EPISTLEWINTER 2010LSTC

Magazine of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

Creating a missional church

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

While the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago will celebrate and mark its 50th anniversary of forma-tion during the 2012-2013 academic year, it will hold its 150th commencement on May 16, 2010. This is because LSTC is a consolidation of several different Lutheran seminaries and traces its heritage and history back to the earliest days of its predecessor institutions. As such, the 150th commencement recognizes that both Augustana Seminary and the Swedish Augustana Synod were founded in 1860 and this is the sesquicen-tennial of that church body and seminary.

From its very beginnings, LSTC has brought together and benefited from the unique gifts and contri-butions of Lutheran traditions shaped by Danes, Finns, Germans and Swedes. More recently, African Americans and Hispanics have enriched the life of the institution. And the global church and interna-tional student community have helped to shape the mission and ministry of the seminary.

As LSTC celebrates and gives thanks to God for the commitments, life and witness of Augustana Seminary and the Augustana Synod, I note the following:

• At Yale University Graduate School, one of my oral comprehensive examinations for my degree in The History of Christianity was in the area of American Lutheranism. To prepare for that exami-nation, I read the histories of all of the various ethnic Lutheran church bodies. Among them was G. Everett Arden’s Augustana Heritage: A History of the Augustana Lutheran Church, published in 1963. I was fascinated by the story of Swedish Lutherans in the United States. Maria Erling and Mark Granquist published The Augustana Story: Shaping Lutheran Identity in North America in 2008. I commend both of these texts to you to learn more about one of the significant Lutheran church bodies and semi-naries that have influenced its development.

• When I served at Philadelphia Seminary, one of my faculty colleagues was Dr. Lyman Lundeen, professor of systematic theology. Periodically, we would talk about the Augustana Synod and the way in which Augustana Seminary contributed to certain central and clear commitments. What comes to mind is a love for the church cultivated by church body and seminary, a deep and authentic piety through wor-ship that was matched by a fervent concern for the social witness of the church, and a commitment to missionary outreach. I recall discovering that in 1908 the Swedish Augustana Synod was a found-

ing member of the Federal Council of Churches, a predecessor of the National Council of Churches, organizations committed to equality and peace with justice. All of these commitments are alive and well at LSTC today, and Augustana Seminary and the Augustana Synod live on through them.

• In my tenure at LSTC, those of Swedish Lutheran descent have been consistent, faithful, generous and loyal partners in this ministry. I give thanks for their establishment of the Augustana Heritage Professorship of Global Mission and World Christianity, the lead gift that led to the naming of “The Augustana Chapel at LSTC,” and current efforts to endow The Herbert W. Chilstrom Chair in New Testament. Thanks be to God for such wonderful stewardship and support!

In recent years, an Augustana Heritage Association has met every two years as family to give thanks for the Swedish Augustana Synod and Augustana Seminary. The next gathering will take place June 10-13, 2010 in Rock Island, Ill. I look forward to being there to express LSTC’s warmest congratulations on their 150th anniversary, to convey its profound grati-tude for their partnership in this ministry and to be present at the inspiring and moving hymn sing.

Blessings and best wishes to our Augustana Heritage sisters and brothers in Christ and thanks to all of LSTC’s friends and alums for your partnership in this ministry.

Peace & Joy in Christ,

James Kenneth EcholsPresident

2010 Outstanding Alumnus for Mission Leadership, the Rev. Dr. Richard Bliese, president of Luther Seminary, with President Echols. As an LSTC faculty mem-ber, Bliese held the Augustana Heritage Chair of Global Mission and World Christianity

3 News from LSTC

Covenant Cluster Seminaries to work together in new ways

Youth in mission receives $660,000 Lilly grant

5 Four Outstanding Alumni receive awards for leader-ship

6 Lutherans Restoring Creation

Why (and how) Lutherans care for all creation

by David Rhoads

8 Creating a missional church

by Jan Boden

10 Remembering Paul and Ruth Manz

by Mark Bangert, Peggy Blomenberg

13 Giving thanks, staying focused, moving forward

by James Kenneth Echols

Equipping the Saints for Ministry

15 Giving back with gratitude —alum creates scholarship for second career students by Jessica Nipp

17 Planning for retirement? by Jessica Nipp

18 Report to Donors

DepartmentsPresident’s message inside cover

Opportunities at LSTC 2

Faculty notes 43

Class notes 45

Transitions 48

FEATURES

Winter 2010 • Volume 40 • No. 1

The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, forms visionary leaders to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Vision statementLSTC seeks to build up the body of Christ and work for a world of peace and justice that cares for the whole creation.

Visit www. lstc.edu or call 1-800-635-1116 for more information about LSTC’s programs, conferences and special events.

EditorJan Boden

DesignerAnn Rezny

ContributorsJohn T. AndersonMark BangertPeggy BlomenbergJan BodenJames EcholsJessica NippDavid RhoadsMark Van Scharrel

Communications and Marketing Advisory CommitteeDavid AbrahamsonMark BangertGreg DavisJames EcholsJoy McDonald ColtvetJanette MullerPriscilla Paris-AustinTom RogersMark Van Scharrel

LSTC Board of DirectorsMichael AguirreJoyce AndersonMyrna CulbertsonSusan DavenportGregory DavisMelody Beckman EastmanKimberlee EighmyTrina Glusenkamp Gould, SecretaryJ. Arthur GustafsonKathryn Hasselblad-PascalePhilip Hougen, ChairMark KleverSusan KulkarniRoger LewisLing LiGerald MansholtWayne MillerSandra MoodyHarry Mueller, TreasurerPeggy Ogden-HoweDurk K. PetersonGerald SchultzSarah Stegemoeller, Vice ChairNaomi Stennes-SpidahlHarvard Stephens Jr.Keith WiensJean Ziettlow

The LSTC Epistle is published three times a year by the Communications and Marketing Office.Printed on FSC certified paper with soy-based inks

Cover: Bridget Thien (M.Div. middler) conducts a one-on-one as part of the Mission Leadership class

Photo credits: Jan Boden, Dan Hille, LSTC Archives, Tricia Koning, Manz Family, Jessica Nipp, Schoewe Family, and Dirk van der Duim

EPISTLELSTC

Senior M.Div. student Matthew Holmes makes a presentation to the Mission Leadership class

David Rhoads gives the keynote address at LSTC’s 2010 Leadership Conference

2

Trumpets & Organ, Gospel Choir Concert and LaPaloma coming up in Chapel Music SeriesThree concerts remain in the 2009-2010 Chapel Music Series at LSTC. Admissions is free, with a free-will offering taken at each performance. March 21 at 4 p.m., Music for Trumpets and Organ will be presented by three of Chicago’s best musical treasures, Barbara Butler, Charles Geyer, and Thomas Wikman in an internationally-acclaimed program of exciting music. April 11 at 4 p.m., LSTC’s Gospel Choir Concert will be held to benefit the Grover Wright and Rev. Carole A. Burns Scholarship Funds. Director George Cooper leads LSTC’s choir. Other area choirs will join in this lively, energetic concert. Your generous support assists deserving students. To contribute to the scholarship funds, visit www.lstc.edu/alums_friends/giving/index.html. April 25 at 4 p.m., LaPaloma returns to the Chapel Music Series. The string ensemble, made up of Chicago Symphony Orchestra members and friends, will present Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht Op. 4.

