LifeTogether WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Two Churches Form Spirit Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin PAGE 4
Harold and Grace Kurtz, Accidental Philanthropists PAGE 6
Reflections on a Life of Advocacy for Namibian Independence PAGE 14
| ISSUE 1, 2016
From the President There were at least five thousand, some newly healed of wounds and demons, all of them gathered on a hillside as the day’s light fades. Can you imagine? The smell? The noise? The need? Both evening and hunger are setting in quickly.
Luke 9:16-17 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 16
And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
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“Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” That’s what the disciples recommend. Understandably. For what are a couple of fish and five loaves of bread in the face of 5000 hungry souls? What choice do we have when our resources are so unbelievably low and the need is so unbelievably great? These days in the church, this seems to be the story all around. We need more money. We need more leaders. We need more congregations. We need more volunteers. We need more people in worship. We need. We need. We need. And it is no exaggeration. The statistics paint a pretty clear picture of our own little hillside of need and the diminishing resources we have to address those needs. And then there are our own personal resource-to-need discrepancies. I have a fairly long list of which I am painfully aware. I suspect you have a few resource-to-need discrepancies in your own life. Truth be told, I am not sure it has ever been any other way for those called to the work of God. These discrepancies are our constant companions. There will always be more needs than we can address with the resources at our disposal. But Jesus takes what they have to offer - their shortage, their weakness, their inability, their “lack of,” their “not enough,” their “too little” - their five loaves and two fish and he looks up to heaven for a blessing - a blessing
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from the One who created something out of nothing. He looked up to heaven, blessed the “too little” and broke it and fed the people. And there were leftovers. Still this miracle is the mustard seed of miracles. It is a small reminder of what God can do, a foretaste of the feast that is to come. So that on that day, on another hillside, when it looks like all is lost, that death has won, that there is no reason for hope, that we recall just what God can do with nothing. Unimaginable abundance and leftovers from a young boy’s lunch. Abundant, eternal, full court press life out of death. These are the moves of the God we worship and serve. These are the promises which are ours in Christ Jesus. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst. There are days when long meetings about the future of the church and theological education, about budgets and giving, about enrollment and shortages make me into the kind of disciple that just wants to send everyone home before it gets too dark and we have a crisis on our hands. But this miracle reminds me to look at the world with different eyes and to see what God is already blessing in our midst – our beautiful graduates, the generosity of our donors, our committed boards, faculty and staff for starters. And then to ask God to take our “lack of,” our “not enough,” our “too little” and bless it to be more than we ever could have imagined. In Christ,
Rev. Louise N. Johnson PRESIDENT, WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
contents | 2
ISSUE 1, 2016
on the cover
FROM THE PRESIDENT
4 TWO CHURCHES FORM SPIRIT LUTHERAN 6 HAROLD AND GRACE KURTZ, ACCIDENTAL PHILANTHROPISTS: HONORING FOUR GENERATIONS OF PASTORS WITH EN DOWED SCHOLARSHIPS 8 PATHWAYS TO SEMINARY: MEET FIRST YEAR STUDENTS HAYDEN AND JIA 10
WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY COMMENCEMENT, 2016: GATHERING AND SENDING FOR GOD’S WORK IN THE WORLD
12 PREPARED FOR MINISTRY THAT LEADS TO SERVICE
WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TOWER.
14 REFLECTIONS ON A LIFE OF ADVOCACY FOR NAMIBIAN INDEPENDENCE 16 FACULTY/STAFF UPDATES 18
ALUM NOTES
LifeTogether Issue 1, 2016 Wartburg Theological Seminary 333 Wartburg Place Dubuque, IA 52003 Phone: 563-589-0200 FAX: 563-589-0229 www.wartburgseminary.edu
Find WTS on these social networks:
PRESIDENT: T he Rev. Louise N. Johnson EDITORIAL, PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN:
MISSION STATEMENT
WTS Communications Team Janelle Koepke, Vice President for Mission Support Lisamarie Odeen, Director of Communications Carina Schiltz, Student Writer
Wartburg Theological Seminary serves Christ’s church through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by being a worship-centered community of critical theological reflection where learning leads to mission and mission informs learning.
Life Together is a publication of Wartburg Theological Seminary for our alumni and friends. Permission is granted for additional use in congregations. Founded in 1854 and located in Dubuque, Iowa since 1889, Wartburg Theological Seminary is one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The community embodies God’s mission by stewarding resources for engaging, equipping, and sending collaborative leaders who interpret, proclaim and live the gospel of Jesus Christ for a world created for communion with God and in need of personal and social healing. LifeTogether | Issue 1, 2016 3
Two Churches Form Spirit Lutheran in Eau Claire, Wisconsin “We’re still living into it and will be for a while, but it is amazing when those who are charged with doing God’s mission in God’s world pool resources together.” – REV. AMY ODGREN (WTS ‘01)
A PANORAMA OF THE WORSHIP SPACE AT SPIRIT LUTHERAN CHURCH IN EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN.
Rev. Amy Odgren (WTS ’01), alumna of Wartburg Seminary and pastor at Spirit Lutheran in Eau Claire, WI, shares the story of two churches consolidating to become one. “Spirit Lutheran is alive!” Odgren exclaims. The birth or Spirit Lutheran comes from collaboration between area congregations. Starting in 2013, Odgren was called to First Lutheran in Eau Claire. She had served them as an associate pastor previously, and that connection enabled a deep trust. “I had no idea that God would lead me back to them, [and] I think it was good for all of us,” she says. “The congregation had grown into a new place in their ministry, and the skills God had developed in me during working for synod staff as director for evangelical mission [helped me] assist [them] in finding their missional identity and seeking what God is calling them to do anew in their community.” God used Odgren’s skills to assist a congregation that was “seeking something new” in light of the decline in membership and giving that they and other area congregations were facing. She recalls, “They were going to meet it head on with a pastor to help them with collaborative efforts.” Right away conversation and worship with neighboring congregations started. As a graduate of Wartburg, Odgren knew that gathering in worship was central. Worship, conversation, and meals were the gathering points for congregations. Area pastors collaborated and took turns leading table talk discussions, worship, and plenary sessions.
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“Those conversations were pretty fruitful with the hopefulness that was in the room,” she recalls. Eventually, after some discernment, Our Savior’s Lutheran in Eau Claire came to observe the discussions and then entered fully into collaborative efforts with First Lutheran. “It was evident that leaders in congregations felt the power of the Spirit moving between us and saying ‘we could be so much stronger together than we can be on our own,’” says Odgren. The joint worship services, fellowship opportunities and conversations continued. The two congregations also participated in God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday. “We worked around the city together side by side, elbow to elbow, at about ten different service sites,” she says. Some senior members rolled bandages for global health ministry, other groups helped at a local homeless shelter, a center for domestic abuse, did yardwork, painted, cleaned, and weeded a neighborhood association prairie. “Through that service work our relationship continued to deepen, and it was evident that we wanted to continue to explore what could happen if we became one.” The talks continued, and the sense of ownership among the two congregations grew. A group of leaders from the two congregations was formed. Together, they were “imagining a new future.” The steering committee took the name “CPR: common purpose relationship. We loved the imagery of CPR: breathing life into each other. Resuscitation doesn’t happen individually, it takes partnership.” The CPR team guided conversation and oversaw what were known as “dream teams” with members from both
The steering committee took the name “CPR: common purpose relationship. We loved the imagery of CPR: breathing life into each other. Resuscitation doesn’t happen individually, it takes partnership.”
continued to grow. First Lutheran would be used to serve the community. It was a wonderful new facility for the organization.
