LifeTogether THE MAGAZINE OF WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Summer 2018
IN MEMORIAM CONNECTIONS THROUGH FOOTBRIDGE COMMENCEMENT 2018 BRICK HOMES ON WARTBURG PLACE TEXAS PROJECT
LIFETOGETHER
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 seven seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
PRESIDENT Rev. Louise N. Johnson
PRESIDENT’S CABINET Rev. Amy Current, Vice President for Admissions and Student Services Paul K. Erbes, Vice President for Development Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan, Academic Dean Andy Willenborg, Vice President for Finance and Operations
COVER PHOTO Dara Clifford, Class of 2018
EDITOR Lisamarie Odeen, Director for Communication
SUMMER EDITION, 2018 Wartburg Theological Seminary Dubuque, Iowa 52003 Phone: 563-589-0200 Fax: 563-589-0333 www.wartburgseminary.edu
MISSION STATEMENT 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. 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.
DUBUQUE IOWA www.wartburgseminary.edu
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REV. DR. ALVIN KOENEMAN FEBRUARY 20, 2018
REV. DR. RALPH QUERE MARCH 22, 2018
MRS. MARILYN FJELD MARCH 31, 2018
Former WTS Development Associate
Former Professor of Church History and Theology
Wife of former WTS President Dr. Roger Fjeld
In Memoriam REV. DR. ALVIN KOENEMAN was a Navy chaplain, Director of Major Gifts and Special Assistant to the President at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and Development Associate at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque Iowa. Koeneman earned the rank of Rear Admiral and served as U.S. Chief of Chaplains for the Navy from June 1988 to August 1991 (excerpt from Koeneman’s obituary). REV. DR. RALPH QUERE served as Professor of Church History and Theology at Wartburg Theological Seminary beginning in 1969 and remained as Professor Emeritus in that position until his death. Dr. Quere faithfully taught and wrote out of his deep faith in Jesus Christ, witnessing to the evangelical and Lutheran tradition. Professor Quere taught generations of seminarians how the Lutheran Confessions impact daily life and service. The influence of his teaching continues as a living legacy, as his students continue to proclaim and serve Christ in extending God’s mission.
Professor Quere devoted special attention to the significance of worship, to ministries with and for youth, and to the work of evangelism, authoring books on many of these topics. His love for evangelism came to expression in the text for a musical on the Gospel of John for the contemporary world, which was performed at Wartburg Theological Seminary. MRS. MARILYN FJELD received a Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Iowa, and later did Master’s degree work there in Aging Studies. Dr. Roger Fjeld, former President of Wartburg Seminary and Marilyn moved to parishes in Sedalia, Missouri and Denver, Colorado. Administrative calls took them to the Twin Cities and then back to Wartburg Seminary for the rest of his career. Marilyn was very active in the churches to which they belonged, sometimes including choir directing and serving as volunteer secretary. In 1999 they retired and moved to Estes Park where they were members of Shepherd of The Mountains Lutheran Church. She also enjoyed Art, Photography and Traveling (excerpt from Fjeld’s obituary).
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Content 03 In Memoriam
06 2018 Commencement
10 Connections through Footbridge, Inc.
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14 Sustainablity and Stewardship Through Demolition
16 Can listening save the church?
18 Faculty / Staff Updates and Alumni Notes
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2018 Commencement Honors Graduates and Servant Leaders “As the stained-glass window in Loehe Chapel depicts, Jesus Christ gathers disciples to send them forth with the Good News to the ends of the earth. Our graduates go with the promise that Jesus Christ is with them always.” - Craig Nessan, Academic Dean
The Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity was presented to both Rev. Kenneth W. Wheeler, who is retired pastor and retired Assistant to the Bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA, and Rev. Prof. Gordon Jon Straw, Associate Professor and Cornelsen Chair of Spiritual Formation at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
Wartburg Theological Seminary (WTS) honored forty-five degree and certificate candidates at commencement exercises on Sunday, May 20, 2018, at St. Joseph the Worker Church. “At commencement we celebrate the academic accomplishments and ministry gifts of all those recognized: degree and certificate recipients of many kinds poised to serve the church as pastors, deacons, and lay leaders. We also rejoice in the awards to those exemplary leaders receiving the church’s gratitude through honorary awards. Wartburg Theological Seminary’s mission is to gather together candidates for ministry, form them in a community of learning, and send them forth to service in Jesus’ Name. As the stainedglass window in Loehe Chapel depicts, Jesus Christ gathers disciples to send them forth with the Good News to the ends of the earth. Our graduates go with the promise that Jesus Christ is with them always,” says Dr. Craig Nessan, Academic Dean.