Student Symposium on Science and Spirituality will explore “what makes us human”On Friday, April 16, student scholars from across the United States and a variety of disciplines will pres-ent papers exploring the questions, “What makes us human?” “Is there such a thing as human nature?” and “How do our ideas about human nature relate to God, the sacred or the world?” The Student Symposium is a one-day conference designed to provide an interdisciplinary, ecumeni-cal, and inter-religious forum for graduate students in any academic discipline to engage in rigorous and collaborative conversations in religion and science. The first symposium in 2009 drew more than 70 par-ticipants and featured more than 30 student speak-ers and panelists from 17 schools across the United States and Canada. The presentations begin at 9:00 a.m. and con-tinue throughout the day. The public is welcome to attend this free event.

Learn how to do youth ministry in an interfaith world“Sacred Stories: Youth Faith Formation in an Interfaith World,” Youth in Mission’s second annual youth ministry workers’ conference will be held April 12-13, 2010, at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago to help youth ministry workers find and develop new approaches to interfaith issues facing our youth. The conference’s keynote speaker will be Hannah McConnaughay, Program Associate in the Outreach Education and Training Department of the Interfaith Youth Core. Conference registration fees are $45/person plus housing and transportation costs. More information including workshop options, leaders, and the confer-ence schedule are on the conference website: http://yim.lstc.edu/conference/index.php or call us at 800-635-1116, ext. 725.

Opportunities at LSTC

Two participants in Youth in Mission’s Serving Christ in the World program focus on a passage of scripture

3

In January, LSTC’s board of directors adopted new mission, vision and values statements for the semi-nary. The action concluded a year-long process that involved faculty, staff, students, alumni, and board members. Drafts were shared with focus groups of each of these constituencies and the statements were refined based on the suggestions and comments that were made.

MissionThe Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, forms visionary leaders to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.

VisionLSTC seeks to build up the Body of Christ and work for a world of peace and justice that cares for the whole creation.

ValuesLSTC is:Christ-centered – Strives by God’s grace to follow Christ’s call to loving service.

Responsive to context – Embraces its diverse urban setting and exciting academic environment that enable learning from and ministering to the com-munity. Relationships with synods and congrega-tions provide academic and practical experiences that meet the needs of the church.

Attentive to diversity – Emphasizes knowing and honoring the perspectives of all nationalities, ethnicities, cultures, Christian traditions, and religions to form leaders whose witness to the Gospel will build communities of hospitality and reconciliation.

Committed to excellence – Sends leaders into church and world who are prepared academi-cally, practically, and spiritually to serve in a variety of vocational and ministry settings. Faculty members are faithful Christians who are internationally recognized scholars and teachers. Administration and staff strive to provide exem-plary service to all constituents.

LSTC adopts new mission, vision, values statements

At their meetings November 5–7 in Chicago, the boards of the Covenant Cluster seminaries, LSTC, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and Wartburg Theological Seminary, agreed to collaborate in new ways to enhance the mission of each school. The actions of the boards commit the seminaries to explore busi-ness, programmatic, faculty, and planning models that will further their common mission of forming leaders for the church. Following the meeting, Wartburg President Duane Larson, who currently serves as executive director of the Covenant Cluster, said, on behalf of the three seminary presidents, “This was a consequential and far-reaching meeting of our boards. We were inspired by the dedication of every board member to their seminaries and to the leadership needs of the church at large. We look forward to exploring, with the Covenant Cluster Board, new models for deeper col-laboration and excellence in our ministries.” Prior to taking action on the resolutions, the boards held several joint sessions. They heard pre-sentations by the Rev. Dr. Daniel Aleshire, execu-tive director of the seminary accrediting agency, the Association of Theological Schools, and the Rev. Dr.

Jonathan Strandjord, ELCA’s director for theological education, on trends in theological education and the Church. With those trends in mind, the boards commented on resolutions inviting new ways for LSTC, Wartburg, and Trinity to work together. “It was very important and extremely beneficial for the boards to reflect on the current and future stewardship of these seminaries in the larger context of North American and ELCA theological education,” said President James Kenneth Echols. “Both presenters contributed richly to the joint board meeting.” “In times such as these, and when theological education needs to be a central priority for all of the baptized, the energy devoted by seminary lead-ers and boards is significant,” said Mark R. Ramseth, president of Trinity. “We are historic communities of learning and formation. We can never be in isola-tion, but are called always into larger arenas of pos-sibility for the sake of our common mission.” The Covenant Cluster board, which consists of the presidents and board chairpersons of Wartburg, Trinity, and LSTC, as well as board and faculty repre-sentatives, began to implement the resolutions at its meeting in February 2010.

LSTC, Trinity and Wartburg resolve to work together in new ways

News from LSTC

LSTC’s Youth in Mission program receives fourth Lilly Endowment grant In November 2009, the Lilly Endowment Inc. gave LSTC a grant of $660,000 for its Youth in Mission (YIM) program. The grant is part of the Lilly Endowment’s Theological Programs for High School Youth Initiative to support theological schools’ programs that get youth excited about theological education and inspire them to consider vocations in ministry. It will be used to support current YIM programming and to help make the programs self-sustaining. “LSTC is honored by and grateful for the Lilly Endowment’s continued support of Youth in Mission through this grant. Their vote of confidence in our programs inspires and enables us to work toward long-term sustainability of the life-changing Youth in Mission programs,” said President James Kenneth Echols. Youth in Mission’s Serving Christ in the World, a vocation immersion program for rising 11th and 12th grade youth is in its eighth year. To date, five Serving Christ in the World program participants have elected to attend ELCA seminaries and many more are col-lege students considering ministry and other service-oriented vocations. Beyond Belief is Youth in Mission’s year-round program that connects high school youth groups with LSTC and Chicago service organizations for various ministry opportunities during week-long ser-vice trips. During their time in Chicago, participants meet with seminarians to explore vocation and life at LSTC. In 2009, Youth in Mission held its first annual youth ministry workers’ conference at LSTC. The 2010 conference will focus on youth faith formation in an interfaith world. See page 2 for more informa-tion about the conference.

LSTC, Rhoads featured in new DVD educa-tion series on care of creationProfessor of New Testament David Rhoads is the co-host of “Earthbound: Created and Called to Care for Creation,” a new six-part DVD series for congrega-tions that explores Christians’ complex relationship with God’s creation. It examines the origins of mis-

conceptions about Scripture’s portrayal of creation and how Christians have become heaven-focused at the expense of Earth. The series takes Martin Luther’s breakthrough understanding of justification and vocation and applies it across all of creation. It shows how people throughout the Church are living out a vocation of relating to and caring for creation. Each segment of the series is approximately 25 minutes long. A study guide, with facilitator instructions, comes with the DVDs. New Testament Professor Barbara Rossing, President James Kenneth Echols, alumnus Pastor Gordon Straw, and staff member Kwame Pitts are other LSTC voices on the DVD, which includes Walter Brueggemann, Larry Rasmussen, Terry Fretheim, and Cynthia Moe-Lobeda. The series is available for $89.95 (plus ship-ping and handling costs) from Seraphim Communications http://store.seracomm.com. View a trailer of the series on the web page for “Earthbound” on Seraphim’s site.

LSTC to celebrate 150th Commencement on May 16Nearly 70 students will graduate from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago when it holds its 150th commencement ceremony on May 16, 2010. Although LSTC has existed for only 48 years, it counts its number of graduating classes begin-ning with its oldest predecessor school, Augustana Lutheran Seminary. Pastor Susan K. Ericsson will be the preacher at the commencement service to be held at 2:30 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 5472 South Kimbark, Chicago. Pastor Ericsson is a leader in urban ministry who currently serves as senior pas-tor of Saint Luke Lutheran Church in Devon, Pa. She graduated from Yale Divinity School after spending part of her senior year at LSTC. Ericsson served an inner city congregation in Detroit for 11 years before joining the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod staff as Assistant to the Bishop for Urban Ministry. During her 13 years in that position she worked with urban congregations and leaders in the synod’s redevelop-ment strategy.

