1960 1964 Stewart Herman installed as president; the exact site of the new $8 million academic unit fronting 55th Street between University and Greenwood Avenues was selected in midsummer; L. Dale Lund elected Dean 1965 Demolition of buildings on site begins in September. A ground-breaking ceremony was held on October 6

Stewart Herman

Demolition in preparation for LSTC's new building

1970 African-American students call for special programs; Chicago Cluster of Theological Schools (Hyde Park) formed with offices at LSTC; accreditation review results in “high marks” for the seminary; Jesuit School of Theology (Bellarmine) moves onto the LSTC campus and becomes a library partner

1966 Cornerstone laid on April 24 with a special “Foundation Festival of Praise” at the site; LCA adopts a proposal to merge a fifth campus, Central Theological Seminary at Fremont, Neb., with LSTC

1971 Jean Bozeman, assistant professor of religious education, is the first female faculty member at LSTC; faculty size is 19 compared to 30 in 1967 1972 Walter F. “Pat” Wolbrecht inaugurated as president in April; bachelor of divinity (B.D.) changed to master of divinity (M.Div.);

President Stewart Herman and Illinois Synod President Robert Marshall lay LSTC’s cornerstone

1967 Opening Convocation on new campus October 1; classes begin October 2; LSTC’s new campus in Hyde Park dedicated October 22

Jean Bozeman

1973 Academy for Hispanic Ministries founded—senior seminarian José David Rodríguez Jr. on staff; Doctor in Ministry Program inaugurated (D. Min.)

October 1 Opening Convocation in the unfinished LSTC Chapel Auditorium

1968 After Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is killed, LSTC classes are suspended for a two-day seminar on strategies to combat racism

Jose David Rodriguez Jr. (middle, in dark vest) on a Hispanic Ministries trip

1969 Two women enroll in ministerial studies (Kristine Warmoth and Alice Moberg)

1979 Fall enrollment: 255, including 60 women

1974 University of Chicago permits “bi-registration”; students, faculty and staff from the LCMS Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, walk out to form Concordia Seminary in Exile, later Christ Seminary-Seminex

1980 Conference for ordained women held on the 10th anniversary of the ordination of women in Lutheran churches

Concordia Seminary students, faculty and staff walk out

1975 Albert “Pete” Pero becomes the first African American faculty member at a North American Lutheran seminary; McCormick Theological Seminary moves to Hyde Park from Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood; holds all its classes at LSTC; JesuitKrauss-McCormick Library formed 1976 Arthur Arnold becomes president; successful Seminary Life Appeal retires all of LSTC’s capital indebtedness

Female enrollment at LSTC grew to almost 25% in 10 years. These students are part of the "Feast of Fools."

1981 LSTC receives accreditation through the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; fall enrollment: 301 1982 Agreement made with Christ Seminary-Seminex to deploy faculty to LSTC; Rural Plunges (immersions) begin; first Black Ordained Women’s Conference held at LSTC organized by Cheryl Stewart; tuition: $1,800, up from $1,050 in 1972

Albert “Pete” Pero Jr.

______________________________ 1977 William Lesher elected president

Errata Dr. Harold Skillrud alerted us to errors that appeared in the “Many Voices, One Story” article that appeared in the Summer 2012 Epistle magazine. LSTC’s founding documents were signed on September 4, 1962. The original invitation from Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary (Maywood) to Augustana Theological Seminary was made on January 15, 1958.

1978 Hispanic Ministry Program begins

William Lesher

Inauguration Weekend at LSTC For the last 50 years, LSTC has held its largest celebrations at Rockefeller Chapel. On October 28, the wider LSTC community and well-wishers from across the country gathered there to celebrate the installation of James Nieman as the seminary’s seventh president and to mark the 50th anniversary of LSTC’s founding. ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson led worship with assistance from LSTC master of divinity students Sarah Rohde and Kwame Pitts. Professor Barbara Lundblad preached on Luke 24:13-35. Daniel Sarah Rohde (senior) and Presiding Bishop Mark Schwandt, canHanson tor to the seminary community, directed brass players and a mass choir of the LSTC Cantorei, Gospel Choir, and singers from area churches. They performed two new pieces commis-

President Nieman receives a standing ovation after his installation

sioned for LSTC’s 50th anniversary: “Tell the Story,” by Keith Hampton, director of LSTC’s Gospel Choir, and “The Only Stranger in Jerusalem,” with words by Madeleine Forell Marshall and music by Robert Buckley Farlee, based on the gospel text for the day. In his greeting, Bishop Hanson said, “Thanks be to God for 50 years for the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, a seminary rich in gifted scholars who have taught wise leaders; generous donors, generous donors…generous donors; and marvelous students… “I want to say a special word of thanks to you, the LSTC community, for the way that you, in many respects, have led the church, this part of the church, to become a more inclusive church, a more fully welcoming church. Thank you for the way in which you accompany global companions and work with us to make visible the unity that is ours in Christ.” Watch the Pastor Jhon Freddy Correa, Bishop Michael Burk, Pastor Linda Norman, Dr. Linda Thomas, Dr. Nancy Ammerman, Pastor Yehiel Curry, and Dr. Bonnie Miller-McLemore at the “Ministerial Wisdom” panel discussion October 27 entire greeting at

www.lstc.edu/voices/videos/2012-10-28inaugural.php..

Panel, alumni, president explored “ministerial wisdom” On Saturday, October 27, more than 200 people attended the panel discussion and President Nieman’s inaugural lecture on ministerial wisdom. Guided by LSTC’s Dr. Linda Thomas, panelists presented both theory and practice on what type of wisdom might be needed by leaders in the church to equip all disciples to give fuller witness to the gospel in daily life. After two panelists’ presentations, the audience broke into small groups to discuss what it had heard and to offer comments. The panelists were Dr. Nancy Ammerman, professor of sociology of religion, Boston University; the Rev. Linda Norman, treasurer, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Bishop Michael Burk, Southeastern Iowa Synod; the Rev. Yehiel Curry, pastor developer, Shekinah Chapel, Chicago; Dr. Bonnie Miller-McLemore, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling, Vanderbilt University; and the Rev. Jhon Freddy Correa, pastor, Emmaus Lutheran Church, Racine, Wis. Portions of the discussion will be available on LSTC’s website. Podcasts of the discussion are available at www.lstc.edu/voices/podcasts/2012-10-27forum.php. President Nieman’s lecture concluded the afternoon. You may watch it online at www.lstc.edu/ voices/videos/2012-10-27-inaugural-lecture.php.

Barbara Lundblad

Choir and brass perform at the Installation Service

2012-2013 Scholarship recipients Thanks to the generosity of donors, synods, congregations, and foundations, approximately 80% of LSTC students receive financial assistance through scholarships. What you see here are the major scholarships we know about. What you DON’T see are many other forms of assistance made directly to students from their congregations and synods and the many endowed scholarship funds created by individuals and congregations, such as the Margaret R. and Timothy R. Schoewe Scholarship featured on page 22. Drew Yoos, a first year M.Div. student, received this year’s Creative Teaching Ministry Grant for his four-week Christian education curriculum, “Lutherevealed!” The curriculum is available to download at www.lstc.edu/lifelong-learners/resources/curricula.php. The Creative Teaching Ministry Grant was established by Justin (2009, M.Div.) and Kari Eller, who serve as ELCA missionaries in La Paz, Bolivia. The impact of all of these gifts is this: visionary leaders being formed to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ. They will graduate from seminary with less or no student loan debt thanks to the generosity of so many. To find out how you or your congregation can financially support an LSTC student’s education, contact Mark Van Scharrel at mvanscha@lstc.edu or 773-256-0712.