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Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, The Rev. Kenneth Wheeler, who was chosen by the Class of 2018 to deliver the commencement address, was educated in the Jackson Public Schools. He earned his Bachelor of Art degree in Religion from Concordia College and his Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He has served parishes in Florida, California, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he served 18 years as Assistant to the Bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA. Prior to retiring he served seven years of his career as the Senior Pastor of Cross Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. The Rev. Wheeler has been awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from Concordia College and from Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He is also the recipient of the Milwaukee Black Excellence Award. In 1970 he was nominated as a Rhodes Scholar. The Rev. Prof. Straw has ministered in numerous congregations as pastor or interim pastor, served in outdoor and campus ministry, and given leadership on synodical and ecumenical committees and councils. He has worked with other Native leaders in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to develop both the Native American ministry
WTS FACULTY WITH COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER THE REV. KENNETH WHEELER LINE UP FOR THE COMMENCEMENT PROCESSIONAL. LifeTogether I Page 7
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THE REV. DR. THOMAS SCHATTAUER PRESIDES AT THE BACCALAUREATE SERVICE AT WARTBURG SEMINARY ON MAY 20TH, 2018.
emphasis and the Vine Deloria, Jr. Symposium at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. 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 to both Dr. Roy Carroll, Professor Emeritus of Loras College and retired Cantor of Wartburg Seminary, and Samuel Goolsarran, who is Consultant Adviser of the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry. Dr. Carroll demonstrated the Loehe tradition through his service to God’s mission in the musical life of the seminary community. After a tenure of over twenty years as Cantor and Instructor of Church Music at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, he retired from that position in May of 2017. In addition to his service as Seminary Cantor and Instructor, he recently concluded a forty-six year career of teaching music in secondary schools and colleges in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa; he was named Professor Emeritus at the time of his retirement from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, in May of 2015. Goolsarran exemplifies the Loehe tradition through his continued dedication to advocating for the rights of the worker, currently as Consultant Adviser of the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry Ltd. (CAGI), the National Employer in Guyana.
2018 GRADUATES: ODEEN, CLIFFORD, JOHNSON AND BARGER.
He is a retired Senior Specialist on Industrial Relations and Labor Administration at the UN International Labor Organization Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from the University of London, and a general Arts Degree from the University of Guyana. On the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, he was awarded the first “Martin Luther Award of Excellence in recognition of your commitment, faithful service and the spirit of the living Reformation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana.” He is an appointed Member of the Order of Service of Guyana and has been awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement for long and distinguished service in the field of Industrial Relations and Labor Administration. Between Baccalaureate and Commencement Wartburg Seminary staff and faculty hosted a campus open house and luncheon. “We wanted to give our graduates the opportunity to share this place with family and friends who traveled a distance to celebrate with us,” said Rev. Amy Current, Vice President for Admissions and Student Services. “A beautiful luncheon was provided, along with a presentation about our classroom technology, tours of the campus and tower, and shopping in the WTS swag shop. We loved opening our campus to our graduates and their guests.”
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MASTER OF ARTS in
DIACONAL MINISTRY
Leaders of Community Organizations Social Workers Campus Ministry Leaders Chaplains Church Administrators Christian Education Youth Ministers Authors Editors Artists
Volunteer Coordinators Professors Synodical Staff Churchwide Staff Global Mission Minister of Discipleship Children’s Ministry Social Justice Sexual and Domestic Abuse Advocacy
DEACONS TERESE TOUVELLE AND JANINE JOHNSON WITH WARTBURG SEMINARY PROFESSOR EMERITUS,
Page 10 | COOK LifeTogether DR. NORMA EVERIST AT THE 2018 SYNOD ASSEMBLY OF THE SOUTHEASTERN IOWA SYNOD OF THE ELCA.