4

News from LSTC (continued)

5

2010 Distinguished Alumni AwardsLSTC honors four alumni for leadership in scholarship, churchwide service, missions, and stewardship of creation Four alumni received awards on Tuesday, February 9 for their distinguished service to the church in the areas of biblical interpretation, churchwide service, mission leadership, and stewardship of creation. The Rev. Dr. Mercedes García Bachmann received the Distinguished Alumna Award in Biblical Interpretation. Dr. Bachmann received her Ph.D. in theology in 1999 and is a full professor in the Bible Department of the Instituto Universitario ISEDET in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She specializes in Old Testament, Pentateuch, and Wisdom Literature and her research interests include feminist hermeneutics, gender criticism, and ideological criticism in the bib-lical narratives. Bishop Robert Rimbo, a 1976 graduate of Christ Seminary-Seminex, currently leads the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Churchwide Service which recognizes the myriad ways Bishop Rimbo has enriched the church through his ministries. In addition to serving parishes in Michigan, New York and New Jersey, serving as

bishop and a bishop’s associate in the Southeastern Michigan Synod, he has worked on both the Renewing Worship Project of the ELCA, leading to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and, in the 1970s on the Lutheran Book of Worship. He has published and made presentations on worship, including Why Worship Matters (Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2004).

The Rev. Dr. Richard Bliese, president of Luther Seminary, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Mission Leadership to honor his work as a missionary and a scholar. Bliese has directed programs for pastors and evangelists in Zaire and Rwanda. He has served congregations in Germany, Zaire, and the United States. Dr. Bliese earned a Th.M. in 19th and 20th century theology and a Ph.D. in confessional theology from LSTC. He joined the LSTC faculty in 1997 and served as director of the Th.M. and Ph.D. program from 2001 – 2005. He is co-editor of The Dictionary of Mission: Theology, History, Perspectives (1997), and, with Craig Van Gelder, The Evangelizing Church (2005). 1975 graduate, the Rev. Dean M. Stewart, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Stewardship of Creation. Leading by example in his congregation in Moscow, Idaho, Pastor Stewart has created a culture of care of creation. He has led Emmanuel Lutheran Church to adopt, as a guiding principle, “We are responsible stewards of God’s cre-ation.” He carries out that commitment in matters large and small, by living “gently and justly.” The congregation lends part of its land to the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute to provide gar-den plots to 25 community families. In the letter nominating him for the award, he is commended for “reminding us that responsible stewardship does not need to be complicated. . .individually and col-lectively we can make a difference.”

Janice Rizzo, editor of Seeds for the Parish, joined her brother, Bishop Robert Rimbo, at the 2010 Outstanding Alumni Award celebration

Outstanding Alumnus Pastor Dean Stewart (middle, with award), celebrated the occasion with his wife, Gretchen, and their family

6

Earth Year at LSTC arose from the conviction that the church exists for the sake of the world. As such, we Lutheran Christians are called to undergo con-tinual reformation as our church rises to the defin-ing challenges of our time. In our time, “creation is groaning” under the weight of human activity that has degraded so many of Earth’s eco-systems. Across the world, including religious communities, people are seeking to address this environmental challenge. For decades, ELCA Lutherans have manifested a significant commitment to care for creation. Recently, members of the Lutheran Earthkeeping Network of the Synods have formed a new initiative, Lutherans Restoring Creation (LRC). This is a grassroots effort to encourage the ELCA to incorporate care for creation into its full life and mission, the theology and ethic, organizational patterns, worship life, edu-cational programs, responsibility for buildings and grounds, lifestyle of members at home and work, and public ministry of all ELCA institutions—so that earth-keeping and justice for all Earth communities become integral to the identity and purpose of our church. Lutherans Restoring Creation is con-structing a website to offer resources and to foster networking within different sec-tors of the ELCA. There are subsections for congregations, synodical creation-care com-mittees, seminaries, colleges and universi-ties, Lutheran Outdoor Ministry sites, public policy offices, and ELCA headquarters. Each subsection contains resources relevant to that particular group—a guide, news and features, a location for reports of creation-care activi-ties to be shared, public policy action sugges-tions, and a blog for networking. We invite you to participate actively in this initiative: www.lutheransrestoringcreation.org. LRC desires to work together mutually in caring for creation by offering resources, training, and networking opportunities—to learn from each other in developing viable programs to do our part in “restoring cre-ation.” LRC is guided by a steering committee comprised of Alycia Ashburn, Patricia Benson, Christine McNeal, Mary Minette, Keith

Mundy, Mayra Nieves, Mark Peters, David Rhoads, Rob Saler, Russ Senti, and Kim Winchell, with many others serving as consultants. This program is sup-ported by a grant from the Lutheran Community Foundation, a faith-based community foundation working nationally to help people give where they find their strongest connections. To learn more about the Foundation, please visit www.TheLCF.org. There are many resources available for your congregation to establish a creation-care team or to take your current creation-care leaders to a new level in re-forming the church. Materials may be found on the LRC website, www.elca.org, and at www.webofcreation.org. Of particular importance is a recent six-part video series for congregations, called Earthbound. It was produced by the ELCA Office of Lifelong learning and is designed to lift up the theological, ethical, and practical foundations for Earth-care (www.seracomm.com). We encourage you to draw upon these resources in the renewal of your congregation’s mission to “serve the world.”

Earth Year at LSTC

Lutherans Restoring Creationby David Rhoads, LSTC professor of New Testament

LSTC students Kaila Hochhalter, Carolyn Brostrom, and Rob Saler lead the community in dedicating a composter for use on campus

7

1. Theology: We affirm God as creator of all. We have a deeply incarnation theol-ogy that cherishes the continuing pres-

ence of God in, with, and under all reality. We see redemption as the restoration of creation, as “new creation.” We see the future straining toward the fulfillment of creation.

2. Cross and Resurrection: The gospel leads us to see God in solidarity with the human situation in all its pain and agony, espe-

cially with the most vulnerable—humans and non-humans. A theology of the cross gives us solidarity with “creation groaning in travail” and stresses that God redeems all creation. Our affirmation of resur-rection also offers hope for new life in this world.

3. Worship and Sacraments: We affirm that the material is a vehicle of the divine and that Christ is present in such ordinary ele-

ments of life as grapes and grain—the basis for our delight in and reverence for creation. Our worship invites us into transforming encounters with God deep in the flesh and in the world. We are called to worship God with creation.

4. Ecclesiology: Our human vocation is “to serve and to preserve” Earth. We believe that the church exists for the sake of the

world. We do not have an escapist theology. We are called to continual reformation in response to the needs and crises of this life. When Luther was asked what he would do if he thought the world would end tomorrow, he apparently replied, “Plant a tree.”

5. Ethics: We have an ethic of faith-active-in-love for neighbor and for all creation. Liberated from a legalism that limits and

enslaves, we are freed to address new and complex situations, such as the ecological state of the world. We do so not to dominate and exploit but as ser-vants to our human and non-human neighbors. We do so not out of fear or guilt or arrogance but joy-fully out of grace, love, and gratitude.

6. Social Ministry: With a heritage that reaches back to the Reformation, Lutherans have a history of social service to the poor,

the elderly, the sick, the oppressed, the margin-alized—through hospitals, homes for the elderly, social ministry agencies, Lutheran Immigration

Service, and Lutheran World Relief. We extend that commitment to protecting and healing Earth com-munity (www.elca.org/careforcreation).