Siebert Lutheran Foundation Siebert Lutheran Foundation has generously provided grants to LSTC students who are from Wisconsin. Pictured on the stairs between the second and third floor are, in the back row, Ryan Gerlach, Ann Marie Gonyea-Alexander, and Rob Bork; in the front row: Stacy Gahlman-Schroeder, Craig Simenson, Amy Loehndorf, and Amanda Diller. Not pictured: Edward Baseman, Steven Bogie, Karen Jost, Micah Sievenpiper, Arlen Solem, and Timothy Tahtinen

Fund for Leaders in Mission Six LSTC master of divinity students received full scholarships through the ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission. Five students received partial Fund for Leaders scholarships and 17 students received partial Fund for Leaders scholarships from their synod or congregation. They are pictured in LSTC’s “stained glass” garden in front of the Augustana Chapel windows. Back row, from left: Sarah Rohde, Becca Ajer, Kyle Severson, Nathan Sutton, Joseph Yucha, Chris Michaelis, Drew Yoos, Robert Bork; middle row from left: Janelle Neubauer, Ashley Hochhalter, Janice Heidlberger, Sara Suginaka, Stephanie Wood, Dione Miller, Rebecca Goche; front row from left: Sarah Rossing, Ann Marie Gonyea-Alexander, Kwame Pitts, Marissa Tweed. Not pictured: Cuttino Alexander, Matthew Hacker, Peter Mannoja, Kara Propst, Martha Reid, Elise Scott, Arlen Solem, Amanda Weinkauf

Munderloh Foundation The Munderloh Foundation has provided over $100,000 in grants to 44 LSTC master of divinity students in 2012-2013. Grant recipients are asked to accept the “challenge” of recruiting others to seminary. Back row: Charles (Chad) McKenna and Cuttino Alexander; fourth row: Nathan Sutton, Drew Yoos, Rachel Brocker, Christopher Buresch; third row: Sally Hanson, Amanda Diller, Travis Meier, Joseph Yucha, Megan Sawyer, Janelle Neubauer, Amy Loehndorf; second row: Marissa Tweed, Stephanie Wood, Amy Gillespie, Ashley Hochhalter, Becca Ajer, Alma Gast, Stacy Gahlman-Schroeder; front row: Janice Heidlberger, Marie Sager, Sarah Rossing, Sara Sugninaka, Ann Marie Gonyea-Alexander, Sarah Rohde, Dione Miller. Not pictured: Edward Baseman, Stephanie Berkas, Lynn Bird, Steven Bogie, Chris Brown, David Elliott, Ryan Gerlach, Kristina Heise, Christopher Honig, Debra Kelly, Kristin Klade, Elizabeth Lowry, Kara Propst, Elise Scott, Christopher Thomas, Katherine Tuttle, Amanda Weinkauf

Opal Dancey Awards support master of divinity students who are from states in the Great Lakes Region: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. This year’s recipients are, from left, Sarah Rossing, Rachel Brocker, David Elliott, and Kyle Severson

Matsushita Scholarships administered by the executive committee of the Asians and Pacific Islanders-ELCA were awarded to Sara Suginaka and Miho Yasukawa.

Visionary Leaders Scholarships First awarded in 2011, Visionary Leaders Scholarships are merit-based scholarships awarded to students whose gifts and goals make them a particularly good match for the type of ministry formation LSTC provides. Scholarships are awarded for tuition for a student’s three years of master of divinity coursework.

Deans Scholarships provide one half of the cost of tuition. This year’s recipients are juniors Amy Loehndorf, Jade Gandrud, Joseph Yucha, and Sarah Bolick, pictured, along with juniors Cesar Abel Arroyo Traverso and Aaron Shoppa and middlers Elizabeth Lowry and Katherine Tuttle.

Presidential Scholarships provide full tuition grants. 2012-2013 recipients are Rachel Brocker (middler), Angela Storer (middler), Justin Tigerman (middler) and Marissa Tweed (junior).

Advanced Studies fellowship recipients Twenty-seven students in LSTC’s doctoral proHope Scholarships are based on grams received fellowships totaling almost Servant Scholarships provide grants to need or merit and awarded to stucover one quarter of the cost of tuition. Allison dents of color who will be the first $62,000 for the 2012-2013 year. LSTC proBengfort (junior) and Marie Sager (middler), in their families to become a pastor. pictured, and Christopher Thomas, Stephanie vided financial aid scholarships totaling over These awards may be used for tuition Berkas, and Megan Sawyer are the 2012-2013 or expenses. Willie Lee (junior), pic$146,000 for 34 students to support their recipients. tured, and Anthony Harper (junior), Annette Hernandez (junior) and Ruby coursework and continuing studies. Three interBurwell Lee (junior) received Hope national students received ELCA Global Mission Partnership Fellowships for both Scholarships this year. tuition and living expenses. Two students received fellowships through A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice. In addition to those noted below, Iskandar Bcheiry was the first recipient of the Esperanza de Santa Maria Fellowship and Una Stroda received the International Women’s Scholarship. “LSTC is grateful to the many generous people who have created fellowships and scholarships that support the next generation of theologians and teachers studying at here. Through their generosity, we are able to provide assistance to almost half of LSTC’s doctor of philosophy students,” said Esther Menn, director of Advanced Studies. “These awards mean so much to students who are called to this specialized ministry of theological education. Their ministry will prepare many others, around the world, to be visionary leaders for the church.” Crystal Silva-McCormick and Richard Frontjes received the Robert Marshall Graduate Fellowship designated for North Seo Young Lee, Mary Tororeiy, Chingboi Guite, and Emanuel Penumaka received American doctoral students. William J. and Elizabeth M. Danker Fellowships designated for international doctoral students, especially those studying World Christianity. Other Danker Fellows not pictured are Niveen Sarras and Chakravarthy Zadda.

Ayse Arslan and Tanveer Azmat received fellowships from A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice. Arslan also received the Eleanor and Arnold Scherer Fellowship designated for international students. Azmat also received the Kathryn Sehy Endowed Fellowship designated for a doctoral student in interfaith studies.

Eun Ae Lee, Kyung-Taek Hong, and Na Young Ha are the 2012-13 E. Theodore and Mercia B. Bachmann Fellows. Ju Young Kim (not pictured) also received a Bachmann Fellowship.

Niveen Sarras, (pictured here with the son of a fellow doctoral student), received the 2012-13 Christian Palestine Scholarship, the Ralph W. Klein Ph.D. Fellowship in Biblical Studies, and a Danker Fellowship.

