Wartburg Seminary and the Global Church
Romania Algeria Namibia U.S./Mexico Borderlands Madagascar Germany Papua New Guinea Iceland Norway Golan Heights, Syria Uganda Columbia
The flags lining the refectory of Wartburg Theological Seminary represent the many countries from which students have come to study at Wartburg. Wartburg’s Papua New Guinea Museum shares the story of a long history of sending graduates as missionaries. And, more than 20 years ago Wartburg played a very significant role in the fight for Namibia’s Independence. The international emphasis and presence at Wartburg Seminary spans decades and is central not only to the culture of Wartburg but also in the formation of leaders who will serve the church. Master of Divinity Intern, Matt Barnhouse said, “Wartburg has significantly contributed to my understanding that the church is bigger than one denomination, bigger than one congregation, and even bigger than one country. I know that this has shaped the way I will one day lead a congregation.” The Center for Global Theologies has contributed to this understanding for Barnhouse and many other students. Barnhouse served as a student assistant last year with the Center’s Director, Dr. Winston Persaud (WTS ‘77). The mission of the Center for Global Theologies is to focus the commitments of Wartburg Theological Seminary to the global mission of the church, and to infuse those commitments into the programs and policies of the institution. Barnhouse admits that his global perspective was limited prior to coming to seminary. Last year as a student assistant for the Center for Global Theologies he had the opportunity to interact with
“ Wartburg has significantly contributed to my understanding that the church is bigger than one denomination, bigger than one congregation, and even bigger than one country. I know that this has shaped the way I will one day lead a congregation.”
10 LifeTogether
| Fall 2012
Matt Barnhouse, Master of Divinity Intern serving in Cheyenne, Wyoming for the 2012-2013 academic year.
or encounter people from 15 different countries. Barnhouse said, “Not only did I get to meet them but also network and gain an understanding about what church looks like in Madagascar or Iceland, places I never thought in a million years I would go or meet people from.” Barnhouse continued his expression of gratitude for the Center for Global Theologies when he said, “Growing up here in the United States you kind of have the idea that we are the center of everything. Interacting with people from all over the world and hearing their perspectives has really shaped my ideas and understanding about the global church.” As an additional bonus the entire Barnhouse family, wife Heather and four children, have expanded their world view. Matt said, “When I was called to explore seminary we visited Wartburg and knew that it was the right place for our family. The residential community is what attracted us. Because of that our whole family has broadened our thinking about the world. Our next door neighbors last year were from Norway and they became like family. It’s priceless as a parent to have your kids see that the world is a much bigger place.” The Center’s mission is to connect people to various aspects of the global church. This happens in a variety of ways and sometimes unexpected ones too. Barnhouse shared, “We had an Islamic scholar here this spring and after his presentation he asked if there was a space to pray. There were four or five in the group and in the grass out on the quad, by our statue of Martin Luther, they knelt facing Mecca. That’s what the CGT mission is all about. When students are exposed to things like this it can change you and open your understanding of what it means to be church.”