LifeTogether THE MAGAZINE OF WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Summer 2019
CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2019 AND A SEASON OF HISTORIC GROWTH
LifeTogether The official magazine 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.
EDITOR Lindsey Queener, Director for Marketing
PRESIDENT’S CABINET Rev. Louise N. Johnson, President 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
SUMMER EDITION 2019 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.
Page 2 | LifeTogether
“We decided that with more than 1000 empty pulpits in our church, that we could not, in good conscience, turn away or waitlist students who are willing and able to serve the church.” REV. LOUISE N. JOHNSON, PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT JOHNSON WITH 2019 MASTER OF DIVINITY GRADUATE, TAWANDA MURINDA
Celebrating & Anticipating Growth Our admissions staff is busy these days. We have had three consecutive years of significant growth in our first year classes, and we anticipate the class enrolling in the fall will be the largest we have seen in over 30 years! Alumni and friends like you continue to be some of our greatest advocates, so we know that all of the phone calls, visitors, and applications are still coming because of you! Thank you. We are now addressing a lovely problem – that of managing growth! Thanks be to God! Several months ago, we realized that if the pace of admission continued (which it has!), we would hit a tipping point in our capacity to accommodate our student body without addressing some challenges. We gathered key leaders together to determine whether we would take on the challenges that larger classes would bring or whether we would cap our enrollment. We decided that with more than 1000 empty pulpits, that we could not, in good conscience, turn away or waitlist students who are willing and able to serve the church today. Our world is hurting. The gospel needs servant leaders who are called, gifted, and prepared to serve the church and the world. We also know that Wartburg has earned the reputation of preparing excellent church leaders, and we intend to continue doing so to our fullest capability. We need your help to do this well. We will need to prepare additional classrooms to accommodate our students this fall. We will need to secure additional staff
and faculty to ensure the same high quality theological education for which we are known. We will need to identify new scholarship dollars that will alleviate the need for borrowing and prepare new students to say yes to God’s call, wherever that may be. God has been working through you, our donors and friends, to support new leaders for the church. We are asking again for your support. Will you join us in supporting these new students and sending more leaders into the church and world? This edition of LifeTogether highlights the season of historic growth we’re experiencing because we want to celebrate with you the ways in which God is at work among us in our rich tradition of preparing 165 years of leaders for the church. We want to share with you how we got here and why we are poised to continue into the future of seminary education and sustain the growth we have seen over the past couple of years. The winvitation is clear: we want you to join us. Will you? We can’t wait to see what’s next. In Christ,
Rev. Louise N. Johnson President
LifeTogether I Page 3
Contents 06 A Season of Growth by the Numbers A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF A HISTORIC SEASON
08 Celebrating the Class of 2019 165TH WARTBURG SEMINARY COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
13 An Interview with President Johnson REFLECTIONS ON HER 4 YEARS IN LEADERSHIP AND WHAT’S NEXT
Page 4 | LifeTogether
16 Donor Impact on Student Scholarships THE KLEINFELD, GRONLUND, AND FIRST LUTHERAN, MANITOWOC, WI STORIES
18 A Gathered & Sent Community AN INTERVIEW WITH REV. DR. TROY TROFTGRUBEN
20 Faculty & Staff Updates and Alumni Notes FOLLOWED BY A SAVE THE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR’S REUNIONS
LifeTogether I Page 5
Wartburg Seminary is preparing to welcome the largest fall class of degree seeking students in over 30 years.