ABOVE: PALM SUNDAY WORSHIP 2016 . BELOW: SENIORS ROLL BANDAGES THROUGH THE ELCA’S INITIATIVE, GOD’S WORK OUR HANDS.
congregations. Odgren recalls, “The teams were commissioned to go out and imagine: if we became one. . . What would worship look like? What could we do together? What kind of strengths could we have in order to be about mission rather than worry about the bills that are before us?” The teams continued to dream. Meanwhile, communication was essential to the entire process. “We held forums to talk about dream team reports” says Odgren, “and the point of having leadership from each congregation was critical because people understood it was a mutual partnership from the get go.” The CPR steering committee recommended consolidation. In June of 2015 each congregation followed a structured voting process that was overseen by synod staff. The congregations worshipped and voted separately, but they voted at the same time. “It was announced at both congregations at same time that vote for consolidation passed!” says Odgren. “We’ve been told that it was overwhelming, and the congregation needed to hear that: it wasn’t by a squeak of a hangnail.” The vote to consolidate won by a vast majority. After the vote to consolidate passed, First Lutheran was approached by the Boys and Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley who had been following the partnership and consolidation of the two churches through local media. The First Lutheran building had a large gym, an auditorium, and multiple classrooms. The Boys and Girls club had outgrown their current facility, and the number of children served in the area had also
The Our Saviors building was used for worship starting in November 2015, and the consolidated congregation began to brainstorm names for the new church. At the meeting, the conversation went something like this, Odgren recalls, “The doors have been open and we’ve been propelled: this is the Spirit at work! Look at how the Holy Spirit has been involved in this! And so everyone looked at each other and said ‘Spirit has to be a part of our name.’ We landed on Spirit Lutheran, knowing that [when people saw it] on the side of a building or out doing service in the world, people will know we are a church.” The name has given the congregation a new perspective. “We’ve been told by a lot of members that Spirit jumps off the page to them when we sing, or when we pray, or when they read it in Scripture. Now everybody is more in tune with that word ‘Spirit.’” Spirit Lutheran is now working on a strategic plan and is learning what it means to grow together. Odgren describes it as being “in process of seeing what God is going to do with us now.” It is still a transition. People are wondering, “Where do I fit, where’s my place?” People will find their place, but it will take time, she says, “We’re still living into it and will be for a while, but it is amazing when those who are charged with doing God’s mission in God’s world pool resources together.” The consolidation has been renewing for many. Odgren recalls a conversation she had with a young mother who is a church member and leader. “She said to me that she has been raised in the church her entire life with the lament of things aren’t like they used to be. . . and what gives her hope is that we’re finally doing something about it. And here she’s a mom of two young children, raising them in the faith, and it gives her joy!” Spirit Lutheran rejoices in its new life.
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Harold and Grace Kurtz, Accidental Philanthropists: Honoring Four Generations of Pastors with Endowed Scholarships The Kurtzs support the future of the church by commemorating the past. “These four pastors will be remembered; their legacy will be passed on to future generations of students.”
we became good friends, and for some strange reason, we remained friends since then, which would have been 50-55 years. He was in my wedding, I was in his.” Harold’s friend Sandy eventually “adopted himself into” the Kurtz family. He was divorced, had no children, and had little other family. They stayed close over the years, though Minnesota and New Jersey, where Sandy lived, were quite far apart.
-HAROLD KURTZ
Harold and Grace Kurtz call themselves “accidental philanthropists.” Wartburg Seminary now has four endowed scholarships in honor of four generations of pastors in the Kurtz family. “There have been 24 members of our families who are Lutheran clergy, 20 of whom are WTS graduates,” reports Harold. “We want to recognize the pastors [in our families] who have faithfully served the church.” Harold’s great-grandfather came to WTS in 1885, and since then, “We’ve been a continuous line.” This line of clergy includes three generations of pastors from Germany before emigrating to the US. Harold’s great-uncle, Pastor William Kurtz, was one of two pastors of the Iowa synod whose job was to visit all of the synod churches and fundraise for the present-day Wartburg Seminary facility as well as other projects. The Iowa Synod contributed today’s equivalent of tens of millions of dollars to Wartburg Seminary. “Quite an amazing feat,” says Harold. “That’s one of the ties our family has in connection with the seminary.” Quite the family tradition. These many clergy are commemorated through the financial gifts of the Kurtzs. Why are the Kurtzs “accidental” philanthropists? Harold shared the story: “Once upon a time back in 1958 I was a graduate student working on a masters in journalism at University of Wisconsin.” Harold shared an office with a man named Sandy Moss. “Sandy and I were kind of a version of the odd couple,” quips Harold. “I was small town pastor’s kid who had graduated from Wartburg College. Sandy was from Philadelphia, had a Jewish Unitarian background, graduated from college in Ohio, and we just were from very dissimilar backgrounds! However,
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“He called one evening and asked if we’d be the executors for his will and we told him this is about the dumbest idea we’d heard of from him,” Harold laughs. “ ‘What makes you think we’re going to outlive you, and secondly, New Jersey isn’t conveniently close to the Twin Cities, Minnesota!’ He ignored us and put us as executors in his will.” Eventually, Sandy became ill, and Harold and Grace supported him in every way they could. He died July 5, and later the Kurtzs’ found out that Sandy had inherited money. They were now in the possession of this inherited money that was to be given away. Sandy left no instructions as to which charities should benefit from this money. Grace and Harold thought about what Sandy would want, and they decided that a large portion of the money would provide scholarships at various institutions. Harold shared, “One of my dreams had always been to set up scholarships in memory of the four generations of our family who graduated from WTS: great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and brother. We had set up a small scholarship in memory of my father, and then when this happened, we were able to do the four scholarships in memory of them all Wartburg Seminary is dear to the Kurtzs. “Grace and I have been modest supporters of WTS for years. We knew some people there, the seminary had been important to my family, and Grace knew lots of pastors who were WTS graduates, so we thought we should invest in the future of the church in this way.” The future of the church is important to Harold and Grace. “We’ve been married more than 50 years and we’ve been church people throughout; we both grew up in the church and continue to be active. It’s been central to our lives.”