Carl-Eric Gentes (left) received a Visionary Leader Servant Scholarship and Matthew Frost received a Visionary Leader Presidential Scholarship.

Jennifer English, Jeffrey Schlesinger, and Jonathan Wilson (pictured) were the first recipients of the Luther and Ruth Sappenfield Fellowships designated for continuing education for parish pastors, for parish ministry in the U.S. or mission worldwide.

Jeff Fitzkappes and Bridget Illian are two of the Visionary Leaders Presidential Scholars in Advanced Studies. Curtis Johnson also received a Presidential scholarship.

Yahu Vinayaraj, Mervin Boas, and Prince Vethamonickam Rajamony received Visionary Leaders Hope Fellowships.

Chingboi Guite is the first student to receive the Fuerbringer Biblical Studies Fellowship awarded in honor of Alfred Fuerbringer, the late president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.

Jonathan Pimentel Chac贸n is the first recipient of the Emmanuel Maywood Advanced Studies Fellowship. He has also received a Hispanic Theological Initiative Consortium fellowship to continue his doctoral studies.

Masresha Chufa, Sanchita Kisku, and Ayalew Mengesha are the LSTC/ ELCA Global Mission Fellows for 2012-2013. This partnership between LSTC and ELCA Global Mission develops leaders for the worldwide Lutheran Church.

“God is always providing” Debbie Kelly receives Margaret R. and Timothy R. Schoewe Scholarship by Jan Boden school for 15 years, but often had a sense of wanting to do something more. “One Sunday, a woman pastor showed up to substitute for our regular pastor. I was stunned! I hadn’t realized that we were part of a church that ordained women. I didn’t hear much of the sermon that day, I was so shocked.” Since then, she has become friends with that pastor, Becca Gordon (2002, M.Div.). Over time, Deb realized that God was calling her to ministry in the church. “God was calling me through the people and circumstances in my life and at each obstacle, there was an answer,” she says. Debbie Kelly is an ideal recipient of the Margaret R. and Timothy R. Schoewe Scholarship. Margaret received her master of divinity degree in 2002 and serves as associate pastor of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Wawatosa, Wis. She came to seminary after a career in business. The Schoewes understand the sacrifices families make so one member can answer a call to rostered ministry. In a 2010 interview, Pastor Schoewe said, “The gift we made to LSTC was really born out of the gift that I received in the form of education at LSTC. I have a desire to help other people have that experience.” To reduce the number of days she commutes, Debbie has tried to take at least one class online each semester. She says, “This is great for commuter students, but it is hard to be part of campus life when you commute. I miss out on study groups and just getting to know people. Our class has a Facebook page and that helps me stay connected.” Attending seminary is a huge sacrifice of time and money. “My family has been very supportive. When I talked this over with my husband he said, ‘It’s a great idea,’ and my youngest, an 8th grader, thought it was cool that his mom was going back to school, even if she does freak out over Greek!” The sacrifices are real for the Kelly family. “My goal was to take 10 classes this year, but affording that dream is difficult,” Deb says. “I’m not sure how all of this is going to happen, but every time there’s a problem, it gets resolved. There are many moments of worry over it, but God is always providing.”

It was Debbie Kelly’s oldest son who first told her that she should be a pastor. “That started my questions and discernment,” she says. Debbie is a middler in the M.Div. program who commutes two hours each way to LSTC. She is also the recipient of the Margaret R. and Timothy R. Schoewe Scholarship awarded to a second-career student. “The commute is okay,” the former school busdriver says. “It gives me time to reflect on what I’ve learned that day. I shut off the radio and spend some quiet time with God.”

Debbie Kelly

Debbie and her family began attending an ELCA congregation about seven years ago. Before that, they were active members of Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod congregations. Deb taught Sunday

Fresh Faces at LSTC By Rachel Wind, (2010, M.Div.) regional gift officer Although many people may recognize Rev. Keith Nelson (1970) and Rev. Bob Buschkemper (1968, Concordia, St. Louis) from their long-time service to the ELCA Foundation and their larger work in the church, in the hallways of LSTC these two gentlemen are new kids on the block. Both have histories that have intertwined their lives with the Lutheran School of Theology, but now their futures have an even richer relationship—they are employees! Beginning in the fall, Keith and Bob are working with the Advancement Office on a conBob Buschkemper and Keith Nelson tractual basis. They are working with established and new donors, helping to enhance LSTC’s Planned Giving efforts with their broad expertise. Drawing on decades of experience, Keith and Bob will assist the Advancement staff as they work to deepen relationships with donors interested in making legacy gifts to LSTC. Please do not hesitate to meet with either one of them when they are in your area calling on friends of and donors to LSTC. You may also attend one of

their presentations about the variety of ways you may make a planned gift to LSTC. One tax-wise way involves using Portico and/or other qualified retirement plan assets, (403(b), 401 (k), IRA) to meet your personal, family and charitable objectives. Please contact either one of them to answer your questions about how best to “Leave a Legacy Gift to LSTC” or to set up an appointment to discuss your interest in planning a gift. Please join the LSTC community in welcoming Bob and Keith!

Bob Buschkemper Email: buschkemper@cox.net Cell: 402-681-7972 Keith T. Nelson Email: keithtn@cox.net Cell: 402-850-7191

Elaine Farmer, past president; Jean Nye, LSTC Guild president; and Mark Van Scharrel, vice president for advancement, with the "mountain of pillows" gathered by Guild members for LSTC international students and their families

We’re All In LSTC staff members respond to matching gift challenge by Rachel Wind (2010, M.Div.) regional gift officer Staff gifts matched by Helge Annual Fund Challenge Grant

“I think it’s important to remember to not take people or things for granted. This is a lesson I’ve learned through experience,” said Cheryl Hoth, assistant to the Dean in her letter to LSTC staff. She encouraged them to give a small portion of their paychecks back to the school she has come to love in her five years at LSTC. And the staff has responded. A generous matching grant from Mark and Kathy Helge to LSTC presented an opportunity to check the barometer for annual giving from all constituencies—including staff, faculty, and students. We discovered that staff giving had seen a steep decline following the end of the Equipping the Saints for Ministry Campaign. So we asked for help to turn this around.

In September, LSTC staff members were invited to a party at Goose Island Brewery in Chicago to celebrate their commitment to the Annual Fund and to LSTC. The party was exclusively for the staff, to remind them that they are valued and an integral part of the whole of LSTC. It was a huge success. By the end of September, staff giving to the Annual Fund was higher than it had been four years ago during the last year of the Equipping the Saints for Ministry Campaign when pledges were still being completed and the staff was larger. There's more good news: most of the gifts are recurring gifts as automatic paycheck withdrawals, so the gifts will continue to grow each month. Most of these gifts are new or renewed, which means they will be matched 100% by the Helge Matching Gift Challenge, nearly doubling their impact. LSTC staff have committed to our seminary and its future in a way that is undeniably positive and forward-thinking. It’s very clear that despite recent changes in the school, the staff still believes in LSTC’s mission. For this initiative, our three staff representatives are using the phrase, “We’re All In!” We would love it if you chose to join the staff in giving to LSTC’s Annual Fund and committing to the future of this wonderful place—Are You In?