A season of growth by the num
Enrollment
Academics
89%
50
increase in degree seeking students since 2015
expected Collaborative Learners this coming year
320%
3
increase in distance learning students since 2015
learning models: residential, distance, in congregations
41
$675,000
synods from twenty six states represented in student body
in innovative program grant awards since 2015
133%
6
increase in ELCA Fund for Leaders scholars since 2017
years to earn BA & MDiv in new program with Wartburg College
Page 6 | LifeTogether
bers:
Leadership
Support
165
40%
year tradition of preparing faithful leaders for ministry
alumni giving compared to a 13% average among peers
$100,000+ giving from faculty & staff this fiscal year
9 strategic initiatives meeting needs of the church & world
10 consecutive years ending with a budget surplus
150 chairs added to classrooms for growing student body
50% growth in donor support since 2014
$23 Million raised in most recent 5 year campaign
LifeTogether I Page 7
Celebrating the Class of 2019 165TH WARTBURG SEMINARY COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES “Jesus stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” -John 20:19, the Class of 2019’s chosen verse
Wartburg Theological Seminary (WTS) honored thirty-five degree and certificate candidates and five honored guests over the weekend of May 1819, 2019. Graduation festivities included a banquet for graduates and special guests, their families, and friends at the Grand River Center in Dubuque on Saturday. Baccalaureate was held on Sunday morning in the Loehe Chapel at WTS followed by a reception and campus open house. The weekend concluded with the 165th WTS Commencement at St. Joseph the Worker Church on Sunday afternoon. Derek Rosenstiel, 2019 Master of Divinity graduate, shared of the occasion: “It is so hard to put into words what the beautiful and beloved Wartburg community means to me. As I graduate, I find myself experiencing both great joy and at the same time great sorrow. This place which I will forever call home has shaped and formed me to be the pastor that God has called me to be. I will deeply miss my time here in this sacred place. Wartburg has been a place where I have experienced in a very concrete way the love, acceptance, and embrace that come from Christ. Wartburg has also been a place where I have been challenged to expand my imagination of what God is calling us all as Church to be about in this time and in this wide, wide world. I know I will experience many challenges in the work of ministry ahead, but I go out with good courage and with the foundation which has been given through my time at Wartburg.” In addition to the graduates and their families and friends, WTS welcomed and awarded five special guests for their accomplishments in the academy, the church, and/or society. The Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity was presented to Wartburg Seminary Master of Arts 2009 graduate Archbishop Samuel Enosa Peni, who was recently elected to his position in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and to Dr. Paula J. Carlson, President of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Dr. Carlson delivered the Page 8 | LifeTogether
LifeTogether I Page 9
commencement address. 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 Caprice Jones, Founder and Executive Director of the Fountain of Youth; Ross Murray, Senior Director of Education & Training at The GLAAD Media Institute and consecrated Deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); and Venice R. Williams, the Executive Director of Alice’s Garden Urban Farm and Mission Developer in the ELCA. Each special guest shared a powerful, moving, and prophetic witness to the work that God has done in their lives and through their work. WTS is grateful to God for each of these individuals and their contributions to a world so longing to hear and see the Gospel. The joy of graduates and honored guests was palpable as they received their awards and diplomas. For Master of Divinity graduate Char Guiliani, beginning seminary was the last place she thought she’d find herself before setting foot on campus. Char shares of her experience from finding her way to seminary and now as a graduate, “If someone would have told me I would be attending seminary after retirement, I more than likely would have told them they had lost their minds. Five plus years ago I walked into the Castle and I knew this was the place for me and I thank God. I thank God for God’s strength, comfort and love through this process. I thank God for the staff here at Wartburg who has and continues to embrace who I am as my authentic self. I thank God for the community, both on and off campus, for the love and support shown to me through each and every class and conversation.”
Page 10 | LifeTogether
Wartburg Seminary alumni are notorious for being proud of their alma mater. When our alumni return to campus, they reminisce about time together with their classmates and with the faculty at the castle. We imagine this new class of graduates to be no different than the many who have come before. Master of Divinity graduate Tania Schramm shares, “As much as we might want to stay put, to make a place here, we can’t linger. On this journey, Wartburg is more like a rest stop than a destination. It is intended to be a place where we are gathered to be sent, where we learn for the sake of God’s mission in the world, and where we can carry this Wartburg community with us along the journey ahead.” Wartburg Seminary is proud to send the 165th class of graduates out to serve in Jesus’ name and take the next step as faith leaders in their call to ministry. The WTS community of staff, faculty, and students echo the words of Jesus from the Class of 2019’s chosen verse, John 20:19, “Peace be with you” on the way! MORE ABOUT THE HONOREES Dr. Paula J. Carlson serves as the 10th President of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa since July 1, 2014. Carlson is a 1976 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of St. Olaf College. She holds an M.A., M. Phil., and Ph.D. in English and comparative literature from Columbia University. She has taught at Columbia, St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Yale University, and the University of Dubuque. Prior to becoming Luther College’s President, Carlson served as Vice President for Mission at St. Olaf College where she led initiatives related to students’ discernment of their vocations, to staff and faculty fulfilling their vocations at the college, and to St. Olaf’s identity as a college of the church. She has also served as Director of the Wendt Center for Character Education, and then as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Dubuque, lead-
Dr. Paula J. Carlson
Caprice Jones
HONORARY DOCTOR OF DIVINITY DEGREE RECIPIENT
LIVING LOEHE AWARD RECIPIENT
Carlson serves as the President of Luther College in Decorah, IA and is pictured with her husband the Rev. Dr. Thomas Schattauer, Professor of Liturgics and Dean of the Chapel at WTS.