The Rev. Johanes Christian Kurtz left his family in Germany at the age of 45 in order to come to Wartburg Seminary in 1855 to become a pastor. His wife, Antonia, was the daughter, granddaughter, and greatgranddaughter of Lutheran pastors. E.A. Kurtz, son of Johanes and Antonia, was a fifth generation pastor and graduate of Wartburg Seminary. Henry Kurtz, son of E.A. and Mary, a graduate of Wartburg Seminary, was a sixth generation pastor.
HAROLD AND GRACE KURTZ
The Kurtzs support the future of the church by commemorating the past. “These four pastors will be remembered; their legacy will be passed on to future generations of students,” says Harold. The four scholarships honor these four generations of the Kurtz family, graduates of Wartburg Theological Seminary.
Philip Kurtz, son of Henry and Minnie, graduated from Wartburg Seminary in 1957. He is a seventh generation pastor. His son, Charles, a graduate of Luther Seminary, an eighth generation pastor. Wartburg Theological Seminary is grateful for the Kurtzs’ generosity and commitment to honoring generations of graduates through scholarships that will impact future generations of Wartburg students.
Engaging God’s People Campaign FINAL PHASE OF ENGAGING GOD’S FUTURE CAMPAIGN 2012-2017
WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Through your gifts and partnership Wartburg Seminary will prepare the next generation of leaders who will Engage God’s People for God’s Work in the world.
Make your gift today using the enclosed envelope or online at www.wartburgseminary.edu. LifeTogether | Issue 1, 2016 7
Pathways to Seminary: Meet First Year Students Hayden and Jia HAYDEN KVAMME
is a first year Master of Divinity student at Wartburg Seminary. From West Des Moines, IA, to Dartmouth College in HAYDEN KVAMME FIRST YEAR MASTER OF DIVINITY STUDENT New Hampshire, Hayden has been discerning his call to ministry and leadership in the church. “Since I was a junior in high school I thought God might be calling me to be a pastor,” recalls Hayden, who grew up in the Disciples of Christ tradition. Hayden loved math and thought he may want to be a math teacher, but while in high school he took Advanced Placement Biology along with Intro to Philosophy. These courses culminated in a project that he presented at his church about the spectrum of how people understood the relationship between evolution and creation. “It was a powerful experience for me working on that project,” he recalls. “My pastor was really gracious and let the church be a part of it. My church didn’t have position on the question. . . .Coming out of that project I thought maybe I could teach about God and life to anyone who wanted to learn.” As Hayden went to college at Dartmouth, he majored in math, yet also reveled in philosophy, religion, and Greek courses. The possibility of being a leader in the church was always on his mind. Hayden found other opportunities to participate in religious life and thought while on campus. He participated in an ecumenical journal of Christian thought. It was formative. “Mainly through working on the journal as well as in Christian fellowship, I saw Christianity was broader than I realized,” Hayden reflects. He first heard about the historic creeds of the church, the Apostles and Nicene Creed, as well as the doctrine of the Trinity and the incarnation, through the ecumenical journal. This was not something he was exposed to growing up in the Disciples of Christ tradition. Hayden explains, “Disciples say ‘no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, no law but love.’ They confess no other creeds. As I
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understand it, [the purpose of this was] to avoid division. At the time Disciples were formed, they saw [creeds] as threatening the unity of the church. But as I learned more about Nicene Creed, from my perspective, the historic creeds were a source of unity of the church that we could proclaim together.” Awareness of the history of the church and church doctrine became very important to Hayden. For him, hearing about the Creeds clarified what the gospel was, and also helped him discern that he was called to be a pastor in a different denomination than Disciples of Christ. Along with awareness and appreciation for church history, Hayden grew in awareness of local and global injustice. Through participation on a multi-faith council and an international development class, “It became clear to me that it was important for the church to be aware of and involved in social justice in the world,” Hayden says. Hayden was attracted to the Lutheran church because he saw it as, “A church that was willing to reach back in the historical riches of the church while having open eyes to our current context. It has a rich core together with a broad horizon, all in the context of grace, and a focus not on what we do, but what God has done and is doing for us.” After college, Hayden worked for the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, working at a food shelf, Minnesota Food Share, and Urban Immersion Service retreats. “It gave me the chance to think more concretely about how messy and unclear social justice work can be, to be aware or power dynamics, and how the church can work for good in seeking justice in the world,” Hayden reflects. Hayden is benefitting from Wartburg. “The curriculum has been a gift to me as someone who didn’t grow up Lutheran,” he affirms. “I’m getting a clearer picture of what it means to be Lutheran because it’s front and center in the classroom. My hope here is to be formed as a Lutheran and really understand better what it means to be Lutheran.” Hayden hopes to help the church, “be a place where faith feels real and relevant to daily life, [which is] a challenge for the church right now. . .faith is more than something we do on Sunday.” Someday Hayden hopes to be a pastor in almost any context, so long as he’s “in a place that I feel like I’m really growing in community with as a leader but also as a member of the community,” he says.
