The most important thing about this move

Partnering with Catholic Theological Union, while moving toward financial sustainability. CTU President is Sister Barbara Reid, a feminist biblical scholar, whose writings on the Gospels and New Testament stories of women are life-giving! I look forward to working more closely with her and others.

Dr. Barbara Rossing Professor of New Testament

[Remembering that] we have been a seminary on the move before, whether that is joining together multiple institutions, or in the Seminex march to stand up for the values that have shaped this place. It feels like we are doing a new and risky thing, and in some ways we are, but we are also doing something we have done before. God was with us then, and God is with us now.

Dr. Brooke Petersen Lecturer; Director of MDiv and MA Programs; Coordinator for Candidacy

We’re in no way abandoning the original vision of LSTC, which was to be urban (which continues to be a special gift and calling of the school), ecumenical (and we have opportunities of living that out in very close proximity), and university-related (and in fact, through the library and a variety of university services, we’ll be leaning into this in new ways). But we can do this in ways more suitable to present-day realities (including how we understand what it means to be the church) than those of the 1960s.

Dr. Mark Swanson

Harold S. Vogelaar Professor of Christian-Muslim Studies and Interfaith Relations Associate Director of A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice

The opportunity to build ecumenical collaboration with our CTU colleagues that better equips our students as leaders within theologically diverse communities.

Dr. Candace Kohli

Assistant Professor of Lutheran Systematic Theology and Global Lutheranism

The opportunity to carry forward what is distinctive about theological education at LSTC while being open to the new possibilities that this unique moment presents, especially in deepened collaboration between the LSTC and CTU communities.

Dr. Esther Menn

Dean of Academic Affairs; The Ralph W. and Marilyn R. Klein Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible

Right-sizing my personal library and sorting through decades of paper files... I am also being intentional about taking every opportunity I have to get to know members of the CTU community better, by attending events such as the recent World Mission Institute sponsored by CTU, LSTC, and MTS.

Dr. Esther Menn

A new beginning, new relationships, and new opportunities.

Dr. Peter Vethanayagamony

Being open to God doing something new! Getting to know our colleagues at CTU and being flexible.

Dr. Linda Thomas

Paying attention to the feelings that this brings up for me, my colleagues, and my students. There is such joy in doing something new, but anxiety and grief show up at the very same time. I know that as much as we will gain in this move, there are also things that will be lost, and it is okay to hold all of that together in our hearts and bodies.

Dr. Brooke Petersen

Closer collaboration with colleagues from other schools. I recently apologized to a CTU colleague when I learned that he has to move his office in order to make way for LSTC. He immediately responded that this was the wrong way to look at it: as a matter of hospitality, he was happy to make space for us to join them. I look forward to joining such colleagues at CTU.

Dr. Mark Swanson

Participating in the LSTC building design committee and trying to think through attributes of physical space that will support a robust sense of community in our new academic home.

Dr. Candace Kohli

Saying good-bye to a place full of so many memories, a physical site of 25 years of learning and teaching, laughing and crying, working and relaxing.

Dr. Peter Vethanayagamony Professor of Modern Church History

That we are being faithful to our call and mission of “forming visionary leaders to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.” We can do our mission better without the albatross that requires us to put money into a building that is no longer serving our needs. It is in our best interest to move and have a remarkable new beginning in a location not far from our present home.

Dr. Linda Thomas

Professor of Theology and Anthropology; Director, Albert “Pete” Pero, Jr. and Cheryl Stewart Pero Center for Intersectionality Studies

The opportunity it presents for our learning community to reimagine itself and more vigorously follow God’s call toward justice.

Dr. Marvin Wickware Assistant Professor of Church and Society and Ethics

Looking at how LSTC might best fulfill its educational mission of training leaders for the Church in its new space. It’s also essential to examine how the seminary can further optimize its impact on leadership and how it might model wise stewardship.

Dr. Klaus-Peter Adam Professor of Old Testament

Sorting through 29 years of files [and] remembering landmark events at LSTC and the ELCA. Most treasured are my files on the 2009 ELCA sexuality decision to affirm gay and lesbian partnered relationships. [That year,] Prof Ralph Klein and I authored a statement in support of gay and lesbian ordination, for which we organized signatures from hundreds of ELCA seminary professors and theologians. Our LSTC students were grateful for this policy decision to welcome full participation of samegendered partnered clergy, as were so many in the church!

Dr. Barbara Rossing

Embracing my theological commitment that God’s creative work often appears to us as disruption.

Dr. Marvin Wickware

That the diverse student bodies of both schools might inspire each other and hopefully engage in joint activities. Students from both seminaries already organized a joint run/walk in early April. That was great fun and it gave a foretaste of shared activities in the future.

Embracing my theological commitment that God’s creative work often appears to us as disruption.

Dr. Marvin Wickware