Jones is the Founder and Executive Director of the Fountain of Youth in Dubuque, IA and is pictured to the right of President Johnson with his family and friends.
Ross Murray LIVING LOEHE AWARD RECIPIENT Murray is the Senior Director of Education & Training at The GLAAD Media Institute and a consecrated Deacon in the ELCA, pictured with Dr. Kristine Stache.
Archbishop Samuel Enosa Peni, ‘09 HONORARY DOCTOR OF DIVINITY DEGREE RECIPIENT Archbishop Peni was recently elected to his position in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. He earned his Master of Arts Degree from WTS in 2009 and is pictured receiving his honor from President Johnson.
Venice Williams LIVING LOEHE AWARD RECIPIENT Williams serves as the Executive Director of Alice’s Garden Urban Farm and Mission Developer in the ELCA. She is pictured with the Rev. Dr. Nathan Frambach.
LifeTogether I Page 11
ing the development of a new college core curriculum, interdisciplinary programs and initiatives in ethics and character formation in the college, graduate school, and seminary. Archbishop Peni ‘09 was elected to a position of great responsibility in the global church as Archbishop in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. He negotiates with wisdom the complexities of a divided region of our world. He studied at Wartburg Theological Seminary as an international student and earned his Master of Arts degree in 2009. As a student, Peni showed a deep, focused commitment to his call to bear witness to the Lord Jesus Christ in South Sudan. He displayed admirable skills in ecclesial leadership which was evident in personal conversations with him about the mission of the church in a global horizon. Caprice Jones, the eldest of three siblings, was born in Chicago and grew up on the southside and westside. A troubled youth led to incarceration, and while in prison Jones found his desire to live a purposeful life. He earned his GED and deepened his faith. He has received many certificates and earned his Associate Degree. His vision to live a life of purpose despite his circumstances led him to inspire others to do the same. In 2017, he founded and became the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization in Dubuque, Iowa called the Fountain of Youth. The mission of the Fountain of Youth is to change mindsets that contribute to generational poverty. The program seeks to intervene in and overcome poverty through education, job training, and teaching the social skills and financial literacy required to navigate through cultural divides in
our society. Ross Murray is the Senior Director of Education & Training at The GLAAD Media Institute, which provides activist, spokesperson, and media engagement training and education for LGBTQ and allied community members and organizations desiring to deepen their media impact. Murray uses the best practices perfected by GLAAD to train a new generation of advocates in order to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities. Murray is a consecrated Deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with a specific calling to advocate for LGBTQ people and to bridge the LGBTQ and faith communities. Ross is also a founder and director of The Naming Project, a faith-based camp for LGBTQ youth and their allies. Venice R. Williams is the Executive Director of Alice’s Garden Urban Farm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Venice has served the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 30 years. She is the Mission Developer and minister for a community called The Table, a farm-to-church ministry based on the principles of the original Acts house churches, gathering on Wednesday evenings in homes, on the farm, and in other public spaces. Venice attributes her passion for “faith, food, farms, and folks” to her parents, grandparents, and her paternal great-grandparents, all of whom nurtured and nourished her understanding of what it means to have an active faith, to care for the Earth, and to feed the community, body and soul.
2019 Matching Gift Challenge Have you heard? Wartburg Seminary faculty and staff have challenged YOU to DOUBLE your impact by June 30th! Use the provided envelope or give online to ensure your gift is matched! GIVE ONLINE AT WWW.WARTBURGSEMINARY.EDU/GIVING-OPPORTUNITIES
Page 12 | LifeTogether REV. DR. THOMAS SHATTAUER, PROFESSOR OF LITURGICS AND DEAN OF THE CHAPEL
An Interview with President Johnson REFLECTIONS ON HER FOUR YEARS IN LEADERSHIP AND WHAT’S NEXT
“There is no doubt I am an unusual choice for a seminary president. I have known that from day one. And it has pressed me to lean ever more deeply into God’s calling.”
– Rev. Louise Johnson, President
PRESIDENT JOHNSON
WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS AS PRESIDENT? I have been surprised by the abundance of God. When I came, we were in good shape, but struggling with both enrollment and fundraising. I was scared. Three times in my first year, I was asked to preach on the texts about loaves and fishes – about God’s abundance. By the third time (I’m a slow learner!), I started to get the message: offer what you have and ask God to bless it. It was an invitation to trust God’s abundance and provision. In four years our enrollment will be four times larger than when I began. God is good. We are financially healthy, but we still live day to day. We have to keep offering up what we have for the sake of others and letting God work the miracles.