JIA STARR BROWN, first year Distributed Learning (DL) student at Wartburg Seminary, shares her journey to Wartburg and her calling to ministry. Jia is a mother of five and a co-founder and executive director of Reaching Up Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit organization in the Twin Cities, MN. Jia is also a DL student at Wartburg Seminary. This program combines online coursework and on-campus intensive classes. “Wartburg does a wonderful job at working to include DL students in the Wartburg community no matter where they are [around the country]. I’m getting Facebook posts about what’s for lunch on campus!” Jia laughs. The DL program, she says, “Allows me to be a mom and run the ministry and be a student. I can work around my schedule. I can make sure that I can still be a member at home and a family member of Wartburg at the same time. They work cohesively.” Being a Lutheran is new to Jia, which energizes her. She says, “Everything I read is completely fresh! I’m just now learning the Creeds!” She is constantly looking to “translate” everything she reads and learns for everyday people. “This message [of God’s love] is what people need. We need to translate it into the languages [of the] people! Otherwise the message gets lost. I want people to experience what I experience: wonder and amazement and grace,” Jia shares. Jia did not always know about grace. Growing up in the Baptist church, she understood that “being loved by God [was] contingent upon performance, and I felt like I needed to be as active and as involved and immersed in order to be approved by God,” she said. This theology affected her deeply when she went through a period of struggle in her life. After marriage and college, Jia landed in the field of education. Her work led her to start her own business in education because she noticed gaps in the education process that affected even her own children. During this time, Jia was divorced and found herself with little resources to support her family. “After my divorce. . .I found myself with having to rebuild my entire life,” she remembers, “I had nothing, I lost friends, some family support; it was very challenging. I became the people that I kept the most distance from, ‘those people’ that were poor, ‘those people’ that didn’t have the things that they needed. I became ‘those people’ that I had judged. And I was devastated. It was like every day seemed like a year.” Throughout seven years of struggle, Jia started to slowly rebuild her education business. This time, she rebuilt it differently. She worked to make programming more affordable. Her experience helped her listen to the voice of the community. “It helped me close the barriers of judgment I had against people of different circumstances and situations,” she asserts. Throughout the business rebuild, Jia was inspired by people’s stories. “Every person I met had a different story. As we exchanged stories it helped me construct business in a way that was consistent with the voice of the community. I didn’t realize how many people
JIA STARR BROWN FIRST YEAR DISTRIBUTED LEARNING STUDENT
were in need, who didn’t have access to food, clothing, shelter, educational opportunities,” she recalls. A friend saw the business and said to Jia, “‘This is not a business, this is a ministry.’” Jia found this hard to believe. “I couldn’t be doing God’s work,” she thought. “God wouldn’t trust me!” But her friend insisted that what Jia was doing was ministry. “You should talk to God about this,” her friend suggested. Soon after, Jia closed the education business and started a faithbased nonprofit. “God has been opening doors ever since,” says Jia. “This summer will be our fourth summer; we’ll feed 600 kids in the district, do homework help program, all free.” Jia knows that God’s love for her doesn’t depend on her performance. “I realized that seven years of my storm wasn’t God punishing me; it was God equipping me!” Jia shared. She continues to share her testimony with people coming to the organization with the hopes of showing them God’s grace-filled love. But she didn’t stop there. She recalls, “I started getting a tugging in my spirit. I was having dreams about being in a pulpit and preaching God’s word, and I had a hard time with that because I felt like an outsider [to the church]. I didn’t understand, didn’t have connection I needed.” However, after connecting with a prayer partner who was a pastor, Jia was told that she should go to seminary. “I said, ‘It can’t be seminary. That can’t be true!’” But soon another pastor affirmed her gifts, and she toured a few seminaries, Wartburg among them. “I chose Wartburg because it felt like home to me...It felt like I should have been here my entire life,” she remembers. Jia wants others to feel as she did, “I was one of God’s children that received homecoming. Whether from different denominations, ethnic backgrounds, from this state or another, in all their own struggles, everyone has a place and God has a place for everyone.” Jia has many hopes for the church. She says, “The world is changing and the church [is] commanded to reach God’s people; in order to do that, we have to get out of the traditional mindset that we have [regarding] what church looks like. It’s not always brick and mortar, it’s not always in high heels or fancy make up. Church is where God is and celebrating God with God’s people. That means meeting people where they are...—wherever they are—because that’s what Jesus did for us.” ifeTogether | | Issue Issue1,1,2016 2016 9 9 L LifeTogether
Wartburg Theological Seminary Commencement 2016 Gathering and Sending for God’s Work in the World
Rev. Dr. Karen L. Bloomquist Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity Reciepient
Rev. Dr. April Ulring Larson 2016 Commencement Speaker
Rev. Burton Everist Living Loehe Award Reciepient
Rev. Louise Johnson President, Wartburg Theological Seminary
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Wartburg Theological Seminary (WTS) honored thirty-eight degree and certificate candidates at commencement exercises on Sunday, May 15, at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 2001 Saint Joseph St, Dubuque, Iowa. Graduates of Wartburg Theological Seminary will serve the church and world providing leadership to congregations and other ministry settings as pastors, teachers, youth leaders, diaconal ministers, chaplains, associates in ministry, and a variety of other positions. Rev. Dr. April Ulring Larson was chosen by the Class of 2016 to deliver the commencement address. In 1992 she was elected bishop of the La Crosse Area synod, becoming the first woman bishop in the ELCA and the second Lutheran woman bishop in the world. A native of Decorah, Iowa, Larson attended Luther College, the University of Iowa and Wartburg Theological Seminary. She served congregations in Iowa, served as Assistant to the Bishop in Southeastern Minnesota Synod, and after completing three terms as Bishop, served a congregation in Minnesota before retiring in 2014. She is known across the global church as preacher, bible study leader, ecumenical leader, leader in accompaniment with global companion synods, choral director, and song leader. The Living Loehe Award, which was established by Wartburg Seminary in 1973 as a way of honoring individuals who have given distinguished service to and through the church and exemplify Christ’s call to be disciples in the context of their own daily lives and professional commitments, was given at commencement this year to the Rev. Burton Everist. Rev. Everist exemplifies the Loehe tradition through his service in the parish, community, and synods of which he has been and continues to be a part. He writes, “This recognition, coming in the 50th year after my ordination, is both humbling and encouraging. It encourages me to continue and deepen the service I am privileged to render by God’s grace.” Throughout his ministry, Rev. Everist has served and still serves on committees and councils for Civil Rights, community groups, and ecumenical coalitions. His ministry foci include inner city, youth, media, and religious education. He earned a BA from Concordia College, and MDiv and STM from Concordia Seminary. He has decades of teaching experience at colleges, universities, divinity schools and seminaries.
The Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity was presented to the Rev. Dr. Karen L. Bloomquist. Bloomquist was raised in Wausau, WI, and has degrees from St. Olaf College, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D, from Union Theological Seminary in NYC. She was the fourth woman ordained in the American Lutheran Church (1974), and has served as a pastor of congregations in Oakland, CA, Brooklyn, NY, and Custer, WA. She has taught on the faculties of Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), Wartburg Theological Seminary, and as visiting professor elsewhere in the US and Canada. When the ELCA began, she left her position at LSTC in order to serve as Director for Studies, where she staffed the development of the first eight ELCA social statements. In 1999 she and her family moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where for 11 years she was Director for Theology and Studies of the Lutheran World Federation. Since moving back to the US in 2010, she has spoken and taught in several venues, and served as the Dean at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.
“The theological and spiritual formation process of Wartburg Theological Seminary culminates with commencement as a moment to celebrate the very purpose of the school: the sending of graduates to serve as church leaders in God’s mission across the synods of the ELCA and in diverse global contexts. We pray God’s blessing on these gifted graduates as they take up ministry according to God’s call and in service to Christ’s church.” -DR. CRAIG NESSAN, ACADEMIC DEAN LifeTogether | Issue 1, 2016 11
Prepared for Ministry that Leads to Service Upcoming Events and Courses at LSPS SUMMER SESSION II 2016 COURSES:
August 11-13 New Testament II August 10-12 Arte del Cuidado Pastoral I THis cours is taught in Spanish.