Deacon Terese TouVelle makes connections through Footbridge, Inc. “It’s just a matter of listening,” says TouVelle. “Strangers helping strangers and showing God’s love. There are needs everywhere. People want to show God’s love they just don’t always know where or how.” -Deacon Terese TouVelle
Being a “Sunday Morning Pastor” wasn’t ever part of the plan for 2015 alum Deacon Terese TouVelle, who is rostered in the Southeastern Iowa Synod. For her, the call of Deacon is showing God’s love, claiming her voice, and working collaboratively in her community. This call manifested in the creation of a nonprofit organization, Footbridge, Inc., a bridge between the needs of the community and resources in Davenport, Iowa. “As soon as I heard about Diaconal Ministry I said, ‘THAT’S IT’! It was just so beautiful. I just knew. So that’s what I did. It was really, really hard, but I graduated and here I am!” says TouVelle of her education in the Master of Arts Diaconal Ministry (MADM) program at Wartburg Theological Seminary. Through many conversations about discernment with professors like Dr. Norma Cook Everist, Dr. Roy Carroll, Dr. Craig Nessan and staff like Rev. Amy Current, TouVelle felt empowered and supported to complete her ELCA Candidacy and her MA Degree and to create what she calls “connections” using her gifts and passions as a Deacon in the ELCA. “Everyone has different gifts,” says TouVelle. “The professors at Wartburg Seminary want to see their students succeed and they want the Church to succeed. We all show God’s love in different ways. It’s not just a little box people are supposed to fit inside of.” Rev. Amy Current, Vice President for Admissions and Student Services and a follower of Footbridge, Inc. on Facebook, says, “Deacon candidates often discern specializations using their gifts to serve the Gospel as a bridge at the edge of the congregation and community. Terese’s vision for Footbridge, Inc. is incarnational embodiment of Gospel connections. I love
watching Facebook posts and seeing the bridges being created through Footbridge, Inc.” Terese tells a story about one Sunday morning when she filled in for the pastor at a local church. An elderly woman approached her after the service to say she couldn’t hear the sermon. This woman, who used hearing aids and participatied the best she could though the service, told TouVelle that despite having the hearing aids themselves, she couldn’t afford the batteries to make them work. TouVelle started talking to other people in her community and found this to be a common issue among the elderly. As luck would have it, or through the work of the Holy Spirit, a week later a phone call came into Footbridge. “I have a weird question, but if I can ask anybody weird questions it’s you. My husband ordered 90 hearing aid batteries. They came in the mail, but they are the wrong size. The company told us to throw them away, they’re sending us new ones. Do you know anywhere I could donate them?” Other similar phone calls have come in recently from families cleaning out the homes of loved ones. According to TouVelle, the prohibitive cost of batteries for hearing aids is a common issue she hears from people in her community. She’s been able to help many with the donations Footbridge has received. The bridges TouVelle is creating change lives. She’s working with folks bound to their homes to write cards for veterans on Honor Flights in and out of the Quad Cities. TouVelle helps to coordinate the collection and delivery of the cards to involve as many as possible in this special experience for veterans.
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FOOTBRIDGE, INC. COLLECTS AND DELIVERS CARDS FOR VETERANS ON HONOR FLIGHTS IN THE QUAD CITIES, IOWA. OVER 100 CARDS WERE COLLECTED FOR THE HONOR FLIGHT IN EARLY JUNE 2018.