Staff share their commitment in Annual Fund video Three staff representatives were selected to meet with members of the Advancement Office to help determine the best way to engage the larger staff. Kenesa Debela, director of information technology services; Cheryl Hoth, assistant to the dean and vice president for academic affairs; and Paul Knutson, facilities operation manager hesitantly agreed to help, but all of them were wary of having to ask any of their colleagues for money. Conversations with staff revealed that they were feeling exhausted and a bit stressed following recent major decisions in the life of the institution. The atmosphere did not seem conducive to an appeal for staff giving to the Annual Fund. But the staff representatives had some ideas. Paul Knutson, who is currently completing a degree in film-making, suggested making a video that shows how the staff at LSTC are impacted by the Annual Fund. He and I conducted interviews with a number of staff members and Paul edited it masterfully. Staff members whose voices may not have been heard before were given an opportunity to share what they love about this place and also their dreams for the future.

You may make a gift to LSTC’s Annual Fund online at www.lstc.edu/alumni-friends/giving/ or by using the envelope in this magazine.

Partnership with Hispanic Theological Institute Consortium benefits LSTC, doctoral scholars by Jan Boden Jonathan Pimentel Chacón (2010-2011 HTIC First –Year, Second-Year, and Comprehensive Exam Year Doctoral Scholar) is focusing his studies in systematic theology on the intersection and unity of space, freedom and form in Christian theology. He is interested in Latin American liberation theologies, the Jonathan Pimentel Chacón literature of Juan Carlos Onetti, Marxism and theology, and the history of the flesh in the Western tradition and patristics. HTI mentor Luis Rivera-Pagan suggested LSTC as a place for Jonathan to find the resources to pursue his diverse theological interests. Jonathan is a faculty member of the Universidad Biblica Latinoamericana and the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, where he also directs the theological journal, Revista de Teologia Siwo.

The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) is proud to be among the founding members of the HTI Consortium. Our membership in and support for the HTI consortium is an important aspect of LSTC’s commitment to Hispanic ministry. Over the last 30 years, LSTC’s master of theology and doctor of philosophy program have become a major center for training Spanish-speaking scholars for service throughout North and South America. Master’s level students may complete a Hispanic Ministry Emphasis at LSTC, fulfilling both academic and practical degree requirements to be equipped to minister in Hispanic faith communities. All LSTC degree students also may take advantage of the considerable resources of Chicago area seminaries, libraries, communities, and agencies to enhance their Hispanic Ministry studies. Five doctoral graduates received HTI fellowships and are now serving as program directors, leaders in their denominations, independent scholars, and mentors to other HTI fellows. LSTC is fortunate to have two HTI doctoral scholars currently in residence. “LSTC values its deep relationship with HTI. Our community has benefitted from the presence of HTI scholarship recipients on our campus,” says Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Shelley. “We are committed to Spanish language theological education as a part of our mission for the present and the future. As the marks of our seminary include ‘multicultural’ and ‘global,’ we understand that HTI helps us fulfill our mission. HTI helps bring us to the diversity to which God calls us.” Cheryl Stewart Pero, director of the Albert “Pete” Pero Jr Multicultural Center at LSTC, says, “One of the concerns with which communities of color wrestle is the recruitment, training, and placement of future theologians and scholars of color. The HTI has insured that Lutheranism will not have a deficit of Hispanic scholars. LSTC is blessed by the presence of Hispanic women and men on campus and the ELCA is enriched by the ministry of Hispanic scholars and theologians.”

Crystal SilvaMcCormick (2011-2012 HTIC First-Year Doctoral Scholar) is pursuing doctoral studies that bring together interests in Latina theology, Christian-Muslim relations, and comparative religion. “I want to see how Muslims have created a ‘HispanoMuslim’ culture and I can utilize my fluency Crystal Silva-McCormick in Spanish to study the primary sources.” She will be spending the summer of 2012 in Jordan, to study Arabic and immerse herself in Muslim culture. Crystal is also pursuing ordination in the United Church of Christ.

FACULTY NOTES Klaus-Peter Adam, associate professor of Old Testament, presented “If a Man Hates His Neighbor (Deut. 19:11): Private Enmity in Biblical and Athenian Law” at the Candler Divinity School of Emory University in April. In May, he presented “Wer immer Kain tötet, soll sienbenfach gerächt warden” and “Gen. 4:15 – Feindschaft, Sippenfehde und Rache im Recht des Alten Testaments” to the Theology Department of Humbolt University, Berlin, Germany. In June, Adam presented “Whoever slays Cain…”—Human dispute settlement and the God of revenge in Gen. 4:1–16” at the Mission Institute Hermannsburg, Germany. At the Catholic Association of America’s Annual Meeting at the University of Notre Dame in July, he presented a research report on "Private Long-term Enmity as a Social Status in Biblical Law in Ezekiel 22 and Leviticus 19." Adam preached at Augustana Lutheran Church, Chicago, in July, and for the German Service at St. John’s Church, Naperville, Ill., in August. Adam gave a talk on “And they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves: Genesis 3:7: The origins of clothing in the story of the Fall” at the LSTC Guild meeting on October 6.

Joan Beck, Cornelsen Director of Spiritual Formation and pastor to the community, preached and presided at worship at Trinity Lutheran Church, Park Forest, Ill., in June, and at Ashburn Lutheran Church, Chicago,

in July. On October 12 in Chicago, Beck co-facilitated with Louise Williams of Valparaiso University, the first day retreat for Chicagoarea spiritual directors. Participants came from as far away as Iowa.

Bozeman, and Missoula, Mont. Klein gave the lecture “The ‘Sin’ of Jeroboam” at a conference on the Golden Calf Traditions at Loyola University, Chicago, in November.

Kurt Hendel, Bernard, Fischer, Westberg Distinguished Ministry Professor of Reformation History, led a travel seminar, “Martin Luther: Witness of the Gospel,” to Germany in June for 50 people. Later in June, he presented the lecture, “Vocation: A Lutheran Understanding,” to the participants of LSTC’s Youth in Mission program, Serving Christ in the World. With Vítor Westhelle, he published the article,”Theology of the Cross: A Theology of Revelation and a Lutheran Understanding,” in the October 2012 issue of The Lutheran magazine.

Wilhelm Linss, professor emeritus of New Testament, celebrated a German communion service in Naperville and preached and presided at Bethlehem Lutheran Church during the summer of 2012.

Richard Jensen, Axel Jacob and Gerda Maria (Swanson) Carlson Professor Emeritus of Homiletics, published the book, Filling the Hungry with Good Things (CSS Publishing). It is composed of sermons based on Luke’s Gospel for the latter Sundays in Pentecost 2013.