FALL 2016 COURSES:
October 20-22 Preaching For more information about these events or other courses visit www.LSPS.edu LSPS is a collaboration between Wartburg Theological Seminary and Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
Rev. Wayne C. Clement is a 2014 graduate of the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest (LSPS). He has served two congregations in Houston for several years but is now making a transition to serve a congregation in south Texas. “Ministry for me is relationship with God and one another. As a church, we are to love one another and care about our neighbors outside the church. Cultural awareness is necessary for healthy relationships in both environments,” said Clement. Clement credits LSPS for highlighting this during his course of study, “My time at LSPS prepared me for service in a multi-parish setting as well as equipping me for service in a multi-cultural setting. I agree with Gerhard Forde that the life of faith ‘does not leave us as spectators’.1 If the church in this world is to deliver the message of faith, hope, and love, we must be aware of what is going on around us and we must have a voice that spurs action.” While serving in the Houston ministry context, Clement lifts up the following as an example of the influence of his preparation for ministry, “Catholic Charities, whose main service in the community was providing food, terminated services they had been providing in Galveston County following Hurricane Ike. The director of the program reached out to the local churches. This resulted in the birth of United Faith Alliance, a collaborative effort of churches whose goal is to empower people and transform community through the love of Jesus Christ. The churches work together to build a community in which the life, dignity and full potential of every person is recognized through faith and action. It includes a food pantry, financial assistance, and short and long term case management. The United Faith Alliance is an outgrowth of community organizing and led by laity.” “Where God Meets Man: Luther’s Down-To-Earth Approach to the Gospel” By Gerhard O. Forde, Copyright©1972 Augsburg Publishing House 1
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Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest P.O. Box 4790 Austin, TX 78765 512.477.2666 (office) lsps@lsps.edu | www.lsps.edu LifeTogether | Issue 1, 2016
LSPS is accredited through Wartburg Theological Seminary and is an extension of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
Wartburg Theological Seminary owes many thanks to Supervisor of Maintenance Bill Link and maintenance staff for the seminary’s efficient use of energy through the years. Recently awarded a grant from the organization Grants2Green, WTS has been able to continue energy efficiency updates. Grants2Green is a foundation that helps non-profits absorb upfront cost of energy efficiency steps. The crews that came to assess potential projects on campus weren’t able to find many areas needing improvement because the seminary has been making strides in energy efficiency over the years. They did make a few recommendations and the grant Wartburg received provided for about half the cost of new heat pumps for the purposes of dehumidification and LED parking lot lights.
Imagine this visual: [Since 1993] the amount of recyclable materials that has been saved from the landfill would fill up the tower, from the narthex all the way to the top, four times.
Link, who has been serving Wartburg for thirty years, has made efficient energy an operating principle since he began in 1986. That year, maintenance started downsizing light fixtures. In 1991, Wartburg started converting from old fashioned magnetic fluorescent bulbs to electronic bulbs. In 1993, Warburg students were “eager to start recycling,” recalls Link. The trash output was cut nearly in half. Imagine this visual: the amount of recyclable materials that has been saved from the landfill would fill up the tower, from the narthex all the way to the top, four times. “[People of] Wartburg have always been good stewards of the land,” says Link. Reducing energy usage and energy cost go hand in hand. “It’s our general operating principle to work efficiently, but also to fix something for the long-term.” Not only has Wartburg saved money, but time, energy, and labor thanks to efficiency updates. Wartburg’s energy source since 2000 is geothermal. There are 193 enclosed wells that are three hundred feet deep underneath the parking lot. There are still a few things Wartburg could do to make things more efficient. Fritschel could use more energy efficient windows, but that’s about it. What’s the next big project? Maybe someday, in the distant future: solar power.
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Reflections on a Life of Advocacy for Namibian Independence “It was part of daily life. We always joked that someday she’d be arrested for political activism. [Her] belief in reaching out to the world and to other people was just part of our lives from the time when I was small.” -FAITH TRAPP, DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM AND ILAH WEIBLEN disconnected from the repression of South Africa’s apartheid. But apartheid came to be very real to my mom when Wartburg Seminary welcomed a number of students from Namibia, then ruled by South Africa. The first Namibian student arrived in 1971 with his wife: Abisai and Selma Shejavali.”
Faith Trapp, daughter of the late former president, William Weiblen and Ilah Weiblen, recalls the passion and persistent advocacy of her mother Ilah regarding Namibian independence. How could a “little old lady from Dubuque” have such strong connections with a seemingly far-away place? This is a story about transformative relationships leading to actions for justice and peace. “I’d like to tell you a little story about my mom that taught me about using our individual talents, even those that often lie hidden,” shares Trapp. “We only need to give God a chance to work in us.” Trapp’s mother Ilah was a homemaker, described as a wonderful cook, seamstress, needleworker, decorator, wife and mom. “She taught Bible School, Sunday school, participated in the Women’s Circle—you name it, she was there. But, she was never a ‘leader’ and never really expressed a wish to be one until an issue that touched her soul called her,” recalls Trapp. The issue that touched Ilah’s soul was Namibian independence. Trapp shares, “In the 1960s and 70s, most in the US were 14 LifeTogether
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The Shejavalis and Weiblens struck up a close friendship: William and Ilah became godparents to Abisai and Selma’s second daughter. Along with their friendship came the sharing of stories, and once Ilah learned more the reality of life in Namibia in the 70s, she knew she had to take action and share the story. And for the next twenty years, she did. “She talked about it all the time,” Trapp recalls. “It was part of daily life. We always joked that someday she’d be arrested for political activism. [Her] belief in reaching out to the world and to other people was just part of our lives from the time when I was small.” Ilah did her research, recalls Trapp. “My mom and a few other people from Wartburg Seminary took it upon themselves to find out about what the laws of apartheid meant in the daily lives of people in Namibia. They researched and they listened to the students and their families. They learned that, even though the country was 94% African, whites were given control of all economic interests. There were severe restrictions on where Africans could live, where they could work, how much they could make, and what education they were allowed to have. There was real struggle for economic and political independence from South Africa, as well as a basic struggle for personal freedom and social justice.” Namibia was colonized by Finns and Germans in the 1800s, and had been under South African control since WWII. Though they were supposed to have independent elections in the late 1940s,
the South African apartheid government refused because they were eager to take advantage of Namibia’s mineral wealth, as well as having access to an important harbor, Walvis Bay. Human rights abuses were commonplace and suffering was rampant. Though Iowa and Namibia are thousands of miles away, the pain of the Namibian people was not distant to Ilah or others who heard the Shejavalis speak. “Mom and two other women of Wartburg [Solveig Kjeseth and Susan Burchfield] took it upon themselves to start educating people in the church and in the US about these struggles. They started a letter writing campaign to senators, representatives, the President, and various large corporations like IBM. They organized workshops, seminars and conferences around the country on Namibia. They gave presentations in churches. Now, I could not imagine my mom standing in front of a hundred or more people giving a talk on an issue like this, but she did,” says Trapp. The women talked to every group that invited them. Ilah, Solveig, and Susan educated, networked, and advocated. Soon, churches and groups around the country supported Namibian independence, becoming involved with National Namibian Concerns, the grassroots movement based at Wartburg Seminary. National Namibian Concerns mobilized more than 10,000 Lutherans to support Namibian independence and sanctions against South Africa. “They kept at this for more than twenty years,” Trapp says, proudly. “Finally, on a very joyous day, March 21, 1990, my mom and the others of the National Namibian Concerns organization... celebrated the independence of Namibia from South Africa and the start of a democracy ruled by the majority African population.” National Namibian Concerns, including Ilah, helped in drafting Namibia’s constitution.