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She’s coordinating volunteers for schools to listen to children read. The volunteers love the relationship they build with the students, the kid’s test scores are increasing steadily, and the teachers are thrilled with the assistance. She shares that she’s able to keep Footbridge, Inc. costs low since the school handles the background checks and training. These connections are happening all over the place in the Quad Cities. A child’s glasses are broken? TouVelle connects them to the Lion’s Club. Not enough chaperones for the school field trip? Give her a few days. Plants are being donated for a meditation garden in the community. Purses filled with personal care items, makeup, hand sanitizers, and tissues (all from different donors), put together by a church’s confirmation class are donated to a domestic abuse shelter to empower women searching and interviewing for jobs. When a bicycle is donated, TouVelle finds a counselor
who works with families in transition. Footbridge makes the bridge and lets the connection happen. She explains that she tries to only ask for time or items that were going to be donated anyway – rather than monetary donations. People in the community are realizing the work that TouVelle is shepherding. She is absolutely living out the mission of Wartburg Seminary by proclaiming and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ for a world in need. “It’s just a matter of listening,” says TouVelle. “Strangers helping strangers and showing God’s love. There are needs everywhere. People want to show God’s love they just don’t always know where or how.”
MASTER OF ARTS
in
DIACONAL MINISTRY
For more information about the Master of Arts and Master of Arts in Diaconal Ministry programs through Wartburg Theological Seminary please contact our admissions office at admissions@wartburgseminary.edu or visit our website, www.wartburgseminary.edu/admissions.
OUR GRADUATES are... Community Organizers
Synodical Staff
Social Workers
Artists
Campus Ministry Leaders
Churchwide Staff
Chaplains
Ministers of Discipleship
Church Administrators
Sexual and Domestic Abuse Advocates
Christian Educators
Editors
Youth Ministers
Global Missionaries
Authors
Leaders of Community Organizations
Volunteer Coordinators
Children’s Ministry Leaders
Professors
Workers for Social Justice
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Sustainablity and Stewardship Through Demolition “Everything has a lifespan, and we’ve reached it. It’s time to allow for something new to grow.” -Bill Link, Maintenance Superintendent
When the brick homes on Wartburg Place were built for the Fritschel brothers in the early 1900s, all Wartburg Seminary faculty lived on campus. These homes were grand and built well, but as Bill Link, Maintenance Superintendent, says, “Everything has a lifespan, and we’ve reached it. It’s time to allow for something new to grow.”
Place is a huge undertaking. While we mourn the loss of the historic homes, we celebrate that the history there could live on through the recycling of the railings, doors, and windows, along with some fixtures which will be resold on a secondary market. Anything that is unable to be reused or recycled will be buried in the foundation.
The three standing homes to the south of the castle began to demand a lot of additional work from Link and his crew. After 100+ years the lead paint needed to be stripped and repainted and wood refurbished. When a hail storm damaged the roofs and asbestos was found, the cost outweighed the benefit of the historic homes. Asbestos removal and lead paint extraction are costly and time consuming updates. Even though the houses had been well maintained and updated a few times, the heating bills were “as high as the rent,” Bill commented.
Link and his crew work diligently to keep the campus up. Over the years new siding has been put on the Blair Court homes in addition to new roofs and blacktop. This summer the stoops and sidewalks are being replaced. New doors were installed on the Denver Court homes in the summer of 2017 and three of the classrooms in Fritschel Hall were renovated. This summer the chapel windows are being stripped and repainted and units in all buildings will be repainted as well.
With smaller class sizes in the mid 2000s, the homes sat empty. The longer they sat empty the more work needed to be done to make them livable. The choice Wartburg faced was to continue to put money into the maintenance of empty homes in order to keep them up for the future or to plan for the possibility of eco-friendly, energy efficient, up-to-date, safer houses when we need them down the road. The project of demolishing the brick homes on Wartburg Page 14 | LifeTogether
We give thanks for the many families who have made their homes in 485, 465, and 445 Wartburg Place. We thank God for the shelter they provided and for the legacy of the Fritschel brothers, yet we celebrate what the demolition means for Wartburg Seminary. With increases in enrollment in the 2017 class and another solid class on the horizon for 2018 we will look forward to new ways to be good stewards of our resources with our future students in mind.
BRICK HOMES ON WARTBURG PLACE WILL BE REMOVED THIS SUMMER TO MAKE WAY FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS AS CLASS NUMBERS CONTINUE TO RISE.