SOME SAY YOU ARE AN UNUSUAL PRESIDENT LEADING US INTO UNUSUAL TERRITORY. HOW IS THAT AN ASSET IN YOUR WORK? A CHALLENGE? There is no doubt I am an unusual choice for a seminary president. I have known that from day one. And it has pressed me to lean ever more deeply into God’s calling. I think of God’s call on my life like that of Moses. I was reluctant to go and lacking in some of the gifts I needed to do the work. I have had to trust God. I have had to find my own “Aarons.” Sometimes it is a challenge because people look at me or at my credentials and decide I’m not worth listening to or taking seriously. Having to prove myself over and over again gets old. But I’ve learned to think of it as my superpower. When I get dismissed I say (under my breath!) “Go ahead. Underestimate me. See how that works out for you.” It can be a strategic advantage when they don’t see you coming! WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WTS IS SEEKING TO ADDRESS? In my mind, there are two significant challenges to the church’s effectiveness. First, we need more leaders. With nearly 2776 empty pulpits (1000 of those fulltime calls) and a world that is hungry to hear the good news, we have to raise up more leaders. Secondly, we need leaders who are skilled at growing congregations and starting new communities of faith. Our education systems need to be clearly focused on identifying leaders with these abilities and teaching them not only how to think about them, but also how to do them. It sounds simple enough, but to do this well, I believe, will take a nearly LifeTogether I Page 13
PRESIDENT JOHNSON
PRESIDENT JOHNSON AWARDING 2019 LIVING LOEHE RECIPIENT CAPRICE JONES
complete overhaul of the systems and programs we have traditionally offered. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? MAKES YOU EXCITED TO GET UP IN THE MORNING? I worry a lot about bearing a credible witness to the gospel in the world. There are so many people who need to know about the healing power of the gift of life that comes to us in knowing Jesus Christ. I worry that we are a church (and a seminary of the church) who is still largely internally focused. I think my calling to address that need is also what gets me out of bed in the morning. WHAT COULD SEMINARY LOOK LIKE 20 YEARS FROM NOW? My hope is that we will find ways to meet the needs of those whom God is calling us to serve. That means changes in delivery systems, language and culture, and qualifications. One of the most interesting projects we are participating in is a secondary school of theological education. Three pastors (two from Texas and one from Oklahoma) are running a school for Latinx leaders. The school is designed to respond to the desire and calling of leaders in their congregations to learn and grow in their capacity to do ministry. It is also designed to serve as a vocational discernment tool for those interested in public ministry in the church. But what’s really cool is that two of these pastors were educators in Columbia, where they learned the importance of educating not only those who were privileged enough to know how to read and write, but also those who were not. The school is designed to address both learning and literacy. It honors and values the gifts of those whom God is calling and offers them opportunities to learn and grow that
were not previously available. I am watching their work, knowing I have a lot to learn. My dream is to work with faithful creative leaders like these to create the “community college” system of theological education. WHAT ABOUT FUTURE PUBLIC MINISTRY LEADERS DOES THE CHURCH NEED TO LEARN? For too long, theological education has been an elite endeavor, driven by the values and needs of the academy. It has been largely a middle-class, white privilege system that has asked anyone who doesn’t fit the mold to get in line. While I believe in an educated clergy, I think we have our priorities misaligned. In some ways, the values of the academy have trumped the values of the gospel. I was part of a listening group a few years ago where congregational leaders and their pastors were invited to come and discuss a new program that would have seminary students serving in congregations in their first year. A church secretary asked me with great angst what on earth she was going to do if someone came to the church and was in need of prayer and the pastor was not there. She was, of course, concerned about the ability of the first-year seminary student to pray. But the core problem was that she did not feel equipped or authorized to pray. That is a huge issue. We need a whole host of leaders who are equipped and authorized to do ministry. Eight years of higher education cannot be the threshold for praying with a person in need. How do we seek to form/educate, authorize, and effectively deploy leaders for the sake of the gospel? We need to cut the gospel loose, let grace go free, trust the word of God to do its work in the world. We have held the reigns too tightly and so many are suffering because of it.
LifeTogether I Page 15
Donor Impact on Student Scholarships DR. GERALD R. KLEINFELD, REV. GLEN H. & SHIRLEY BEITO GRONLUND, AND FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH MANITOWOC, WI Wartburg Seminary is honored to have received three new major gifts to support student scholarships this year. We are grateful to these donors for their faith and trust in the mission of Wartburg Seminary and for all the future ministry leaders who will benefit from their generosity. Join us in celebrating these donors by reading their stories.