7. Advocacy: We ELCA Lutherans have a social statement “Caring for Creation.” For several decades, we have had a full-time

staff person in environmental/hunger advocacy in Washington, DC. Lutheran public policy offices in many states address regional issues of advocacy. (www.elca.org/advocacy).

8. Scholarship and Education: Many Lutheran scholars have written and spoken on ecology—in theology, ethics, biblical

study, and social commentary. Colleges and semi-naries of the ELCA have environmental ministry courses that prepare Lutherans for leadership in church and world. Many continuing education events for clergy and laity highlight creation care.

9. Caring for Creation across the church: Several synods with creation-care commit-tees have declared themselves to be Green

Synods. Many Lutheran congregations incorporate Earth-care commitment in their life and mission—worship, education, building and grounds, disciple-ship at home and work, and public ministry. Lutheran camps have brought environmental concerns to many people. The ELCA headquarters has a Green Team working to model environmental action. The ELCA offers grants for environmental projects.

10. Organizations for Earthkeeping: For over a decade, we have had the Lutheran Earthkeeping Network

of the Synods (LENS) giving leadership in the ELCA. Lutherans have spearheaded the Green Congregation Program, the Green Seminary Initiative, and the resources on the Web of Creation (www.webofcreation.org). We have led the way in promoting a Season of Creation in the church year (www.seasonofcreation.com). And now we have the new program Lutherans Restoring Creation. (www.lutheransrestoringcreation.org).

Lutherans are in a critical position to listen to the cry of the poor along with the cry of Earth and to take leadership in addressing these critical issues of our day. In whatever context you may be serving, we encourage you to participate in this endeavor.

7

Why (and how) Lutherans care for all creationby David Rhoads, LSTC professor of New Testament

It’s just after noon on a Friday, a day when there are usually no classes at LSTC. But today, in Room 201, students are lined up six deep to talk to Stephen Bouman, the instructor of Mission Leadership, a new course he and colleagues developed and are teaching at LSTC. Bouman, executive director of the Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission (EOCM) unit of the ELCA, focuses all of his atten-tion on the student in front of him. “Be honest about the situation,” he counsels a master of arts student who is not sure how to

approach her class project. “There may be deep con-flicts, but there are gifts that the missional church can bring to this,” he tells her. That’s what Bouman and his colleagues have been emphasizing in this unusual course: that each church is a mission site

and that it uses the gifts within and around it to ful-fill its mission.

Bringing their mission to the seminaryMission Leadership is Bouman’s response to a request from LSTC. “Several years ago, Craig Satterlee asked me to teach a course on evangelism,” Bouman said. “I counter-proposed teaching a course on mission. It has proven to be a great opportunity for the EOCM unit team to bring to the seminary what we are trying to do across the church.” EOCM staff members have lectured for other ELCA seminary courses, but Mission Leadership is the first complete course the team has taught at a seminary. Senior M.Div. student Aaron Decker said, “It takes everything we’ve learned in seminary and puts it into practice. It was one of the most prac-tically useful courses I’ve had. It should be done again.”

Using missional texts to create a missional churchBouman structured the course around missional texts from the Bible as a way to look at and to mea-sure the work done in congregations. He hopes that students gained a sense of where they can start to transform their parishes into missional churches. “We have to deputize the whole church to do mis-sion. Every pastor needs to be a missional pastor,” Bouman said. Making that case directly to seminar-ians is a powerful way to create a missional Church. Bouman emphasized the importance of getting to know people through one-on-ones. Each student was required to do six one-on-ones with people they didn’t know. “This work begins with three great ‘lis-tenings,’” Bouman said, “Listening to God, through scripture and prayer; to the community, through one-on-ones both inside the congregation and in the community; and internal listening to discern where we are being called to mission.” The six six-hour class days were typically split

8

Creating a missional church one congregation at a timeBouman, EOCM staff teach LSTC students theory and practice of missional congregationsby Jan Boden

Everett Flannigan, ELCA director for African American/Black outreach and lead-ership, leads a Mission Leadership class session on identifying, nurturing, and assessing missional leadership potential

99

between morning presentations on the scriptural, historical, and theological roots of missional church and afternoon presentations and discussions about how ELCA churches are putting these ideas into practice. In addition to Bouman, the teaching team included Neil Harrison, director for renewal of evan-gelizing congregations; Ruben Duran, director for new evangelizing congregations; Brenda Smith, director for disciple-ship/evangelism; Everett Flanigan, director for African American/Black outreach and leadership; and Gemechis Buba, director for African national ministry.

Gaining theological tools for missionAaron Decker admits that he had no idea what he was signing up for when he enrolled in the class. At first he was frustrated by all of the theory being presented. “By the end of the course I realized that it would be hard to teach the practi-cal aspects of mission leadership without laying the foundation with scripture and theory,” he said. “I got a strong theology of what it means to be a church in mission engaged with the world, and the biblical and theological tools to make it happen in the congrega-tions with whom I will serve.” Others signed up for the course because they’d heard about Stephen Bouman and his ministries in the Metropolitan New York Synod. “The first day of class was September 11,” said M.Div. middler Matt Stuhlmuller. “Dr. Bouman came in that day and shared his experiences in New York on September 11, 2001. It was very moving to hear how the churches were able to support the firefighters and emergency workers because they already had an established rela-tionship and trusted one another.”

Gaining practical techniques for building a missional churchAll of the instructors for Mission Leadership stressed the importance of congregations building rela-tionships in the community. ELCA Director of Discipleship/Evangelism Pastor Brenda Smith told the class how her congregation built and benefited

from strong relationships with the police and other community services in its neighborhood. Smith’s congregation used the seven faith practic-es of prayer, witness, service, encouragement, study, giving and worship to develop discipleship and to discern what God was calling them to do. “Any size congregation can integrate discipleship and evange-

lism into its life. All it takes is a strong and willing leadership – but it doesn’t need to be the pastor lead-ing the effort,” Smith said. Students particularly appreciated the practical techniques and resources to draw on when they are in the parish. “I feel that we will be able to call on the teachers we had (from the churchwide offices). They also gave us names of people in synods – people we can go to when we’re in the parish,” said Bridget Thien, an M.Div. middler.

Ministry starts with listeningThe large class of seniors, middlers, and master of arts students spent their last Friday together listen-ing to one another. In 10-minute presentations, they

continued on page 14

Stephen Bouman leading a Mission Leadership class on how congregations develop relationships within their communities

World-renowned organist, composer, and teacher, Paul O. Manz, died October 28, 2009, in St. Paul, Minn., at the age of 90. Paul Manz joined the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago community in 1983, when members of the Christ Seminary-Seminex faculty came to the semi-nary. Paul and Ruth Manz were dear friends to many in the LSTC community. They are remembered here by two who knew them well.