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Can listening save the church?
WTS in Partnership with 4 ELCA Synods, LSTC, and ELCA Churchwide Partners to explore new educational initiative “The evangelization of today’s world challenges us to have an effective and competent leadership that is nurtured from the Christian’s own experience of faith. SSTE promotes the empowerment of the laity in the church through inductive education on the essential, necessary and sufficient.” -Rev. Gus Vinajeras
Wartburg Theological Seminary (WTS) has spent the better part of the last century focusing on new initiatives and partnerships. These initiatives and partnerships have served the church and been a blessing to Wartburg. Recently, Wartburg has been privileged to support the development of “The Secondary School of Theological Education (SSTE).”The SSTE is designed by three pastors, who have a heart for the people they serve and a commitment to quality theological education. The SSTE will be supported by the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana, Southwest Texas, Texas Gulf Coast and Arkansas-Oklahoma Synods of the ELCA, Wartburg Theological Seminary (WTS), Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and is an example of listening to the needs of the church and responding with an innovative partnership. Desiring to listen and learn from Latino leaders, President Louise N. Johnson of WTS, President James R. Nieman of LSTC, and Rev. Ruben Duran, Director for Congregational Vitality of the ELCA, began a series of “Listening Sessions” with Latino leaders in Texas. Through half-a-dozen meetings over 18 months, this community has identified several projects that will strengthen church leaders at every level. “SSTE is the first project we anticipate emerging from this
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group,” says President Johnson, WTS. “We will gather again in July to begin working together to develop programs to encourage leadership among young people knowing that this work will help identify future church leaders as well.” According to the SSTE program architects, Rev. Alvaro Nova of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod, Rev. Edy Santos, and Rev. Gus Vinajeras, both of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, SSTE is a contextual educational proposal for Hispanic/Latino leaders interested in expanding their theological knowledge and identifying their abilities to serve the mission of the church more efficiently. This also works toward the goal of providing contextual education formation in an innovative way to people who have been identified as lay leaders, and at the same time the program creates a space in which people can explore their vocation to serve as rostered leaders. “The promise of this program is that it comes from the Latino communities and reflects their experience and needs,” said President James Nieman, LSTC. “Our two seminaries and four synods can now become companions in strengthening this promise and securing its future.” SSTE is intended to bridge the gap between the Parish Lay Mission Academy, a two-year program of the
Northern Texas – Northern Louisiana Synod of the ELCA, and study at seminary or through Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) program. Interaction between teachers and students occurs in an environment that “strengthens action strategy, is informed by biblical and theological understandings that build on contextual experiences, needs, and situations” as explained in the informational documents put together by Nova, Santos, and Vinajeras. Rather than offering lectures, SSTE offers information in a collective way with more dialogue. It’s a process of formation that helps individuals deal with what is happening in congregations and pay particular attention to practices of ministerial work rooted in the Gospel. “The evangelization of today’s world challenges us to have an effective and competent leadership that is nurtured from the Christian’s own experience of faith. SSTE promotes the empowerment of the laity in the church through inductive education on the essential, necessary and sufficient,” says Rev. Gus Vinajeras. The program includes 12 modules, or subjects, to be covered in two academic years for a total of 180 hours. Building the curriculum around three main formation areas, Santos, Vinajeras, and Nova are passionate about making theological education
REV. EDY SANTOS OF THE NT-NL SYNOD OF THE ELCA WITH MAY PERSAUD DURING THEIR VISIT TO WARTBURG SEMINARY IN MAY, 2018
available. The formation areas covered in the program’s curriculum include spirituality and emotional maturity, Christian identity and commitment, and evangelism and discipleship. “Very truly, each leader in the church today needs competitive education related to the context and daily life situations,” Rev. Gus Vinajeras shares. “This is the inspiration that the Holy Spirit has given to SSTE to encourage and welcome everybody willing to serve the Lord with emotional intelligence and spiritual growth.” The WTS community had the pleasure of hosting Santos, Vinajeras, and Nova on campus in Dubuque in May where they met with faculty and staff across departments. Partnerships like this help to identify, nurture and sustain the growth of the church. We are proud to partner with this exciting new initiative. “Ten years ago seminaries would not have been involved in developing a synod lay school,” explains President Johnson, WTS, “but what we are discovering is that when we work together as partners and collaborators we broaden our access to resources and strengthen our capacity to do the work of God.”