Ralph Klein, Christ Seminary-Seminex Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, with Audrey West, conducted Bible studies at Luther Hostel in Arcadia, Mich., in August. In September he led adult forums on the Book of Daniel at Trinity Lutheran Church, Park Forest, Ill., and presented three workshops on Preaching from the Old Testament in Billings,

Ray Pickett, professor of New Testament, in September, led two adult forums on Acts at First United Church of Oak Park, Ill., and an all-day workshop on the Gospel of Luke for the East Central Illinois Conference. In October, he presented “Preaching the Gospel of Luke” at the St. Louis School of Theology and for the Ankeny Forum in Des Moines, Iowa. He also led an adult formation class on Acts at St. James Episcopal Cathedral in Chicago, and preached at Justin Thornburg’s (2012, M.Div.) ordination.

David Rhoads, professor emeritus of New Testament, participated in the Scholars Group of the Network of Biblical Storytellers on August 6–8, and presented a paper for discussion titled “Performance as a Paradigm Shift in Biblical Studies.” Rhoads was part of a panel for the ELCA Teaching Theologians Convocation at Trinity Lutheran Seminary from August 13–15, where he also organized a pre-

session for Lutherans Restoring Creation.

Barbara Rossing, professor of New Testament, participated in a writing workshop at the Collegeville Institute, Collegeville, Minn., July 29-August 4. In August, she organized the closing panel and presented at the ELCA Teaching Theologians gathering in Columbus, Ohio. In September, Rossing preached at both morning services, led an adult forum, and presented a noontime public lunch and lecture, “The End is Near?” at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Northbrook, Ill. On October 15, Rossing was a panelist on the Milt Rosenberg Show on WGN Radio in Chicago, to discuss apocalypticism in religions. Listen to the podcast at http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/ext720/ wgnam-x720-mcginn-rossing-20121016,0,6574274. mp3file. On October 18, she gave the Reinhold Niebuhr lecture at Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Ill. Watch the lecture at www.lstc.edu/voices/ videos/2012-10-18-niebuhrelmhurst.php.

Craig A. Satterlee, Axel Jacob and Gerda Maria (Swanson) Carlson Professor of Homiletics, preached at All Saints Lutheran Church, Palatine, Ill. in June. He taught two courses in and oversaw the annual residency of the ACTS Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program, during which he preached and presided at a contemplative Eucharist marking his 25th anniversary of ordination and 10th residency as dean of the preaching program.

FACULTY NOTES Satterlee presented “‘This Intimate Link’—The Ecumenical Contribution of Fulfilled in Your Hearing,” at We Preach Christ Crucified: A Conference on Catholic Preaching at the University of Notre Dame, in June. In July, he preached at the opening worship of the ELCA Definitely Abled Youth Leadership Event (DAYLE) in New Orleans. In August, Satterlee preached and lectured on “Why Does the Bible Say We Give?” at the ELCA Mission Interpreter Coordinator Conference in Chicago. Satterlee preached for Dom Guido’s (2012, M.Div.) ordination at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in West Lafayette, Ind., on September 22, and preached for Stewardship Sunday at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Fredericksburg, Texas on October 21. He also preached at the joint Reformation Day Service at the Wartburg Lutheran Parish in Southern Illinois on October 28.

Carol Schersten LaHurd, lecturer in world religions, in July, presented “Understanding Islam and Muslims: Engaging Islam, the Qur’an, and Our Muslim Neighbors” as part of God, Our Neighborhood, and Ourselves, Vacation Bible School at the Congregational Church of Jefferson Park UCC, and led the Bible study session on Joseph in Genesis at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Chicago. With Mark Swanson, Schersten LaHurd led a Christian-Muslim Resource Workshop for area congregational leaders on October

20 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Evanston, IL.

Lea Schweitz, assistant professor of systematic theology/religion and science and director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science, in April, served as a respondent for Dr. Terrence Fretheim’s paper, “God and the Problem of Evil” at the Ecumenical Roundtable on Science, Technology, and the Church, held at The Lutheran Center, Chicago. She presented the paper, “Imago dei, Incarnation, and the Stakes for MindBody Dualism” at the Logos Workshop at the University of Notre Dame in May. Schweitz presented “‘… myths are the earliest forms of science’: Myths and the Natural World” as an invited panelist for a post-performance discussion of Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses” at the Lookingglass Theater in Chicago on October 21. Schweitz also was the invited chair for “Leibniz’s Theodicy: Reception and Relevance” hosted by the Center for Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre Dame at the Pestana Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, in late October.

Ben Stewart, Gordon A. Braatz Assistant Professor of Worship and dean of the chapel, was a plenary speaker and workshop presenter at the North American Association for the Catechumenate and the Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission Annual gatherings in Chicago on June 27–29. He also presented “Theological Motifs in Artistic Accounts of the Death of Christ” at the Arts

in August series at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Ill., on August 19. Stewart’s “Worship Without Walls: Taking Liturgy to the Streets” was the cover story in the October 3, 2012, issue of The Christian Century.

Mark Swanson, Harold S. Vogelaar Professor of Christian-Muslim Studies and Interfaith Relations, delivered the paper, “The Story of Fakhr al-Dawlah ibn al-Mu’taman: Priest’s Son, Muslim Grandee, Monk of St. Antony,” at the 14th St. Shenouda Conference of Coptic Studies, UCLA, in July. He was one of three presenters at the South West Interfaith Team (SWIFT) forum topic “Angels in Scriptures,” in Palos Park, Ill., in September. Swanson was the keynote speaker at the 2012 General Assembly of the Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage (ALAMEH), in Chicago in October.

Christine Wenderoth, director, JKM Library, attended the American Theological Library Association Annual Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., in June where she gave the paper “Theological Reading: Reading Backward, Reading Forward” (to be published in the upcoming 2012 ATLA Proceedings). She also did a poster session called “Who Am I? Identifying Librarians in the 1957 Conference Group Photo,” and served as a mentor in the Creating Leaders of Tomorrow program. Wenderoth was the supply preacher at Evanshire Presbyterian Church, Skokie,

Ill., on September 30, and at St. James Presbyterian Church in Chicago on October 14.

Vítor Westhelle, professor of systematic theology, was featured in an interview in the Brazilian Lutheran Church newspaper, “Jorev Luterano” Read the article online at http://www.luteranos.com.br/portal/jorev/ topico .php?EdicaoID=64&E ditoriaID=13. In August, Westhelle was a consultation member at the Luther Congress 2012 at Helsinki, and spoke at the pastor's conference in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In September, he delivered the keynote address at the first international congress at Facudades Est in Brazil. In October Westhelle participated in “Secure Foundations of the Past and Aspirations for the Future: Lutheran Theological Education for Communion Building Towards 2017,” the Lutheran World Federation Global Consultation in Wittenberg, Germany. He presented “Re-appropriation of the Lutheran Identity” and “What Aspects of Lutheran Theology Contribute to a Holistic Development Model?” He also preached at the Castle Church. With Kurt Hendel, Westhelle published "Theology of the Cross: A Theology of Revelation and a Lutheran Understanding," in the October issue of The Lutheran magazine.