On Paul ManzSome said he looked like Johannes Brahms, a per-son of short stature with an imposing head and a distinct gait. I could detect his mood by the way he walked down the long hallway on the north side of faculty row at LSTC on the way to his west-end office. “Hi, Marcus,” he would say with a wave, espe-cially when the rigors of travels and engagements were at a temporary lull. Other times he would pass by with an obvious preoccupation that was often tied up with publishing demands or impending “tours,” as he called his concert schedules. No matter what the mood, the sound of impro-visations being born from his midi-cized computer made their way to my office. Many of his now favor-ite hymn-based organ pieces were not only born in his office at LSTC, but they were often given their maiden voyages at the Wednesday Eucharistic ser-vices. With Paul at the helm seminarians learned by osmosis the power of church music in worship. Some sought additional encounters, taking organ les-sons (he was a very patient teacher) or engaging him in conversation during his many but clearly defined visits to the refectory. It was in these singular interactions that the LSTC community learned to know a person who truly was a Mensch, as the Germans would have it, someone who had experienced and understood the joys and sor-rows of life and who could address them with a faith that was at the same time childlike and profound. Wife Ruth did most of the theological reading around the house, but she kept Paul well informed. He could keep up with the best of them (Joe Sittler, for instance), affirming his place at the faculty table (as if he needed qualifications beyond being a musician of the church), all the while practicing an endearing self-deprecation concerning these matters.

Embracing life as it was given himLegacies of performing musicians seldom last for

more than a generation. The CD factor changes the equation some, making it possible for the children’s children to sense his crisp articulations and sense of rhythm. His compositions will probably become a permanent part of the literature for years to come with organists of every level trying to let the music come alive from the pages of notes before them. Even though the notes are there, duplication of his own delivery will rarely be achieved. For two reasons. One is that I learned over 20 years that he never played those pieces the same way twice. His improvisatory engine just would not per-mit that kind of entombment. The other is slightly more complicated. We begin with his person. In the final assessment, Paul’s lega-cy revolves around the fact that he embraced life as it was given him, he knew intimately what it means to be a faithful believer in the midst of familial joys, vocational fulfillment, and the wonders of life on the one hand, but also in the midst of pain, suffer-ing, and death on the other. He was not afraid to touch, to taste, to wrestle with life at its fullest, his own as well as the lives of others. Faithful empathy was the hallmark of his character. At the same time, he developed a parallel inti-macy with another family, that gathering of the church’s great hymns. From that context one must take his oft-repeated advice to organ students: “You can never play the hymns enough.” We’re not talk-ing just about tunes here, even though he knew closely the curves and rises of those too, refashion-ing their individualities into counterpoint for his improvisations. Rather, like intuiting the personali-ties of siblings or offspring, he comprehended the ethos of a hymn. He knew its character, its breed, its neighborhood, and its home. When that grasp of ethos connected with the everyday lives of the faith-ful (a process which, because of his pastoral love for others, he facilitated constantly) the electricity of the musical and spiritual moment sizzled. That recipe, the mixing of pastoral love with intimate knowledge of the people’s song, is his great-est legacy, and one for which, I think, he would want to be lovingly remembered.

Mark BangertJohn H. Tietjen Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Ministry: Worship and Church Music, LSTC

Remembering Paul and Ruth Manz

10

11

A Letter to FriendsDear Ruth and Paul,

I am thinking of you, as I so often do, and remem-bering. I miss you very much, my treasured friends,

mentors, unwavering supporters, even sometimes parents to me. Bedrock people. I learned from every conversation we had, but primarily from observing how you yourselves lived and the choices you made. You suffered heavy griefs and losses and endured many challenges in the more than 25 years I knew you, yet you remained always gracious, warm, wel-coming, kind, and faithful. And what a model of marriage! You treated each other with that same warmth and with great tenderness and generosity. You complimented each other at every opportunity. Paul, at mealtime you would lavish praise on the (always colorful and art-fully arranged) feast before you and on the love of your life who had prepared it. And Ruth, when Paul would leave for organ practice, or even just to run a small errand, you never failed to kiss him and say “Be careful, Paul. I love you.” The communication between you two was constant and loving. Together you turned that love outward to embrace a host of others. You had a way of making each of us feel like an extra-special friend.

I was your guest for a few days at Narnia, your retreat high in the mountains of Colorado, during one of the last summers you were strong enough to travel there. In the evening, when supper had been cleared away and it was time for devotions, Paul, you reached for the Bible and a book of readings and prayers. Immediately, as if you had blown a whistle,

the small dachshund Mollie, who had been playing and barking, trot-ted over to you, leaped into your lap, and laid its head down across your arm--and remained still and silent for the duration of the read-ings and prayers. I have never seen anything like it. After prayers, Ruth, you unfolded a slip of paper and began to make calls to your grown chil-dren. I saw that you had written down questions you wanted to ask them and notes on previous con-versations. I had always marveled at the things you remembered of our own talks, and now I saw how you managed this. Your notes also reminded you what to pray for, and you did so—regularly and conscien-tiously. You prayed both boldly and

humbly, expecting answers, entrusting your life and the lives of your loved ones to God’s heart.

Ruth and Paul Manz at LSTC in the 1980s

The Manzes in 2004

12

You were such a steadying force when times were tough. You knew pain and could recognize it in others. “Ah,” you would say, learning of some predicament, “that is so interesting, isn’t it? Let us see now what unfolds. In the meantime, cultivate fortitude! And one must strive for buoyancy in times such as these. I will pray for your peace of heart.” Manners were sacred to you both. Paul, you always walked me out when I was taking my leave after a visit. When you lived in a building with an elevator, that meant riding down with me and tak-ing me at least to the front door if not all the way to my car. Later, it meant accompanying me down the hall and across the lobby. Never mind that you needed a walker by then. My protests that it wasn’t

necessary always fell on deaf ears. You may have become a little hard of hearing, but you always had your way. Ruth and Paul, as long as I live, your love and wisdom will continue to educate me in what is real-ly important. Thank you.

PeggyPeggy Blomenberg (1994, M.A.) is executive editor of Zygon Journal of Religion and Science.

Pastor John E. Anderson (1968, M.Div.), offered this remembrance:

[Paul Manz’s] program had not started when I was at LSTC. I graduated in 1968. But I purchased most of his records and knew him from the Worship and Music conference in Minneapolis, probably 30 or more years ago. At that time Paul and Martin Marty led a Hymn Festival that was truly inspiring. I attended that conference. Years later, when I was a pastor at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Edmonton, Alberta, we purchased an expensive pipe organ. I felt it was important to have the dedicatory concert done in the best way possible. I suggested that Paul Manz come from Chicago to Edmonton, at the congregation’s expense, naturally! Many in the congregation did not like the idea and cost of it at all. But I won out. The chairman of the congregation refused to come to the event. The administrative assistant was against it, too. But she was also in the choir, with which Paul worked for the Hymn Festival. On the Monday after the event, the administrative assistant was glowing about everything Paul did. She said: “I had the feeling that I was sitting at the feet of a master.” I replied: “You were!” After that event, the congregation held hymn festivals and other musical events. It resulted from Paul Manz’s presence among us. Our organist heard the quality that could be produced from the organ and grew tremendously throughout the following years. She went on to attain a Ph.D. in choral directing.

To read the entire LSTC news release visit www.lstc.edu/news/. The obituary by Paul Manz’s biographer, Scott M. Hyslop, is at www.MorningStarMusic.com. The family has requested that memorials be made to the Ruth and Paul Manz Organ Scholarship Fund at LSTC. For more information about the Ruth and Paul Manz Organ Scholarship visit www.lstc.edu/chapel/organ/scholars/index.html. To make a gift online go to www.lstc.edu/alums_friends/giving/index.html and designate the gift to the Ruth and Paul Manz Organ Scholarship Fund.

Last year, I reported to you on the effect of the 2008 severe economic downturn on LSTC. Thanks to the hard work of board members, faculty and staff, and the faithful and generous support of so many of you, LSTC is moving forward in exciting ways in 2010.