REV. GUS VINAJERAS OF THE NT-NL SYNOD OF THE ELCA WITH REV. DR. WINSTON PERSAUD, MAY, 2018
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Ms. Halcyon Bjornstad, Director for Integrated BA/ MDiv Degrees is a recent Wartburg Seminary graduate with a Master of Divinity. Halcyon has experience in camping ministry, campus ministry, and education. She will use a combination of all these experiences and skills as she directs the new Integrated BA/MDiv program with Wartburg College which will allow students to graduate with a BA and MDiv in six years. Halcyon is excited about working with young adults as they learn more about vocation and discernment. She began her work in this role the end of May 2018. Rev. Dr. Charlene Rachuy Cox, Director of Contextual Education, joined the Wartburg staff in June. Char earned her Doctor of Ministry from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, her Master of Sacred Theology from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, her Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary, and her BA from Augustana, Sioux Falls. Ordained in the ELCA in 1991, Char has served in campus ministry and in a variety of congregational settings. She most recently served as University Pastor at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana. She brings a love of the church, a passion for people’s stories, and commitment to the significance of formation through contextual learning and reflection. Rev. Dr. Martin Lohrmann, Assistant Professor of Lutheran Confessions & Heritage, led Bible Study presentations with the Central/ Southern Illinois Synod in Champaign, Illinois. He also led a presentation on American religious history with the Dairyland Conference in Chimney Rock, Wisconsin, and continues to hold Lutheran-Catholic dialogue events with Dr. Jake Kohlhaas of Loras College. Dr. Lohrmann also serves as treasurer of the Lutheran Historical Conference and as webmaster for Lutheran Quarterly. He continues to write Reformation fan fiction, which can be found on his website: Reformation2517.weebly.com.
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Faculty and Staff Updates PROFESSOR SAM GIERE TEACHING A DIGITAL PREACHING COURSE
Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan, Academic Dean and Professor of Contextual Theology and Ethics, Holder of William D. Streng Professor for the Education and Renewal of the Church, presented “Shifting Our Thinking as the People of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century,” to the Northern Illinois Synod on June 15-16, 2018. At the University of Regensburg, Germany, “Learning from the Barmen Declaration of 1934: Theological-Ethical-Political Commentary,” was presented in July 2018. “Preaching Pastorally and Prophetically in an Era of Polarization and Messy Politics,” was presented to the Fort Dodge Forum, Fort Dodge, Iowa, September 14, 2018. “Preaching Pastorally and Prophetically in an Era of Polarization and Messy Politics,” was presented to the Cedar Forum, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, October 11, 2018.Nessan wrote many articles and books. Articles: 2018 “Child Liberation Theology,” Currents in Theology and Mission 45 (January 2018): 6-13. 2018 “Luther against the Jews: The Ethics of Historical Interpretation,” Currents in Theology and Mission 45 (January 2018): 5-10. Chapters of Books: “Universal Priesthood of All Believers: Unfulfilled Promise of the Reformation.” In Claudia Jahnel, Editor. Reflecting Reformation and the Call for Renewal in a Globalized and Post-Colonial World. Erlangen: Erlanger Verlag fűr Mission und Őkumene, 2018. pp. 69-84. “Foreword.” In Hermann Vorländer. Church in Motion: The History of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Bavaria. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2018. pp. xi-xii. “Luther’s Two Strategies and Political Advocacy: Law, Righteousness, Reason, Will, and Works in Their Civil Use.” In Marie A. Failinger and Ronald W. Duty, Editors. Lutheran Theology and Secular Law: The Work of the Modern State. New York: Routledge, 2018. pp. 63-74. “Prophetic