“Finally, on a very joyous day, March 21, 1990, my mom and the others of the National Namibian Concerns organization...celebrated the independence of Namibia from South Africa and the start of a democracy ruled by the majority African population.” documents that aren’t found anywhere else in the world. Ilah’s passion for Namibian independence still lives on, and her family is still deeply connected to the Shejavalis. “The year after [my mom] died we took some ashes to Namibia and had a memorial service at Paulinum Seminary for her,” Trapp says. The memorial service was done by none other than Abisai Shevajali, who remained active in Namibia’s struggle for liberation, was the president of the seminary, and also served as general secretary for the Council of Churches in Namibia. Trapp learned a lot from her mom, and encourages, “As you consider how you can serve our community and in the world at large, remember that we all have unique talents that God will put to good use if we are only willing to look beyond ourselves.” Relationships lead to transformational action. Wartburg continues to celebrate Namibian independence, as well as host Namibian students. Almost 90% of Namibia’s population is Christian, and at least half of all Christians in Namibia are Lutheran.
“God certainly directed my mom to use her talents in ways I never dreamed were within her,” Trapp says. In 1991, Ilah and her family went to Namibia shortly after independence. They spent time with the Shejavalis, visiting schools, orphanages, and churches. Ilah worked tirelessly on archiving “every single piece of information that they got their hands on about what was happening in Warburg hosted Bishop Ernest Gamx Namibia.” The Namibia archives still reside amub of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia at Wartburg, where there are artifacts and
along with Leonard De Vries, finan cial director, in April 2016.
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Faculty & Staff Updates Pastor Amy Current, Dean for Vocation, was invited by the Western North Dakota Synod to lead a Discerning God’s Call Retreat in March 2016. Amy and Krista Lind, a collegue from Luther Seminary, journeyed with the discerners through Luke’s Road to Emmaus. Amy (acurrent@ wartburgseminary.edu) is available to lead discernment retreats in synods or with partnering congregations as we continue to invite future leaders for ministry in God’s church. Dr. Martin Lohrmann, Dr. Martin Lohrmann, Assistant Professor of Lutheran Confessions & Heritage, has two books appearing in the coming months. His Book of Harmony: Spirit and Service in the Lutheran Confessions (Fortress, July 2016) highlights how the Lutheran Reformation’s crosscentered theology, lively spirituality, and emphasis on service still resonates with 21stcentury contexts. His 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings & 1-2 Chronicles volume in the Reformation Commentary on Scripture series (InterVarsity Press, May 2016, co-edited with Derek Cooper) gives examples of how Protestants interpreted these important books of the Bible during the Reformation. Dr. Lohrmann also presented on “The Holy Spirit in the Lutheran Confessions” at the International Crossings Conference (January 2016, Belleville, IL), on “Bugenhagen in Denmark: How Wittenberg’s Pastor Shaped a National Reformation” at the California Lutheran University’s Nordic Spirit Conference (February 2016, Thousand Oaks, CA), and on “Faith… and Good Works: The Formation of the Lutheran Church through J. Bugenhagen” at the annual Lutheran Heritage lecture of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (March 2016). Bill Link, Superintendent of Maintenance, celebrated thirty years of service at Wartburg, serving since February 1986. During that time he has overseen the construction of Denver Court housing, built in 1988, the removal of the trailer park at Pulpit Rock and the construction of the two twelve-plex buildings that currently stand since 1995. He also oversaw the remodel of the Residents Hall, Afton, Mendota and 16 LifeTogether
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Tower in 2001. He helped coordinate and oversaw the work of the NAZ Builders update ten Blair Court houses in 2014. Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan, Academic Dean and Professor of Contextual Theology and Ethics, presented “Luther Against the Jews: Repudiating a Reformation Legacy” at the Radicalizing Reformation event sponsored by the Center for Global Theologies, held at Wartburg Theological Seminary, February 2016. Nessan also presented “Mission Means Ministry of the Baptized in Daily Life” (together with Rev. Dwight DuBois) in relation to the Life of Faith Initiative at the Covenant Cluster Network Consultation held in Nebraska, March 2016. He is author (with Arden Mahlberg) of the book, The Integrity of the Body of Christ: Boundary Keeping as Shared Responsibility. Forthcoming from Wipf & Stock. Dr. Norma Cook Everist, Professor of Church Administration and Educational Minsitry, led the Women of the ELCA Bible study seminar at Wartburg Theological Seminary, May 2016. She wrote the Bible study in WELCA’s Gather Magazine “Mary and Elizabeth: Sisters Across the Generations”, taught on her book Seventy Images of Grace in the Epistles that make all the Difference in Daily Life, and equipped participants with skills of leading and participating in Bible study. Dr. Troy Troftgruben, Assistant Professor of New Testament, served as a keynote presenter at the East Central Synod of Wisconsin Leaders Gathering this past Fall (2015), taught on Scriptural Authority and Sexuality at Atonement Lutheran church in Overland Park, Kansas (Jan. 2016), and gave introductions to Luke’s Gospel at both Midvale Community Lutheran in Madison, WI and the Fort Dodge Pastors’ Forum (Jan. 2016). He also continues to teach for the Western Iowa Synod Lay School academy, the NT courses for the T.E.E.M. program at Wartburg Seminary, and the Dewitt Academy of Theological Education. In addition to book reviews in Review of
Biblical Literature, Currents, Lutheran Quarterly, and Religious Studies Review, this past winter Troftgruben published an article “Finding and Forming Pastors the Pauline Way” in Lutheran Forum (49.4, Winter 2015) and a Bible study on Matthew’s Gospel in the Augsburg Fortress Books of Faith Series (June 2016). He has also written textual commentaries and an introduction to Matthew for Sundays and Seasons: Preaching and Sundays and Seasons: Guide to Worship Planning (2017). Troy presented a paper in Nov. 2015 at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature conference (“The Gravitas of Letters”), and he will present two more papers at the next SBL Annual Meeting this November (2016) in San Antonio: one on the language of “today” in Luke’s Gospel and one on doing online Bible instruction in a “decentered” way. Troftgruben served as coordinator for the ELCA’s first Hein-Fry Book of Faith Challenge Gathering, April 2016 at Wartburg Seminary. Rev. Dr. Winston D. Persaud, Professor of Systematic Theology, Holder of Kent S. Knutson and UELC Chair in Theology and Mission, and Director of the Center for Global Theologies, will be giving a theological reflection on the theme, “The Divides that Bind Us: Addressing the Factors that Hinder our Witness to the Gospel in Word and Deed,” at the Pastor-to-Pastor Gathering (April 7-8 2016) at Gustavus Adolphus College. Upcoming meetings he will be attending are: Central States Synod Candidacy Committee, 8-9 April 2016, Kansas City, KS, and Augsburg Fortress Publishers Board of Trustees, 14-16 April 2016, Minneapolis, MN. This Spring, he taught HT264W Readings in Theology (focus: Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and selected readings in the L-RC Dialogue: The Hope of Eternal Life [vol. XI, selected pages]; The One Mediator, the Saints, and Mary [vol. VIII, selected pages]); HT340W The Trinity: Dogma, Salvation and Doxology (capstone in theology), and HT355W Luther and the Religions (capstone in theology). He taught the SELECT Online course in Systematic Theology (Feb. – May 2016).