DR. GERALD R. KLEINFELD As a committed and faithful Lutheran, Dr. Gerald R. Kleinfeld believes deeply in the message of Jesus Christ, to love our neighbors, and to live a life of generosity. “All that I have does not belong to me,” Gerald said. “We are God’s stewards for a time, and then we give everything back.” Years of experience as a professor of history at Arizona State University, as a visiting professor and lecturer at universities throughout Germany and elsewhere in Europe, leading the international German Studies Association, and consulting internationally on German-American relations have instilled in Gerald a deep love of teaching, learning, and building strong relationships. During a recent visit to the Wartburg Seminary campus, students and faculty experienced the gregarious and erudite retired professor who was eager to engage with and learn from all in his company. At the foundation of Gerald’s vocational approach is a steady faith which professes the sacred worth of neighbors and the freedom to serve them. Having given back for years through investing in the lives of his students, Gerald began discerning how he might express his Lutheran faith through his legacy plans. He reflected on the dovetailing of his faith and a life of building relationships internationally when he expressed, “I want to connect the people of the world to faith in Jesus Christ.” Gerald has discovered Wartburg Seminary to be a community of students and teachers deeply rooted in the Lutheran tradition and innovatively developing the path for future seminary education.
Page 16 | LifeTogether
DR. GERALD R. KLEINFELD
With confidence in Wartburg Seminary’s mission to send out pastors and church leaders into the world to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Gerald has established the Dr. Gerald R. Kleinfeld Scholarship funded with a $500,000 gift from his estate. The Wartburg Seminary community joins Gerald in thanksgiving to God for the gifts of faith and celebrating this legacy to support our students in following their calls to ministry!
SHIRLEY BEITO GRONLUND AND REV. GLEN H. GRONLUND
REV. GLEN H. & SHIRLEY BEITO GRONLUND Ever since Rev. Glen Gronlund graduated from Wartburg Seminary in 1959, he and his wife Shirley Beito Grondlund have been driven to give back in support of the future of the church and the seminary. Throughout their lives of service, Glen served as a pastor, as a leader in national church offices, and as a consultant providing expert fundraising support to congregations and nonprofits. Over the years they have provided in excess of $300,000 in direct support for the mission of Wartburg Seminary and have created several special funds that have touched many lives. In 1999, their generosity formed The Glen H. and Shirley Beito Gronlund Mediterranean/Anvcient Near East Travel Fund to provide scholarships for all students and their spouses who participate in the January Term Cross-Cultural Immersion experience to the Middle East. Since its inception, over 100 WTS students and spouses have benefited from this fund. Shirley and Glen also honored Glen’s brother Robert, WTS class of 1953, through the creation of the Dr. Robert B. Gronlund Memorial Stewardship Lecture Series which has supported educational seminars focused on teaching good stewardship practices, including several of the WTS annual reunion events. While praising the growth and stability of Wartburg Seminary, Shirley and Glen wanted to make a more profound statement of support directly to future church leaders. Earlier this year, they formed The Rev. Glen H. Gronlund and Shirley Beito Gronlund Scholarship with an initial pledge of $100,000 to the seminary Endowment. With sincere thankfulness to God for the blessings they have received, this
scholarship will be offered to any student at Wartburg Seminary. FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH, MANITOWOC, WI Hazel A. Aslakson lived most of her life in Manitowoc, WI where she was a public school teacher and active member of First Lutheran Church. She taught Sunday School for many generations of young people of faith and she had a particular passion for raising up future church leaders. It is not surprising then that she decided to continue to impact church leadership after her death in 1995. In her will, she left a large philanthropic gift to her congregation with specific instructions for seminary scholarships. The leadership of the congregation decided the best stewardship and impact of this gift would come by directing the gift to Wartburg Seminary. So, the Hazel A. Aslakson of First Lutheran, Manitowoc, WI Scholarship was formed as part of the Wartburg Seminary Endowment. Through prudent fiscal management, the nearly $115,000 scholarship fund will continue to grow and will provide annual scholarship support for future pastors. Reflecting on the congregation’s decision and on Hazel’s legacy, the Rev. Rachel Ziese Hacker, pastor of First Lutheran Church, Manitowoc WI said, “This congregation has birthed 16 pastors over its 169 year history, so I know this strikes at a core value of this community.” In the conversations around why the congregation selected Wartburg to hold this scholarship, she reflected, “While I am not an alum of Wartburg, I have a fondness for your institution, largely because you raise up pastors whom I highly respect and who make for fabulous colleagues in ministry.”