New books from Klein, Westhelle Ralph Klein, Christ Seminary-Seminex Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, in November, published 2 Chronicles in the Hermeneia Commentary

series (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012). This volume completes Klein’s commentary of 1 and 2 Chronicles, incorporating breakthroughs of the last half-century of research. He

shows that the Chronicler used a text of Kings significantly different from the Masoretic and argues that the Chronicler’s departure from the historical picture of Kings results from a distinctive theological agenda for fourth-century Judah. He then explores that message—what it meant to live faithfully, to participate in temple and worship life, in the absence of political independence. It is available from Fortress Press, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble ($68.00, ISBN 9780800661014). Vítor Westhelle, professor of systematic theology, published Eschatology and Space: The Lost Dimension in Theology Past and Present (New York, New York:

Palgrave Macmillan, 2012) in September. His latest book considers the fullness, the limit, and the goal of

time, including the role of place/space in eschatology alongside time. He considers one’s spatial location in the understanding of time,

examining the influence of place and how context and culture limit one’s understanding of eschatology. Westhelle traces the historical development of understandings of eschatology from the Bible to contemporary theology and adds his postcolonial/ subaltern perspective. It is fundamental reconsideration of what the theological categories of eschatology, apocalypse, and the end of time mean in terms of biology, psychology, philosophy, sociology, politics, and geography. Eschatology and Space is available from Palgrave Macmillan, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble ($85.00, ISBN 978-0230110342).

IN MEMORIAM Michael Harnois 1956–2012 Class of 1987 Pastor Michael Harnois died suddenly in Lynn, Mass., August 19, 2012. He had served as a pastor of several Midwest ELCA congregations before earning a Juris Doctor from the University of St. Thomas Law School and practicing law in Duluth, Minn. He was an avid sailor and singer whose greatest joys were theology and liturgy. A memorial service was held at Messiah Lutheran Church, Washburn, Wis., on August 25. A second memorial service was held at St. John the Evangelist, Boston, Mass., on September 8. Pastor Harnois is survived by his father;

his wife, Stephanie, and her two daughters; his two sons and their mother, Susan; and his siblings.

Randall Lee 1956 - 2012 Christ Seminary-Seminex Class of 1982 The Rev. Dr. Randall Lee was a leader in ecumenical affairs for the ELCA, in the National Council of Churches and The Lutheran World Federation. He served as ELCA Director of Ecumenical Affairs and Inter-religious Relations. He had also been executive assistant to the ELCA secretary. He is remembered for his strong commitment to the unity of the church and his work on the statement on the episcopacy

for The Lutheran World Federation. He had served as pastor at three congregations, Bethel Lutheran Church, University City, Mo.; Saint Luke Church, Chicago; and Grace Lutheran Church, Evanston, Ill. In addition to the M.Div. from Christ Seminary-Seminex, Dr. Lee held a master of sacred theology, a master of theology and a doctor of sacred theology from LSTC. During the 1980s he was assistant vice president of development at LSTC. Dr. Lee died on July 4 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. A funeral service was held July 9 at First English Lutheran Church, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Dr. Lee is survived by his parents, Raymond and Marilyn Lee.

Other recent faculty publications Ray Pickett, professor of New Testament, published “Acts Course Kit” as part of The Book of Faith Bible Study Series, (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2012) Craig A. Satterlee, Axel Jacob and Gerda Maria

(Swanson) Carlson Professor of Homiletics, published When God Speaks through Change: Preaching Times of Congregational Transition for Kindle, Nook, and iBook download. Ben Stewart, Gordon A. Braatz Assistant Professor of Worship, published two magazine cover stories in

recent months: “Spiritual Nomads: Exploring the Landscape, Points of Interest of Young Adults in Worship” in the August issue of The Lutheran magazine and “Worship Without Walls: Taking Liturgy to the Streets” in the October 3 issue of The Christian Century.

Mark Swanson, Harold S. Vogelaar Professor of Christian-Muslim Studies and Interfaith Relations, contributed 15 entries and served as Christian Arabic section editor of Christian-Muslim Relations: A Bibliographical History, Volume 4 (1200-1350), David Thomas et al. (eds.), (Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2012).

IN MEMORIAM Todd Murken 1955 - 2012 Christ Seminary-Seminex Class of 1985 Pastor Todd Murken studied at Christ Seminary-Seminex after receiving two theatre degrees. After serving as a pastor in Maine, he and his family returned to Chicago so he could begin Ph.D. studies at LSTC. He returned to the parish after completing his course work and has served several congregations in Wisconsin since 1994. He completed the Ph.D. at LSTC in 1998, with a dissertation on the human role in the Lord’s Supper. Todd Murken was a sailor, hiker, and kayaker whose love for the outdoors led him to become an Eagle Scout and Troop Chaplain for many years. He was pastor of Holden Lutheran Church, Mt. Morris and Wild Rose, Wis., at the time of his death on July 7 from injuries sustained in a bicycling accident. Pastor Murken was preceded in death by his father, Byron. He is survived by his wife, Julie; his mother; his sister, Mary; a son, Nathaniel; a daughter, Anatasia; two granddaughters and extended family. A funeral was held July 11 at Grace Lutheran Church, Green Bay, Wis.

Burnell James “Butch” Peterson 1926–2012 Augustana Class of 1952 Pastor “Butch” Peterson was ordained in 1952 after attending both Augustana Seminary and Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary (Maywood). He served as pastor of five congregations in Colorado,

Ohio, Texas, and New Mexico. Two of those congregations were new mission churches. He was known for his insightful sermons, good sense of humor, and beautiful tenor voice. He is remembered as a true shepherd of his flock in each parish he served. Pastor Peterson died on August 27, 2012, in Albuquerque, N.M. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Eileen; by their three children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A memorial service was held on September 1 at Manzano Del Sol Chapel, Albuquerque.

James H. Schaefer 1940–2012 Class of 1967 James Schaefer was ordained in 1967 and served several parishes in Louisville, Ky., and Milwaukee, Wis. In Louisville, he was instrumental in establishing a street ministry to serve homeless and disenfranchised teens and young adults suffering from substance abuse. Pastor Schaefer received his J.D. from Marquette University Law School in 1970 and began working as a public defender in the juvenile court system in Milwaukee. He spent 10 years as an assistant district attorney in the Milwaukee District, specializing in domestic violence cases. After relocating to Eau Claire, Wis., he taught criminal justice at Fox Valley Technical College and at Chippewa Valley Technical College. In retirement, he continued to teach part-time at Lakeland College and Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.

In 1998, the Eau Claire Police Department asked him to create a chaplaincy program for the Department. He was commissioned by the ELCA to fulfill this role and served as head chaplain for nine years. Pastor Schaefer died on July 7, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Carol, their two sons and two grandsons. A memorial service was held July 16 at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Eau Claire, Wis.

Vilis Varsbergs 1929–2012 Maywood Class of 1957 As a boy, Pastor Varsbergs and his family were forced to flee their native Latvia during World War II. His father was killed in Berlin during a U.S. bombing raid and the family fled to the United States. Pastor Varsbergs studied in Fremont, Neb., and Chicago. He was ordained in 1957 and served Zion Latvian Lutheran Church and St. Peter’s Latvian Church before becoming president of the Latvian Lutheran Church in America. He later returned to Latvia to head the theology department at the University of Latvia. He was a lifelong supporter and served as a board member of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Pastor Varsbergs died on April 22, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Biruta, two daughters and a son, and three grandchildren. A funeral service was held at St. Peter’s Latvian Church, Wood Dale, Ill.