Connect with WTS via Podcasts
Susan Ebertz, Associate Professor of Bibliography and Academic Research and Director of Reu Memorial Library, was a member of the evaluation committee for the Association of Theological Schools to a seminary who was seeking reaccreditation.
Go to www.wartburgseminary. podbean.com
Sermon podcasts are from Wartburg Seminary’s daily chapel service which is central to Wartburg’s worship-centered community of learning. The sermons are given by Wartburg Seminary faculty, staff, and guests.
Wart burg Theological Seminary
Building on the core belief that theological education and formation are for the whole church, Wartburg is creating new ways for all the baptized, of all vocations, and from all locations to access theological education. Learning is for Life. Seminary is for Everyone.
Exploring Faith Online Courses
Are you craving a deeper exploration of your faith? Take one of these brief online courses on your own or with others from your congregation or colleague group. We look forward to partnering with you on this journey of formation.
Entry Level Course Offerings Fall 2016 Courses:
Advanced Level Course Offerings Fall 2016 Courses:
Psalms in the Life of the Church
Effective Leadership for the 21st Century Church
Embedded in our worshiping tradition are psalms such as 51, 70 and 95 worthy of careful study, along with seasonal iconic texts like Psalm 1, 22, 23, 40, 90 and 91. This course explores the psalmic roots of the ancient liturgy. Through theological reflection, students will come to understand the ancient underpinnings of worship and the liturgical calendar. Mr. Richard Bruxvoort Colligan Online; September 12-November 6
Evangelism & Mission
The mission of the Triune God is a persistent theme in the Old and New Testaments. An examination of missions from Biblical, theological, historical, and cultural perspectives in an effort to discern significant components of contemporary missions in a global context. Dr. Orin Cummings Online; September 12-November 6
Are you unclear where your church is headed in these confusing times? Do you want to affect some change but are unsure how to go about it? Do you have some parishioners who are ready for something new, and others who want things to remain the same? Leading church today is exciting and yet filled with questions of the unknown future of the church. It is necessarily about leading change, and taking risk in the midst of that. It also requires a level resilience not required in the past. This 5-week course will explore these topics and invite participants to put concepts to work immediately in context. Ms. Mary Kay DuChene Online; September 12-October 16
From Membership to Discipleship
Presenting discipleship as the work of God’s Spirit among us, forming us in Christ and calling us to God’s mission, this course will offer some strategies to move congregations further along the journey from church membership to active discipleship. Dr. John Herman Online; September 12-October 16
Check online at www.wartburgeseminary.edu/exploringfaith to register and learn more about FALL 2016 classes. LifeTogether | Issue 1, 2016 17
Alum Notes
active on assorted synod and district committees; and contributed as an advisor to the Rosendale-Brandon AODA committee.
Wartburg Theological Seminary ‘39 Mrs. Joan Tange, wife of Rev. Irving Tange, died November 29, 2015. ‘53 Rev. John Walker died March 30, 2016. He served St. Peters, Sheboygan, WI; St. Peters, Dubuque, IA; St. Lukes, Manchester, MO and Overland Park, Overland Park, KS. ‘54 Rev. Dr. LeRoy Aden died December 2, 2015. He served the Luther D. Reed Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Care at The Lutheran Theological School of Philadelphia for nearly 30 years. Rev. Merill Herder died December 26, 2015. He served Trinity, Waterloo, IA Christ, Duluth, MN; East Koshkonong, Cambridge, WI; St. Paul, Mayville, WI; Central and Modena, Mondovi, WI; Good Shepherd and Bethel, La Crosse, WI; Middle Coon Valley, Chaseburg, WI. He participated on the national board of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, serving three years as its chairman and nine years as its secretary. He also served on the board of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan for six years, one year as its chairman. ‘55 Rev. Dr. James A. Siefkes died February 20, 2016. He served First, Galveston, TX; St. Paul, Anamosa, IA. He began a career on the national staff of the American Lutheran 18 LifeTogether
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Church serving as Regional Director of Stewardship in the South-Central and Western regions, and became the founder and director of the ALC’s Dept. of Congregational Social Concerns, later he became the director of the Mission Discovery Program of the ELCA. He was instrumental in the founding of the Program in Human Sexuality at the U of M Medical School; served as adjunct staff to the first task force on human sexuality of the ELCA; had founding developmental roles with church’s domestic hunger ministries; Lutherans Concerned North America; Lutheran Peace Fellowship; Lutheran Selective Service Information; Coalition of Black Members; prison, and a variety of other ministries. He served on the National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors; on the board of directors for Sex Information Education Council in the U.S. He produced the first denominational publications in regard to HIV/AIDS education for churches. He also orchestrated as many as 40 probing “edge of the church” ministries across the denomination. Rev. Obed Sunde died March 25, 2016. He served Christ, Pickrell, NE. He continued his ministry serving churches in Hawaii and Arizona, later serving Mount Calvary, La Junta, CO.
‘58 Rev. Lowell Hemken died December 15, 2015. He served St. Paul, Neveada, MO; St. Mark’s, St. Paul, NE; Mountain View, Thornton, CO and Shepherd of the Hills, Ft. Collins, CO. ‘59 Rev. Norman Sifferath died July 28, 2015. He served Cicero, Black Creek; St. Mark’s Navarino; Our Savior’s, Stanley; Jevnaker and Mandt, Montivideo all in WI. ’64 Rev. Paul E. Parlow died January 21, 2016. He served congregations in Wisconsin, South Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska, Michigan, Tennessee and Ohio. He was also active in the alcohol and drug treatment field and served as chaplain in the Michigan Army National Guard, finishing that career as State Chaplain. ’65 Rev. Bruce Buslaff died April 4, 2016. He served as a parish pastor in Westby, Cashton, Rosendale and Rogersville. He then was an intern pastor in Oshkosh, Neenah, Mount Morris, Winchester, Fairwater, Waupun and Ripon. In addition, he was a parttime visitation pastor in Berlin. Bruce was a volunteer fireman for the Cashton and Rosendale Fire Departments; served as a board member, secretary, vice-president and president of the Fond du Lac Lutheran Home Board; was
’66 Rev. Dale Ruosch died November 3, 2015. He served Peace, Fargo, ND; First, Sauk Centre, MN. He began Clinical Pastoral Education at University of Minnesota Hospitals, Minneapolis General and a residency at North Memorial. He was approved for Specialized Ministry by the Certification Board in 1975. After interim work at Circle Pines and St. Paul, he accepted a call at Bethany Lutheran Homes, La Crosse, WI as Director of Mission and Pastoral Care. During the next 23 years he was involved with designing a new nursing home, program development for 3 Alzheimer Residential facilities, developing a Chaplaincy Residency in Geriatric Ministry in conjunction with Gundersen Medical Center, dedicating a new Faith and Life Center as well as Pastoral Ministry and Spiritual Life at 3 separate locations. After retirement he was involved with establishing Bridge of Life Mission Church, Holmen, WI. ’68 Rev. Orval Friedrich died January 11, 2016. ‘70 Mrs. Sharon Johnson, wife of Rev. Terry Johnson died March 15, 2016. ‘71 Mr. Fred Erler has accepted a call at Peach Tree Corners Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA. He previously served Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church, Johns Creek, GA.