LifeTogether I Page 17
A Gathered & Sent Community AN INTERVIEW WITH REV. DR. TROY TROFTGRUBEN “I’ve been teaching at Wartburg for six years now. And while its heritage of community formation remains, ‘the castle’ is far from stagnant. In just the last few years, in fact, it feels like a distinctive spirit of collaborative energy has been at work, and in great ways. ” - Rev. Dr. Troy Troftgruben, Associate Professor of New Testament
Wartburg Seminary has grown significantly in the past few years. Enrollment continues to rise, new technologies are introduced regularly, and the new curriculum which integrates all learners (distance, collaborative, and residential) into one classroom has been implemented. Much of the success of each of these growth metrics can be owed in part to the flexility, energy, and faithful leadership the Wartburg Seminary faculty model daily as they teach, advise, preach, and lead the student body here. We sat down with Rev. Dr. Troy Troftgruben, Associate Professor of New Testament, to get his perspective on how the changes at WTS have impacted his work in and beyond the classroom. His reflections are below. ON THE FACULTY Something I value most about Wartburg is its strong sense of teamwork among faculty, staff, and administration. We know none of us can approach theological education as a Prima Donna if we are to be faithful. Our collective work calls for all of us to pitch in. As faculty, we are quite different—we are not carbon copies of each other. But we have a high level of respect for one other’s contributions. I think a major reason we work together so well is we all share a deep love for the church. None of us would sleep at night if we were not giving our best to be faithful to the church’s needs. We also realize how rapidly changes are happening in church and society, calling for us to innovate and respond. We do not do so perfectly, but we are aware of the challenges—and need for us to give our best in response. Especially with our new curriculum, we faculty devote regular, intentional time to learning about new technologies, refining them for our particular needs, and sharing best practices
Page 18 | LifeTogether
with each other as we go. As a faculty, we talk increasingly often about our successes and flops in teaching, because we all know teaching with technology today is like paddling an uncharted course—we are experimenters far more than experts. ON THE NEW CURRICULUM Many people think teachers—including seminary professors—spend most of their time in front of physical classrooms. That is hardly the case today, certainly at Wartburg. With new ways of teaching and learning, I spend probably the majority of my time in my office— organizing digital resources, preparing instructional media, communicating online, and meeting with students by web-conference and face-to-face. Isolated as my office may seem, the lion’s share of my time there is devoted directly to engaging students. When I host a web-conference meeting, respond promptly to student emails, and engage distance students online, I am being present to learners in ways no less than when I’m in front of a classroom. In this sense, my office has now become a primary “classroom” of mine—one that most of my students know firsthand. Wartburg’s new curriculum creates a profounder sense of unity across our student community. Beforehand, distance students and residential students had no need to cross paths. Now they have virtually every class together. And this integration is not merely enforced. Residential and distance students today know, interact with, and care about each other in ways that are organic and genuine. We have professed for years to offer the same educational experience to both distance and residential students, but today it feels far truer than ever. As a faculty member, this integration can be a tricky balancing act. Each learning mode is
unique, with distinctive benefits and needs. As faculty, our ongoing challenge is to appreciate the distinctions (vs. gloss over them) and to address them deliberately. But we work very hard at Wartburg to be faithful at doing so. I sometimes liken my role to a music director. Each musician I teach has distinctive needs and a different instrument to play. Some of them need lots of one-on-one tutoring and small group work. Others just need to practice with the band at large. My job is to carve out time to understand their needs, engage them in their progress, and help them make more beautiful music—whether they play with other band members, by themselves, or in places I’ll never see. ON CURRENT STUDENTS At the risk of generalizing, our current students bring increasingly more to the classroom. They take more initiative in their education by raising questions, challenging conventional narratives, and seizing opportunities for creative exploration. Some of them even come with assets we faculty lack: technology expertise, distinctive cultural experiences, and specific ministry skills. As an instructor, I am regularly challenged and enriched by these students. They introduce me to new digital platforms, voices I have overlooked, and imaginative pathways of ministry— and I am a better teacher because of it. There’s a great vibe at Wartburg these days— and all of us faculty feel it. There’s an energy around the castle (physically and virtually) that
is inviting. Our students are not naïve to the challenges and changes afoot in our church and society—if anything, they are more aware than most. They know it’s an age of great instability for the church, but they believe the Holy Spirit is up to something underneath it all. ON SERVING THE CHURCH My calling is to be a pastor of the larger church. So my job is not simply to teach New Testament and Greek: it’s to tend to the spiritual formation and discipleship of people—especially church leaders—through the community at Wartburg Seminary. In short, I am called to mentor faith, in ways not unlike what other pastors and deacons do every day. Something I think about a lot is the ways I model spirituality and faith. As those in ministry know, like it or not, people watch us. They watch for how faith plays out in our lives—how it enlivens us, changes us, and frees us. It’s no different with being a seminary professor. Just ask anyone who has been to seminary. They will gladly tell you the professors from whom they learned the most. And chances are high it had less to do with classroom content and assigned readings than with character and embodied faith. Yes, I teach New Testament and Greek, but I strive to make sure my classroom discussions and interpretive work serve to model authentic spirituality and faithfulness. I hope what we do at seminary is a model of community formation that shapes people in great ways and blesses the church directly.