CLASS NOTES 1969

1996

John Stumme (M.Div.) was inducted into the Muscatine High School Hall of Honor in October. He was honored for his life’s work as a pastor and volunteer. Stumme began his career volunteering at Holy Family Lutheran Church in the Cabrini-Green housing project in Chicago, where he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He and his family lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 10 years, where he taught at an ecumenical seminary. Pastor Stumme is retired and lives in Chicago.

Robert Rasmus (M.Div.) and his congregation, St. Matthew, Urbana, Ill., were featured in an article in the October Lutheran magazine. The congregation runs an organic farm and donates the profits to Food Resource Bank, an organization dedicated to alleviating hunger.

1986 Marta Poling-Goldenne (M.Div.) celebrated 25 years of ordination with her congregation, New Song Lutheran Church, Henderson, Nev., on July 29, 2012. Others sharing in the celebration were her husband and co-pastor, David Poling-Goldenne

Formation in the First Call and Beyond.” She and her family are living in St. Paul, Minn. 2002

1997 Caryn Riswold (Th.M.; 2000, Ph.D.) published “Did Jesus Have a Wife? I Hope So” on September 26, 2012, in the online journal Patheos. She wrote in response to recent finding by historian Karen King that Jesus may have had a wife. Read Dr. Riswold’s blog at http://www. patheos.com/blogs/carynriswold/2012/09/did-jesushave-a-wife-i-hope-so/?LLM. She is associate professor of religion and chair of Gender and Women’s Studies at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill.

Julie Tillberg (M.Div.) and John Pederson, along with big brother, John Luke, announce the birth of their daughter and sister, Lilie Marie Tillberg Pederson, born May 8, 2012. After a wonderful four-month maternity leave, Julie continues to serve First Lutheran Church, Hunter, N.D. 2005 Ingrid Huebner (M.Div.), pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church, Greenfield, Wis., has published her first children’s book, Little Bear Blossoms. The book is about discovering and claiming one’s abilities, gifts and dreams, and using them to live an authentic life. Ingrid says, “It’s designed for both children and anyone of any age who has ever felt ‘less than’ in any way.” It is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 2006 Kristian Johnson (M.Div.), starting November 4, 2012, is pastor of Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School, Chicago, Ill.

David Poling-Goldenne, Marta Poling-Goldenne, Jean Bozeman, and Deborah Anderson

(1982, M.Div.), the Rev. Deborah Anderson and the Rev. Dr. Jean Bozeman (LSTC faculty member 1971-89, currently residing in Virginia). Pastors Jean and David were Marta’s ordination sponsors.

2001 Joy McDonald Coltvet (M.Div.) received a Doctor of Ministry in Practical Theology from Catholic Theological Union. Her thesis paper title was, “The Soul Artists’ Year: Spiritual

John Nunes (Th.M.; 2012, Ph.D.), president of Lutheran World Relief, toured seven states in eight days to bring the organization's message, and its thanks, to congregations. His tour was featured in an article in the August 2012 Metro Lutheran. Peter Perry (Th.M.; 2009, Ph.D.) was preacher at

one of the conference worship services at the American Theological Library Association Annual Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., June 27-30. He published a review of “The Conversion of the Nations in Revelation” by Allan J. McNicol in Review of Biblical Literature [http:// www.bookreviews.org] (September 18, 2012). 2008 Bridget Illian (M.A.T.S.; 2011, Th.M.) participated in a colloquy at Loyola University, Chicago, in September 2012. 2011 Richard Fry (M.Div.) has been called to serve as pastor of Adams/Argyle Lutheran Parishes in Argyle, Wis. Dara Schuller-Hanson (M.Div.) was ordained on August 25, 2012, at Grace Lutheran Church, Tomahawk, N.J. She is serving as pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Madison, Wis. 2012 Teri Ditslear (M.Div.) was ordained at Cross of Grace Lutheran Church, New Palestine, Ind., on September 22, 2012. Bishop William Gafkjen, IndianaKentucky Synod, presided. Teri is serving as associate pastor of Evangelical Mission at Cross of Grace and to the new start, Cross of Life Lutheran Church, Noblesville, Ind. Eva Guldanova (Th.M.) was ordained on November 17, 2012, at the Lutheran Church in Dolny Kubin,

CLASS NOTES Solvakia. Bishop Milan Krivda of the Western District of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia presided. Pastor Guldanova is called to serve as school pastor at the Evangelical Lyceum in Bratislava, Slovakia, (a Lutheran bi-lingual high school sponsored by the ELCA). Jeff Fitzkappes (Th.M.) presented the paper “Theological Resources for Improving the Christian Reception of Transhumanism” at the Christian Scholars’ Conference at Lipscomb University, Nashville Tenn., on June 8. He presented the paper “Towards a Christian Adoption of Transhumanism” at Northwestern University (Chicago) at their “Religion and the Trans…” graduate students' religious studies conference on October 13. Kendrah Fredricksen (M.Div.) was ordained on August 25, 2012, at First English Lutheran Church, Whitewater, Wis. Bishop Mark Holmerud, Sierra Pacific Synod, presided and the Rev. Jerald Wendt preached. Pastor Fredricksen is serving at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Quincy, Calif. Dominic Guido (M.Div.) was ordained on September 22, 2012, at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, West Lafayette, Ind. Bishop Bruce Burnside of the SouthCentral Synod of Wisconsin presided and Dr. Craig A. Satterlee preached. Pastor Guido is serving as associate pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Reedsburg, Wis. He also was pictured in the

August issue of The Lutheran to illustrate an article about Valparaiso University coming to LSTC’s campus. Zachary (M.Div.) and Kristin Johnson announce the birth of Katherine Irene, on September 21, 2012. She weighed 9 lbs. 7 oz. and was 21.5 inches long. Her dad serves as pastor of

Katherine Irene Johnson

Faith Lutheran Church in Evansville, Minn. Michael Matson (M.Div.) was ordained September 16, 2012, at Richfield, Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minn., where he is serving as pastor. He also was installed the day of his ordination.

at Rejoice Lutheran Church, Omaha, Neb. Bishop Mark Narum, Western North Dakota Synod, presided and the Rev. Brad Meyer preached. The Philstroms are serving as pastors of Prairie Lutheran Parish in North Dakota (American Lutheran Church, Stanley; Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ross; Faith Lutheran Church, Palermo; and Knife River Lutheran Church, Stanley.)

Winneconne, Wis. Bishop James Justman of the East Central Synod of Wisconsin and the Rev. Dr. Beth Ann Gaede presided. The Rev. Victoria Fink, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Saxeville, Wis., preached. Pastor Wilke has been called to serve First Lutheran and Grace Lutheran Churches in Dollar Bay and South Range, Mich.

Tyler Rasmussen (M.Div.) was ordained on August 26, 2012, at Zion Lutheran Church, Gowrie, Iowa. Bishop Claire Burkat, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, presided and the Rev. William Waxenberg preached. Pastor Rasmussen is serving as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Coopersburg, Penn.