‘75 Mr. Dwight McElree died August 1, 2015. He served churches in North Dakota and Iowa. He then moved into financial planning for 33 years. Dr. Dennis P. Schmidt died October 19, 2015. He served as the Executive Director of the Bach Festival of Philadelphia and wrote two books to accompany the Hymnal 1982. ‘86 Rev. John Ragan has accepted a call at Kingo, Fosston, MN. He previously served ZionEidskog-Siloah, Ortonville, MN. ‘87 Rev. Jeffrey Blank has accepted a call at Trinity American, Waterloo, IA. He previously served St. James, Allison, IA. Mr. Marcus Vanhala died June 24, 2015. He served as a teacher, youth minister and driver education instructor these past 30 years. He assisted at Immanuel in worship and education. Marc assisted in the founding of Habitat for Humanity in Isabella County and traveled on several mission trips to build homes in Chattanooga and Boston. ‘91 Rev. Alan Buresh has accepted a call at Peace, Dresser, WI. He previously served University, Eau Claire, WI. ‘93 Rev. Rodney Hank has accepted a call at Joy, Parker, CO. He previously served Good Shephard, Madison, WI. ‘98 Rev Anthony Dusso has accepted a call at Our Savior, Rockford,
IL. He previously served Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Oak Forest, IL. ‘97 Rev. Carol Willadsen died December 22, 2015 ‘99 Rev. Nate Gauerke has accepted a call at Christ the King, Combined Locks, WI. He previously served Hope, Wautoma, WI. ‘01 Rev. Sarah Goettsch has accepted a call at University of Iowa Campus Ministry, Iowa City, IA. She previously served Calamus Lutheran Parish, Calamus, IA. ‘03 Rev. Laura Koppenhoefer died November 30, 2015. She served Trinity Lutheran Church. She founded the Living in Hope Foundation. Laura wrote a book called “Notes on the Journey: Living with Sarcoma & Hope”.
‘04 Rev. Barry Levine has accepted a call as Chaplain at Homme Home of Wisconsin, Wittenberg, WI and Forest Park Village, Wausau, WI. He previously served Faith, Sault Ste Marie, MI. ‘07 Rev. Bryan Lagerstam has accepted a call at St. John’s, Beaver Dam, WI. He previously served Our Savior, Osage, IA. ‘09 Rev. Robert Garton has accepted a call at Immanuel, Glenvil, NE. He previously served Our Savior, Wymore, NE. Rev. Timothy Koester has accepted a call at St. Michael, Omaha, NE. He previously served St. Mark, Bloomfield, NE. Rev. Jeffrey Nicla has accepted a call at Immanuel, Waupun, WI. He previously served St. Olaf, Devils Lake, ND.
‘10 Rev. Jay Denne is now serving as Priest-InCharge of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Sioux City, IA as well as remaining as Pastor at St. Luke, Sioux City, IA. Rev. Erika Uthe has accepted a call as Director for Evangelical Mission/ Assistant to the Bishop for the Southeastern Iowa Synod. She previously served St. John, Ely, IA. ‘11 Rev. Chuck Meyer has accepted a call at St. Paul, Treynor, IA. He previously served Sinai & Lake Campbell, Sinai, SD. ‘12 Rev. Jeffery Bergeron has accepted a call at New Life In Christ, Duncanville, TX. He previously served Martin Luther, Victoria, TX. Rev. Jenna Couch has accepted a call at Lord of Love, Galena, IL. She previously served Zion,
La Porte City, IA. Rev. Steven Winsor has accepted a call at Holy Spirit, Juno Beach, FL. He previously served St. Paul, Hampton, IA. ‘13 Rev. Kirk Wilkie died February 24, 2016. He served Zion, Clear Lake, IA. ‘14 Ms Heidi Larson was consecrated on February 27, 2016. She has accepted a call as Bereavement Coordinator with UnityPoint Hospice, Urbandale, IA. ‘15 Rev. Allison Cobb was ordained on January 16, 2016. She accepted a call at Holmen, Holmen, WI. Rev. Deb Cote was ordained on January 23, 2016. She has accepted a call at Iglesia Luterana Jesus de Nazaret, Aurora, CO. Rev. Erin Gullickson was ordained on Janu-
ary 3, 2016. She has accepted a call at Concordia, Benedict, ND and Our Savior, Max, ND. Rev. Tanner Howard was ordained on November 14, 2015. He has accepted a call at First, Havre, MT. Rev. Ronald Poe was ordained on November 9, 2015. He has accepted a call at The Lakes, Las Vegas, NV. Ms. Cynthia Robles was consecrated on November 7, 2015. She has accepted a call at Rocky Mountain Synod to serve as the Area Ministry Coordinator/Latino Ministry Outreach Minister. Rev. Carl Sirotzki was ordained on November 21, 2015. He has accepted a call at Christ, Sharon, WI. Rev. Kristen Briner Wipperman has accepted a call at St. Ansgar, Waterloo, IA.
SAVE THE DATE
Reformation and Renewal ALUMNI REUNION OCTOBER 16-18
Offering opportunities for learning, time to reconnect with classmates, and a time of renewal and worship at the castle.
LifeTogether | Issue 1, 2016 19
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333 WARTBURG PLACE DUBUQUE, IA 52003
Upcoming Events: September 5, 2016 Opening Worship at WTS September 12, 2016 Exploring Faith Courses Begin October 16-18, 2016 Reformation and Renewal February 23-24, 2017 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Lecture: Reformation in Ecumenical Perspective among Lutheran - Reformed - Methodist March 10-12, 2017 Considering Your Call For more information on these events visit www.wartburgseminary.edu
No matter where we are in life, in age or career, God calls us all. “I’ve come to think about Wartburg Seminary as the craft brewery of the seminary world. What do we mean by that? We take our time, choose our ingredients carefully, attend to each step of the process, and produce batches that we are proud to send into the world.” -PRESIDENT LOUISE JOHNSON
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