Giving thanksThanks to the excellent work of the seminary’s Foundation Board of Trustees and its Investment Committee serving on behalf of the Board of Directors, LSTC is fully participating in the eco-nomic recovery. Thanks to a wise investment strat-egy, the engagement of UBS as investment counsel, the diversification of the investment portfolio and quality managers, LSTC is being a careful and pru-dent steward of the resources entrusted to it. LSTC endowment funds have recovered much of what was lost in the worst economic recession since the Great Depression of the early 20th century. Good newsDuring this period, individuals and congregations committed to forming visionary leaders at LSTC for the church and world have continued their gener-ous support of this mission. At the end of December 2009, more than $50 million had been committed to LSTC through the Equipping the Saints for Ministry comprehensive campaign. We are optimistic that, even in these challenging economic times, we will realize the $56 million campaign goal by June 30, 2010. All three-year averages for the number of alum-ni, friends, and total donors, as well as the amounts given by these groups, are significantly higher dur-ing the years of the campaign. Your generosity, the strong witness of the members of the seminary’s three leadership boards through the Board Challenge and the wonderful giving by faculty and staff have made a critical difference in this ministry of theo-logical education.

Staying focusedDuring the last 18 months, LSTC has been blessed by deep and committed involvement by the Special Finance Task Force made up of select members of the

Board of Directors; a faculty representative; the vice presidents for advancement, finance and operations and myself. Since November 2008, we have met by phone or in person every other week to closely mon-itor LSTC’s finances and to develop strategies to help the seminary fund its operating budget. As reported last year, in the last two fiscal years, LSTC reduced its budget from $9.9 million to $8.5 million. LSTC faculty and staff have made short-term sacrifices, cutting department budgets and taking pay cuts to reduce budget losses, as we work toward the long-term commitment to “right-size” the seminary’s budget. To make up for losses in endowment income used to support the current operating budget, LSTC was able to extend its line of credit with UBS. Thanks to the budget reductions, the amounts need-ed were less than originally projected.

Moving forwardAs you likely have heard, in May 2009 McCormick Theological Seminary’s Board of Trustees made a decision to pursue an orderly disengagement from its real estate relationship with LSTC. Beginning July 1, 2010, McCormick will restrict its use of the shared campus and reduce its financial commitment accordingly. LSTC has been analyzing the financial impact of this development and is considering dif-ferent strategies for moving forward. In the midst of the changing relationship between the two seminaries, we are grateful that McCormick has reaffirmed its partnership with LSTC through the jointly owned JKM Library. The JKM Board of Trustees, in consultation with the faculties and administrations of the two seminaries, is now in the process of studying various aspects of the library to determine its future configuration and funding level. The JKM Library is an invaluable resource in the formation of women and men for ministry, and we welcome McCormick’s continuing collaboration in its support. In the spirit of moving forward, LSTC is engaged in a series of conversations about future partnerships. While it is premature to say much more than this, we do want you to know that the seminary is planning

13

State of the seminaryGiving thanks, staying focused and moving forwardby James Kenneth Echols, president

1414

for a vibrant and vital future for this campus and believes the prospects are promising for new partners that will collaborate with LSTC in Hyde Park.

Covenant Cluster collaborationThis past November, the Boards of Directors of LSTC, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, and Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, met together as the Covenant Cluster of ELCA Seminaries. Following a sustained process of discussion and discernment, the three seminaries decided to explore the extent to which the Cluster might become “a greater resource for mission, pro-gram enhancement, and the financial sustainabil-ity of each seminary.” The three boards approved

resolutions on the exploration of business models, coordination in faculty development and strategic planning, and collaboration on online theological education offerings. The Covenant Cluster Board will shepherd the implementation of these resolutions and we will keep you informed of developments.

LSTC’s 50th anniversaryDuring the 2012-2013 academic year LSTC will cele-brate its 50th Anniversary. An anniversary committee is beginning to make plans for a year of celebrations. We look forward to giving thanks to God for all that LSTC has been even as we anticipate how God will work through LSTC over its next 50 years.

became resources for one another, sharing resources and ideas on one of three assigned topics: planting a new ministry, constructing a theology of mission, or taking a core biblical text and constructing a theol-ogy of mission. Senior Todd Koch told how he helped organize his internship congrega-tion when he learned they wanted to become a Reconciling in Christ congrega-tion and take on public leadership welcoming LGBT persons into their faith community. Middler Sally Wilke outlined ways she has been apply-ing the lessons of Mission Leadership to inspire and revive her Ministry in Context congregation. Bridget Thien laid out a process to help congrega-tions become comfortable doing one-on-ones. Senior Dan Hille constructed a theology of mission relating ecology to the missional church. Each class member

made a presentation grounded in what they had learned, but shaped by their own creativity and con-text. Bouman affirmed that LSTC students understand the concept of a church in mission in the world. “I

found a wonderful give-and-take – a free-flowing conversation that allowed us to cover the con-tent of the course. LSTC students are very well-educated. They have a willingness to grapple with tradition and are widely diverse in their opinions

and politics. I hope we showed them that there’s not a ‘paint-by-number’ kit for the par-ish. Thinking about ministry starts with listening and the power of one-on-ones.”

Creating a missional church continued from page 9

M.Div. Senior Dan Hille outlines a theology of mission

M.Div. Senior Holly Slater presents her experiences working with new ministries

Margaret Rasmussen Schoewe (2004) came to LSTC as a second-career student after a 29-year career with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. At LSTC, she received a master of divinity degree with emphases in eco-justice and spiritual formation. Margaret’s hus-band Timothy is an attorney who practices employment law for Milwaukee County. Last year, Margaret and Tim created the Margaret R. and Timothy R. Schoewe Scholarship Fund at LSTC, in order to provide other second-career students with the life-changing opportunity that their family has had.

Tell me about your call to ministry and what brought you to LSTC.When I entered the candidacy process, I had to make some decisions about my ultimate ministry goal. I decided that I wanted to become a business chaplain, because I knew something of the work-place, and in particular the struggles of the work-place; but in the back of my mind I knew there was something more in store for me. I remember having a couple of insights one day as I was standing in LSTC’s parking lot—the old parking lot, lined with trees. The first insight was, “I’m here to learn to live in a different way.” The second was, “I’m here to find my own voice.” And that really is what happened at LSTC. Before I came to seminary, I had experienced people in my home congregation, Kingo Lutheran Church, who had a sense of faith and an ability to respond to adversity in ways that were beyond what I knew. We were asked to join in a litany during the stu-dent orientation retreat at LSTC: “God is good, all the time!” And we were supposed to respond, “All the time, God is good!” During that first week of orienta-tion, I couldn’t say it. I came to LSTC with a lot of burdens, tired from the struggle of the workplace, and I just couldn’t affirm that God is good all the time. But by April of my first year at LSTC, I could say, “All the time, God is good!” I could proclaim, and I knew it was true. Life was different. Seminary was a totally life-giving and faith-renewing experience for me.

The more I studied, the more I thought “I belong here – this is what I love.” People were very welcoming and encouraging. It was a challenging time, no question about that, but people helped each other. I got curious: I wanted to study Hebrew, I wanted to do a chaplaincy internship, and I want-ed to try preaching. It was those little things that made me shift my degree from M.A. to M.Div. And then people kept saying to me, “Margaret, you should be a pastor.” I would respond, “I am going into ministry!” Finally, when it came to gradu-ation, I started to listen. Two professors said to me, “Margaret, have you thought about ordination?” And I listened. I asked Connie Kleingartner (the late director of field education) if she could find me an internship, and of course by that time they were all taken. But somehow Connie found me an internship congre-gation in Milwaukee. It was there at Capitol Drive Lutheran Church, listening to those people, I heard the call—the life-giving call.