Utterance: Behold, I Tell You a Mystery,” Sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 based on Handel’s Messiah. In Karl Friedrich Ulrichs, Editor. Predigten zu Händels Oratorium Messiah. Berlin: EBVerlag, 2018. pp. 178-183. Rev. Dr. Duane Priebe, Professor Emeritus, once thought that the Lord had called him to prepare himself through his seminary education to be a missionary. While that was not the direction in which his call to ordained service has taken him, anyone who has been around him—in his classes in the various settings in which he has taught, in worship where he has preached, or in informal conversations—would easily learn that at the heart of his thinking about the biblical text and the meaning of the Christian faith is his deep, unabashed, unapologetic commitment to bearing witness to Jesus Christ, through whose death and resurrection God identifies with and offers life and forgiveness to all sinners—whoever they are. Emeritus status was granted to Professor Priebe during the 2017-2018 school year and a celebration was held June 2, 2018. Mr. Timothy Snyder, Director of Educational Technology and Instructor of Practical Theology, led a group of faculty to the 2018 SXSW Edu Conference and Festival. SXSW Edu fosters innovation in learning by hosting a community of optimistic, forward-thinking, purpose-driven stakeholders with a shared goal of impacting the future of teaching and learning. He presented a preliminary
research report, “Work, Late Adulthood, & Repertoires of Vocation” to the Religion, Values, & Society Research School’s Seminar on Work and Religion, November 14-15. The research school is an international partnership between US and Norwegian research universities. This past fall, at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, he was reappointed to a second three-year term on the Ecclesial Practices program unit. He contributed to most recent edition of
Christ In Our Home (Augsburg Fortress, July-September 2018).
Alumni Notes Wartburg Theological Seminary ‘45 Rev. Al Hock died on March 26, 2018. He served St. Luke, St Paul, MN for 39 years and as interim pastor for congregations around Strawberry Point, IA. ‘52 Rev. George Muschinske died on March 30, 2018. He served as pastor in Delafield, WI; as Air Force chaplain in Florida, Germany, Wisconsin, Labrador, Tennessee, Vietnam, and Minnesota; then as pastor in Rice Lake and Baronett, WI. ’53 Rev. William Biedermann died on February 6, 2018. ’54 Rev. Albert F. Gerstmann died on January 3, 2018. He served parishes in Goodyear, AZ; Tama and Titonka, IA; and Chewelah, LaCenter, and Wilbur, WA. He also served as part-time chaplain at the Tacoma Lutheran Home and Retirement Community in Tacoma, WA. ’59 Mrs. Marilyn Fjeld, wife of former WTS President Dr. Roger Fjeld, died March 31, 2018. Rev. Dr. Alvin Koeneman died on February 20, 2018. He served as pastor at Carlton Hills, Santee, CA, and St Peter, Santa Anna, CA; as U.S. Navy Chaplain; and as Director of Major Gifts for Wartburg College and Development Associate for WTS.
‘60 Rev. Robert Berndt died on April 27, 2018 after 39 years in parish ministry and 8 years in interim ministry. Rev. Dr. Earl Peters died on October 20, 2017. He served St. Paul, Yorktown, IL; Shepherd of the Hills, Bridgeton, MO; and Our Savior’s, Burbank, IL. ‘61 Rev. John Albrecht died on January 5, 2018. He served parishes in Boyceville, Wheeler, and Stratford, WI; Readlyn, Joice, and Rockford, IL; and Mesa, AZ. ‘70 Rev. Dr. Ralph Quere died on March, 22, 2018. He served St. John’s, St. Donatus, IA and St. Paul’s, LaMotte, IA, and taught for 34 years at Wartburg Theological Seminary. ‘71 Rev. Warren Schulz died on May 10, 2018. He served as chaplain at Grand Forks Air Force Base, Grand Forks, ND; as pastor at First, Valley City, ND and Our Saviors, Beloit, WI; and as consultant or interim pastor to 30 congregations throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Hawaii.