Errata In the 1978 and 1981 Class Notes on page 25 of the Summer 2012 LSTC Epistle, James Stender’s and Chris Nolte’s congregations were mis-identified. James Stender is pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Vancouver, Wash. Chris Nolte is pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Vancouver, Wash.

Kristin Rice (M.Div.) was ordained September 29, 2012, at Grace Lutheran Church, Pembine, Wis. Bishop Thomas Skrenes, Northern Great Lakes Synod, led the ordination rite, the Rev. Dr. Terry Baeder preached, and the Rev. Gene Wickman presided at worship. Pastor Rice is serving the Northern Lights Lutheran Parish (Siloa Lutheran, Ontonagon; St. Paul’s Lutheran, Mass City; First Lutheran of Winona, Twin Lakes) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Paul Moody (M.Div.) was ordained August 25, 2012, in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC. Bishop Harold Usgaard, Southeastern Minnesota Synod, presided and the Rev. Phil Heinze preached. Paul is serving as pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Rochester, Minn. Angela Nelson (M.Div.) was pictured in the August issue of The Lutheran to illustrate an article about Valparaiso University coming to LSTC’s campus.

Justin Thornburgh (M.Div.) was ordained on October 14, 2012, at North Shore Baptist Church, Chicago. Dr. Ray Pickett preached.

Carolyn Philstrom (M.Div.) and Rory Philstrom (M.Div.) were ordained on August 23

Sally Wilke (M.Div.) was ordained November 3, 2012, at Lord of the Lakes Lutheran Church,

TRANSITIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS Farewell and Godspeed Jacqueline “Jackie” Pickett retired on August 31 as she completed 35 years of service at LSTC. Never one for being fussed over, Jackie allowed us to acknowledge her service and wish her Godspeed. During her years at LSTC, she fixed countless breakfasts and baked thousands of cookies, hardly ever missing a day of work. We will miss Jackie's laugh, one of the best to ever grace LSTC. We wish her much joy in retirement as she spends more time with her family.

Liesebet Gravley, an M.Div. middler, has joined the Zygon Center for Religion and Science as coordinator. She has extensive experience in religion and science, with a master’s degree in engineering physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology. She has also served as an ELCA missionary in Slovakia and a laboratory technician for ConocoPhillips.

writer have greatly benefited Zygon Center. He and his family will remain in the LSTC community as he continues to work with LSTC’s Green Zone on composting, recycling and garden projects.

Makeover During the summer months, LSTC’s building crew gave the Refectory kitchen and line a makeover. In addition to a new look, the Refectory has a new menu. The space just inside the Refectory doors has been transformed into a study/lounge area and the mailroom was reconfigured to accommodate after-hours Refectory purchases of drinks, grab-andgo sandwiches, and baked goods.

Accomplishments William Beermann, cataloger, JKM Library, attended the American Theological Library Association Annual Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, June 27-30. Scott Chalmers, director of admissions, led the workshop “Faith, Daily Life and Exodus 2-3” for the Lutheran Campus Ministry of the University of Iowa on October 6.

Welcome

Jackie Pickett

On October 19, the LSTC community thanked Jim Schaal for his work as executive coordinator for the Zygon Center for Religion and Science. Jim has served as executive coordinator since 2008. Jim’s skills as a communicator and grant

Refectory makeover in progress

Pedro Rodriguez joined the Refectory staff as a full-time line cook and has been dazzling the community with his soups, salads, and sandwiches. He lives in Chicago with his wife and their two-year-old daughter. He has extensive experience as a line cook at Chicago restaurants including A Taste of Heaven, Gluns Bavarian House, and Spago Fine Dining.

Cheryl Hoth, assistant to the dean and vice president of academic affairs, was a guest presenter at a graduate-level course in the School of Social Work at Aurora University on August 7. She talked about life as a lesbian who is also a part of and involved in the life of the church.

The Refectory's new look

Ben Randall, director of food services, taught cooking classes at Sur La Table in Naperville, Ill., in October. Dan Schwandt, cantor to the seminary community, served as organist for Chicago Theological Seminary’s commencement service at Apostolic Church of God in May. He served as principal musician for the Metropolitan Chicago Synod Assembly opening Eucharist on June 1. Dan led a workshop on keyboard improvisation for the Liturgy at the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians Region 3 gathering at Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, Ill. on July 27. He concluded his time serving as coordinator of Augustana Chapel and his service on the Chicago Chapter of the American Guild of Organists board on July 31. Sara Trumm, program coordinator, A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice, served as a musician at the ELCA Glocal Mission Gathering in Milwaukee in August and at the Glocal Mission Event held at LSTC in September.

Life at LSTC

Clockwise from upper left: Dr. Vitor Westhelle preaches at the Castle Church, Wittenburg, Germany; the Rev. Dr. Sherman Hicks delivers the first Albert “Pete” Pero Jr. Lecture at LSTC; Joseph Yucha (junior) presents an LSTC football jersey to President Nieman at the Inauguration Weekend Pep Rally; Valparaiso University holds its first Open House at LSTC; the Rev. Dr. Cheryl Stewart Pero leads the final song at the “Many Voices, One Song” benefit concert for the Albert “Pete” Pero Multicultural Center; Korean Drummers perform during the “Many Voices, One Song” concert; beagle puppy Rocky Bolick enjoys the Blessing of the Animals service

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Calendar of Events All events are at LSTC unless otherwise noted. Check www.lstc.edu/ events for details January 7 J Term classes begin 13 4:00 p.m. Bach for the Sem benefit concert at St. Luke Church, Chicago. Tickets available by calling 773-256-0712 21 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Worship and Luncheon. For details visit www.lstc.edu/ multicultural-center/events/ 29 7:30 p.m. Luther College Symphony Orchestra—Chapel Music Series 30 1:30 p.m. Screening of Montgomery to Memphis for African Descent Heritage Month

February African Descent Heritage Month see www.lstc.edu/multicultural-center/ events/ for details 4 Spring Semester begins 7 11:30 a.m. Many Voices, One Story: LSTC from 1983 - 2012 7 – May 6, 6:30 Mondays, Advanced Seminar in Religion and Science visit www.zygoncenter.org for details 17–19 Seminary Sampler—for details see www.lstc.edu/ prospective-students/ visit/sampler/ or email admissions@lstc.edu 26 4:00 p.m. Scherer Lecture by Delbert Anderson

March Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month see www.lstc.edu/multicultural-center/events/ for details 10 7:30 p.m. Leadership Series, “Faithful Living in an Interfaith World,” lecture by Eboo Patel, concert by the Salaam-Shalom Music Project 11 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Leadership Series, “Faithful Living in an Interfaith World,” lecture by Dr. Mark Swanson and workshops. See www.lstc. edu/events/conferences/leadership-series/ for details or to register 11 5:30 p.m. 2013 Distinguished Alumni Awards and Reception 15 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Fifth Annual Student Symposium on Science and Spirituality. Visit www.zygoncenter.org for details. 17 4:00 p.m. Lutheran Choir of Chicago, “The Lamb: Grant Us Peace”—Chapel Music Series