15

Giving back with gratitudeThe Margaret R. and Timothy R. Schoewe Scholarship Fund will benefit second career studentsby Jessica Nipp (2002, M.Div.) director for advancement

Margaret and Timothy Schoewe

How did your seminary education impact your family life?One really important aspect of my seminary journey was that my husband Tim and I had to do it togeth-er. Tim took as much of a leap of faith as I did. Initially I went to seminary part-time, and I worked part-time. When I realized I wanted to be in Chicago full-time to attend the Institute of Spiritual Formation in addition to my studies at LSTC, Tim had to walk that journey with me. When I decided to do an M.Div., increasing the length of my pro-gram by two more years, Tim had to walk that road with me, too. And then I decided to do an internship! Tim even gave up watching Packers games to come and visit me while I was in teaching parish and intern-ship. At the time, neither of us could have imagined where this would lead, and how good it could be. I think, and I think Tim would agree, that LSTC has made an incredibly profound difference in our lives. With the creation of this endowed scholarship, we are now able to give back a little in gratitude for the gift that we received. And not only what we received, but what our whole family is receiving as we continue to learn and grow in our lives together. The ability to share that with others is a blessing.

Tell me about one of the most important things you learned at LSTC.LSTC’s emphasis on spirituality was extremely important to me. The experiences I had at LSTC and with the Institute for Spiritual Leadership gave me the “time out” to look at my life, to listen to where God was calling me. Even though I attended LSTC before the position of Director for Spiritual Formation was created, the emphasis was already here. Academics are strong at LSTC, but you can’t get it all from the academics. In my studies, it became very clear that seminary education at LSTC was not just an academic learning exercise, but it was a spirit and heart journey, too.

Last year, you and your husband endowed a schol-arship at LSTC. What made you decide to do that?The gift we made to LSTC was really born out of the experience that I had here, the gift that I received in

the form of education at LSTC. I have a desire to help other people to have that experience. I know what people give up to be here. I heard so many stories of sacrifice: of people selling a home, moving their families, putting other aspira-tions on hold, to come to LSTC and study a chal-lenging curriculum. It’s a blessing for us to be able to help in this way—to give these motivated individuals the oppor-tunity to move on, to do something new with their lives, to share their love for God in a broader way—in a called, rostered ministry. That’s why I’m especially interested in helping out second-career students; because I know the sacrifices they make. It’s pretty awesome when you realize that the inexpensive tuition at LSTC is possible because so many people give generously to the seminary, which helps LSTC keep costs down for the students. In that sense, I benefitted greatly—the tuition I paid was nowhere near the actual cost of the education I received. The quality of education at LSTC is very good. The gifts that surround us in the ACTS con-sortium and the University of Chicago community make for a very rich learning environment. I want others to have a chance to be involved in that learn-ing environment, too. We thought about waiting until my husband Tim retired to make this gift, but then we realized we didn’t need to wait. It was time. So we did it.

The Rev. Margaret R. Schoewe is associate pastor of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, Wis. Her special emphases in her ministry are on pastoral care, spiritual formation and eco-justice.

To make a gift to LSTC or to find out how to establish a scholarship, call the LSTC Advancement Office at 773-256-0710 or email Ashley Spell at aspell@lstc.edu.

16

Living in a recession teaches some life lessons. Among them is this: while money doesn’t buy hap-piness, it sure does pay the rent. And for many of us, as we look forward into our retirement years, we’re now even more acutely aware of the need for pru-dent financial planning. A Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) is a financial vehicle that offers three main benefits: First, it offers a secure, fixed income stream for life—a welcome bit of stability in a volatile market. Second, a chari-table gift brings with it significant tax advantages. And third, a Charitable Gift Annuity offers you the chance to make your ultimate gift to LSTC. Here’s how it works: At or near your time of retirement, you transfer an asset (part or all of a retirement account, mandatory distributions, cash, etc) to the ELCA Foundation. The Foundation annui-tizes that asset and gives you an annual payment for the rest of your life. A two-life option is also avail-able that offers payments for your life and the life of your spouse. After your death, the remainder of your asset is passed along to LSTC.

If you are interested in speaking with a gift plan-ner about your retirement or estate plans, please contact the LSTC Advancement Office at 773-256-0712, or visit our web site, www.lstc.edu/planned_giving/.

17

Planning for retirement? Consider a Charitable Gift Annuityby Jessica Nipp (2002, M.Div.), director for advancement

Frequently asked questions about Charitable Gift Annuities:When am I eligible to withdraw funds from a retirement account?People 59-1/2 years old or older are able to withdraw pension funds from any 403(b) or 401(k) retire-ment account without penalty. These funds can be used to make a gift with the CGA vehicle.

What are the age requirements for receiving annuity distributions?According to current ELCA Foundation Guidelines, distributions can be received by those aged 65 and older. Those between the ages of 55 and 65 may set up a Deferred Payment Gift Annuity (DGA) and take the annuity distributions after they reach the age of 65.

What are the tax implications of using my retirement account to set up a CGA?Since retirement funds are pre-tax income, tax will apply to the withdrawal of funds from a retirement account. However, the tax liability will be partially offset by the charitable deduction of the CGA. This partial offset applies to the initial withdrawal and the annual distributions.

What is the ELCA Foundation?The ELCA Foundation is an arm of the ELCA that helps individuals make planned gifts that benefit their favorite ministries. Its services are offered without cost or obligation. Annuity rates through the ELCA Foundation are based on the rates suggested by the national nonprofit organization, The American Council on Gift Annuities. For more information, visit the ELCA Foundation website at www.elca.org/fo.

Students write thank you notes to donors

LSTC’s comprehensive campaign, Equipping the Saints for Ministry, has reached the home stretch and will come to a close on June 30, 2010. Our ambitious $56 million goal is no longer just a dream: so far, LSTC alumni/ae and friends have donated nearly $52 million to the seminary. Even in the midst of a deep recession, LSTC’s supporters have opened their hearts and their checkbooks to invest in our mission of forming visionary leaders to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ, and for this we are truly grateful. More than 70% of the Equipping the Saints cam-paign gifts so far have been cash gifts that go direct-

ly into LSTC’s annual fund and into our growing endowment. The remaining 30% of campaign gifts are pledges or planned gifts, which help to secure LSTC’s bright future. As we continue to work together throughout the remaining months of the campaign, we are confi-dent that we will be able to respond to the ongoing need for high-quality education for our high-quality students. We are convinced that with your partner-ship, we will reach and exceed our $56 million goal. Together, we are the future of LSTC!

18

LSTC reports encouraging campaign progress

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Equipping the Saints for Ministry Campaign progress through December 31, 2009

42

Elizabeth M. “Betty” Danker1921 – 2010

Elizabeth M. Danker, teacher, missionary, librar-ian, and spouse of the late William Danker, Christ Seminary-Seminex Professor Emeritus of Missions, died on January 5, 2010, in Arlington, Va., while in hospice care. A memorial service was held on January 16 at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Arlington, Va. Betty Danker graduated from the Chicago Teachers College and taught school before marrying the Rev. William Danker. In 1948 she travelled with her hus-band as he became the first missionary from their denomination to go to post-war Japan. She was a part-ner in that work, visiting churches and teaching classes as they helped establish the Japan Lutheran Church. When they returned to the U.S. seven years later, she worked as a librarian as they raised their family. Betty was instrumental to the work of the Center for World Christian Interaction, which helped many international students become pastors and leaders in their home countries. In 1994 she received the Confessor of Christ Award from LSTC for her work in support of the church. She is survived by a sister and brother, two daughters and a son, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Augustana Lutheran Church, Chicago, Ill., on April 10. Memorials may be made to the Danker Fellowship Fund at LSTC, which supports interna-tional students working on advanced degrees.