“There’s a great vibe at Wartburg these days—and all of us faculty feel it. There’s an energy around the castle that is inviting. “ REV. DR. TROY TROFTGRUBEN
REV. DR. TROY TROFTGRUBEN TEACHING A COURSE
Faculty & Staff Updates Ms. Jackie Baumhover, Director for Admissions and Mr. Erik Preston, Database Consultant presented at the Jenzabar Annual Meeting (JAM) in San Diego, CA in May. Their presentation explored ways to leverage the information colleges and universities have in their databases to best engage their respective audiences. Ms. Susan Ebertz, Associate Professor of Bibliography & Academic Research and Director of the Reu Memorial Library, completed a halfyear sabbatical. She researched Honouliuli, a WWII internment camp in Hawaii and updated her spiritual practices repertoire. Ebertz received a Certificate in “Creating Presence in Online Courses” from the University of Wisconsin. She was elected to the Board of Directors of Atla and presented on a panel at the Atla annual conference on “Small and Thriving: A Follow-Up to ‘The Future of the Small Theological Library.’” Rev. Dr. Nate Frambach, Professor of Pastoral Theology, was the guest presenter at the annual Page 20 | LifeTogether
Pitchfork & Hay retreat at Shalom Hill Farm in early April. The theme of his presentations was “God as Poet of the World,” and focused on the intersection of the poetic and prophetic dimensions of pastoral leadership. In June, Frambach helped provide leadership for the staff training at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp in Crystal Falls, MI and helped facilitate and served as the featured speaker at the “Religion, Community and The Great American Pastime” conference in Minneapolis, MN.
American Society for Church History conference held in Chicago. He also attended the North American Luther Forum at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and contributed theological annotations on the 1521 Passional Christi und Antichristi for Emory University’s Kessler Reformation Collection (publication forthcoming).
Mr. Josh Guyer, Lead Development Officer, has earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential. Individuals granted the CFRE have met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, and demonstrated fundraising achievement for nonprofit organizations. They have also passed a rigorous written exam testing the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a fundraising executive, and have agreed to uphold Accountability Standards and the Donor Bill of Rights.
Rev. Dr. Craig L. Nessan, Professor of Contextual Theology and Ethics, The William D. Streng Professor for the Education and Renewal of the Church, and Academic Dean, presented for the Revitalization Project in Northern Illinois Synod in April. He also served as the keynote speaker at Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod Assembly in May on the Life of Faith Initiative: Reinventing Mission, Reinventing Church. He will serve as the keynote speaker at the LaCrosse Area Synod Assembly in June on Reinventing Mission: Walking, Loving, Doing and is the author of “Universal Priesthood of All Believers: Unfulfilled Promise of the Reformation,” Currents in Theology and Mission 46 (Jan 2019): 8-15.