Rev. Dr. Troy Troftgruben was promoted to Associate Professor of New Testament (granted tenure) in June. He led Bible study on the book of Acts at the Western Iowa Synod
assembly (June 8-10, 2018), will serve as resource person (study leader) for family camp at Fortune Lake camp in July-August and joins others for conversation as part of a Book of Faith think tank at the ELCA office in September. Troy is working on a book project on early church community and how it addresses ministry questions today and preaching commentaries for Sundays and Seasons: Preaching, Year A (2019).
West St. Olaf, Hayfield, MN, and East St. Olaf, Byron, MN; Galilean, Ocean Shores, WA; Bethlehem, Manly, IA; Salem, Lake Mills, IA; Zion, Dysart, IA; St. Paul, Cut Bank, MT; Pella, Sidney, MT; and Good Shepherd, Bismarck, ND. ‘87 Rev. Karen Weissenbuehler died on May 7, 2018. She served First, Longmont, CO, and Good Shepherd, Denver, CO. ‘92 Rev. Terry Hagensen has accepted a new call at New Salem, Bemidji, MN. ‘94 Rev. Dr. Mary Frohs is serving as transitional pastor at Zion, Albion, NE. ‘07 Rev. Sylvia Lee-Thompson has accepted a new call at FirConway, Mount Vernon, WA. She previously served Spring Prairie, De Forest, WI. ‘08 Rev. Benjamin Ahles-Iverson died on March 4, 2018. He served Trinity Peace Lutheran Parish, Taylor, WI. ‘10 Rev. Rick Brenton began a new call at Ascension, Oden, UT on June 17, 2017. He previously had served Zion, Ferguson, MO.
‘75 Dr. Charles Gilmore died on March 14, 2018. He served parishes in California, Kansas, and Arkansas, including Christ, Hot Springs Village, AR.
‘16 Rev. Christine Salser was ordained on June 22, 2018, at Zion, Rockford, IL. She has accepted a call at Servants United Parish, Cornell and Dwight, IL.
‘81 Rev. Sara Beth Akre died on January 11, 2018. She served First and Spring Creek, Watford City, ND;
Deacon Laurel Vogl was consecrated on April 28, 2018. She has accepted a call at Great Plains Parish, Bowdle and Hosmer, SD.
‘18 Rev. Julie Barger was ordained on June 23, 2018. She has accepted a call at Calvary, Two Rivers, WI, and St. Paul’s, Manitowoc, WI. Rev. Matt Danielson was ordained on May 19, 2018. He has accepted a call at Saron and Our Saviour’s, Baxter, MN. Rev. Roger Fears was ordained on May 13, 2018. He has accepted a call at Zion, Appleton, MN, and St. John’s, Holloway, MN. Rev. Kristi Grieder was ordained on June 23, 2018. She has accepted a call at Church of the Good Shepherd, Waterloo, IA. Rev. Daniel Johnson was ordained on June 2, 2018. He has accepted a call at Lutheran Church of the Atonement, Florissant, MO. Rev. Timothy Knipfer was ordained on June 9, 2018. He has accepted a call at Bristol, Sun Prairie, WI. Rev. Bryan Odeen was ordained on June 17, 2018. He has accepted a call at Our Savior’s, Osage, IA. Rev. Matthew Seegert was ordained on June 13, 2018. He has accepted a call at First, Saint James, MN. Rev. Alexandra Smith was ordained on May 17, 2018. She has accepted a call at American, Webster, SD, and Our Savior’s, Waubay, SD. Rev. Betty Wyatt was ordained on June 23, 2018. She has accepted a call at St. Paul’s, Aniwa, WI.
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Upcoming Events: September 3, 2018 Opening Worship October 14-16, 2018 Reformation & Renewal October 27, 2018 Admissions Saturday Visit Day December 9, 2018 34th Annual President’s Donor Recognition Dinner November 13, 2018 Admissions Online Open House March 1-3, 2019 Considering Your Call Weekend April 24-26, 2019 Alumni Reunion Event May 14, 2019 Admissions Online Open House May 19, 2019 Baccalaureate and Commencement For more information on these events visit www.wartburgseminary.edu
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