Rev. Dr. Martin Lohrmann, Assistant Professor of Lutheran Confessions & Heritage, presented research on “Luther’s School of the Cross” at the
Rev. Dr. Winston D. Persaud, Professor of Systematic Theology, Holder of The Kent S. Knutson and UELC Chair in Theology and Mission, and
Alumni Notes
Director of the Center for Global Theologies, will attend the Central States Synod Assembly in June. He is working with a WTS team on the forthcoming on-campus Event, “Refugees’ and Immigrants’ Discernment of Call,” and will be in Guyana in August for his annual visit where he will teach in the Theological Education for Authorised Ministries (T.E.A.M.) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana, and preach in congregations and visit with the ecclesial and pastoral leaders and laity. Mr. Tim Snyder, Director of Digital Teaching & Learning and Instructor of Practical Theology, led a workshop at the Association of Theological Schools Faculty Development Forum in Newport Beach, CA in April. This past winter, he was the lead author of two competitive grants: Science for Seminaries grant awarded by the American Association for the Advancement of Science ($75,000) and Vital Worship grant awarded by the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship ($15,000). The first grant will be used to integrate the sciences into the curriculum and the second will explore worship in a digital context. He will serve as the project director of both grants. Dr. Kristine Stache, Associate Professor of Missional Leadership, Loehe Professor in Mission, and former Director for
Innovative Initiatives, has been appointed to serve as Vice President for Administration beginning July 1. This position will build on her strategic planning responsibilities and broaden her operational work. She will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and remain a member of the faculty. Kris served as one of two ELCA representatives at the Four Churches Consultation on Formation for Leadership held in Toronto early May 2019 and presented on the question of “What is going on in the word, church, and culture that impacts what we attend to?” Rev. Dr. Troy Troftgruben, Associate Professor of New Testament, used Sabbatical time this past spring to attend to his dying mother and to finish a book due out this November with Fortress Press (Rooted and Renewing: Imagining the Church’s Future in Light of its New Testament Origins). In May he facilitated Bible studies at the Southeast Iowa synod assembly and assisted with staff training at Camp Shalom near Maquoketa (IA). In August, he will teach along with Professor Winston Persaud for a Continuing Education week at Lutheran Lakeside in Okoboji (IA).
‘55 Mr. Luther Wachholz died on March 21, 2019. He served congregations in Ellis, Kansas; Enid, Oklahoma; Monticello and Cedar Falls, Iowa; and Blue Island, Illinois.
2019. He served Luther Memorial, Springfield, IL. ’01 Rev. Karen Tews began a new call at Prince of Peace, Freeport, IL on March 24, 2019. ’09 Rev. Ann Klavano died on December 18, 2018. She served as a teacher at Senior Flierl Seminary in PapuaNew Guinea and as an interim pastor in Wisconsin.
’58 Rev. Gerald Flathman died on March 7, 2019. He served parishes in Chadron, NE; Kansas City, MO; Rushville/Hay Springs, NE; and Leader, MN. ’59 Rev. Paul Reyelts died on March 21, 2019. He served congregations in Normal, IL; Angola, IN; St. Clair, MI; Morganton, GA; Greeneville, TN; and Parrotsville, TN. ’57 Rev. Elias Rode died on September 22, 2018. He served parishes in Paige, Dime Box, Houston, San Antonio, and Jourdantan (all in Texas) and as camp minister at Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville, TX. ‘78 Rev. James Rushton retired on July 1, 2018, after 40 years of ministry. ’96 Rev. William Zanton died on February 27,
’11 Rev. Martha Lang retired from chaplaincy at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in April. ’15 and ‘19 Rev. Tami Groth was ordained on May 18, 2019, at Trinity, Moville, IA, by Rev. Rodger Prois. She has been called to serve the shared ministry community of Harvest Ministry, including St. John, Cushing, IA and Salem, Correctionville, IA. ‘18 Rev. Jonathan Dolan was ordained on May 25, 2019 at Nazareth, Cedar Falls, IA. He has been called to serve American Lutheran Church, De Smet, SD.
LifeTogether I Page 21
“I really enjoyed recalling all the great memories from seminary at Reformation & Reunion, seeing some professors I know who are still there, attending workshops, and getting an update on what is going on at the seminary these days. Wartburg Seminary is doing good work!� REV. ERIK GOEHNER, CLASS OF 1999
Pictured: Wartburg Seminary graduates and spouses from the class of 1979 at the 2019 Reformation and Reunion event this April. Reformation & Reunion replaces the October event formerly known as Reformation & Renewal. It is a time for alumni to come back to the castle for fellowship, worship, learning, and reflection. The ethos of the WTS community is why so many alumni chose WTS as their seminary. Students, staff and faculty loved welcoming them back to experience Wartburg first-hand.
LifeTogether I Page 23
Non-Profit US Postage PAID Permit #477 Dubuque, IA
333 WARTBURG PLACE DUBUQUE, IA 52003
Upcoming Events: June 18-28, 2019 Luther Academy of the Rockies September 2, 2019 Opening Worship for the 166th Academic Year September 16-November 9, 2019 Exploring Faith Online Certificate Courses October 26, 2019 Considering Your Call Saturday November 12, 2019 Admissions Online Open House
For more information and to register, visit www.wartburgseminary.edu or use the QR code above.
Double Your Impact! Give today using the enclosed envelope before June 30th and have your gift matched by WTS Faculty and Staff! GIVE ONLINE AT WWW.WARTBURGSEMINARY.EDU/GIVING-OPPORTUNITIES