Ethelyn Cantrell Herman1922 – 2009

Ethelyn “Lyn” Herman, spouse of LSTC’s first presi-dent, Stewart Herman, died at her home on Shelter Island, N.Y., on December 18, 2009. Lyn Herman was born and raised in Atlanta, Ga., and, during World War II, suspended her col-lege studies to participate in a wartime training program for women in aeronautical engineering at Cornell. This led to a position with the Curtiss-Wright Corporation developing jet aircraft. In 1945 she married Stewart Herman and they immediately moved to Europe where Stewart was on staff with the World Council of Churches and later became director of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva, Switzerland. Their four children were born in Geneva. They returned to the U.S. in 1952. In 1960 the Hermans began to spend summers

on Shelter Island and retired there in 1971. Lyn Herman became active in associations dedicated to enjoying and preserving the island. She is survived by her children and grandchil-dren. A memorial service on Shelter Island is being planned for May or June 2010.

Janet Norquist1924 - 2010

Janet Norquist, wife of the late N. Leroy Norquist, professor of New Testament at LSTC from 1967 – 1981, died on January 5, 2010. She had been living at the Holmstad Retirement Community in Batavia, Ill. A memorial service was held at Bethany Lutheran Church in Batavia, Ill., on January 16. Born in North Dakota and raised in Minnesota, Janet had a lifelong love of teaching. She taught school in Alexandria, Minn., Cloquet, Minn., and Chicago. After retirement she volunteered with Headstart Literacy Training and taught Bible study for 10 years at Holmstad Community. She is remem-bered as a “people person who enjoyed learning from and helping all people.” Janet is survived by her three children and six grandchildren.

Marion B. “Mani” Wentz1923 – 2009

Marion “Mani” Wentz, who served as secretary to the director of graduate studies and then secretary to the academic dean at LSTC from 1978 – 1982, died on December 26, 2009, in Gettysburg, Pa. Her husband, the Rev. Dr. Frederick K. Wentz, served as executive director of the Chicago Cluster of Theological Schools, a predecessor organization of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools. Mani was born in New Haven, Conn., and graduated from Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y. She married Frederick Wentz in 1951 and, in accompa-nying him in his career, became secretary at many schools in various locations. She was an active mem-ber of her church and community, especially after retirement in Gettysburg at Christ Lutheran Church and at Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, two granddaughters, and three sisters. She was pre-deceased by a son. A memorial service was held at Christ Lutheran Church, Gettysburg, Pa., on January 9, 2010.

WE REMEMBER

43

Carol Albright, visit-ing professor of religion and science, gave the address, “Neuroscience, Quantum Physics and Free Will: Human Action in an Interactive World with Thoughts on Divine Action,” at the American Theological Society – Midwest meeting in November 2009.

John Albright, visiting professor of religion and science, conducted a forum, “Predicting the Future in Religion and in Science” in November 2009 at the Union Church of Hinsdale. On November 6, he was a guest panelist at an AAR reception for the publica-tion of the book, Boundaries of Knowledge in Buddhism, Christianity and Science. The book includes his chapter titled “Limits of Scientific Knowledge.”

Iskandar Bcheiry, auxiliary faculty, published A List of Ecclesiastic Ordinations, Belonging to the Syriac Orthodox Church, from the 16th and 17th Century (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2009) and The Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Register of Dues Of 1870 (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2009).

Kadi Billman, professor of pastoral theology, preached at the ordination of Anne Williams and the installa-tion of Anne Williams and Jay McDivitt as the new pastors of Grace Lutheran Church in Thiensville, Wis., on November 21.

Philip Hefner, professor

emeritus of systematic the-ology and senior fellow, ZCRS, gave the keynote talk for the 125th anniversary of Immanuel Lutheran Church, in Coleridge Neb., on September 7, 2009. Hefner’s grand-father, who came to Nebraska from the mission school in Neuendettelsau, Germany, served as pas-tor of this congregation for 29 years (l887-1916). On September 11, Hefner participated in a panel discussion at Augustana College (Sioux Falls) with healthcare professionals on the topic of his essay, “Healthcare Is about Bodies and Bodyselves.” The dis-cussion was organized and led by LSTC alumna, Ann Pederson (1986, M.Div.; 1988, Th.M.; 1990, Ph.D.), professor of religion. In October, Hefner pre-sented the lecture “The Impact of Evolution on Christian Theology” in a series sponsored by the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area, at Benedictine University in Lisle. During October and November he led a six-week course on ChristianTheology for the Diakonia program held at Zion Lutheran Church in Tinley Park, Ill., for laity of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod.

Kurt Hendel, Bernard, Fischer, Westberg Distinguished Ministry Professor of Reformation History, preached for the Bach Cantata Series on September 27, 2009, at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Ill. In October 2009 he led an adult forum series, “The Sixteenth-

Century Reformations,” at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Munster, Ind., and gave a presentation on “John Calvin: The Reformer and Theologian” to a group of retired pastors at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Ill. In November Hendel led adult forums on Martin Luther and John Calvin at Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Hendel published a review of Fortress Introduction to Salvation and the Cross by David A. Brondos in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, Vol. 63, #4 (October 2009).

Antje Jackelén, auxil-iary faculty, was a guest panelist in November at an AAR reception for the publication of the book, Boundaries of Knowledge in Buddhism, Christianity and Science. Jackelén’s chapter in the book is “Knowing Too Much is Knowing Too Little: A Theological Appraisal of the Boundaries of Knowledge.”

Ed Krentz, professor emeri-tus of New Testament, in October and November 2009, preached at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas, and made three presenta-tions on “Hearing Luke, Proclaiming Luke” to clergy in the synod in New Orleans, La., in Branham, Texas, and in Houston, Texas. Krentz also made a presentation to laymen appointed to word and sacrament ministry in spe-cific local congregations on the topic “Is There a Lutheran Way to Interpret the Bible.” On November

8 Krentz preached at New Hope Lutheran Church in Missouri City, Texas.

Richard Perry, associ-ate professor of church & society, urban ministry, presented “Black Lutherans: A Prominent Stream in Lutheranism” at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Chicago in February. Perry published a review of Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments and Practices of a Diverse Congregation by Mark DeYamaz in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, Vol. 63, #4 (October 2009).

David Rhoads, professor of New Testament, was the keynote speaker and presented two workshops at the Wisconsin Council of Churches’ Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign Conference in October 2009. He spoke on “Living Responsibly in the Web of Life.” Rhoads is the co-host of a new six-part DVD series, “Earthbound: Created & Called to Care for Creation,” created by Seraphim Communications for the ELCA and a number of Lutheran partners. See pages 4 & 6 for more information. The series is available from Seraphim Communications’ online store at http://store.seracomm.com/.

Barbara Rossing, profes-sor of New Testament, in October attended the Lutheran World Federation Council and Executive Committee meetings in Switzerland, attended The

FACULTY NOTES

Ecumenical Institute at Chateu de Bossey, for the Lutheran World Federation Women’s Pre-Assembly meeting, and traveled to Pittsburgh, Pa., for a Luce Fellowship meet-ing. In December, Rossing

was part of the Lutheran World Federation delega-tion to the Climate Change Summit. She added her name to a letter signed by church leaders from around the world urging the U.N. climate change negotiators to act now. Rossing also received inter-national attention for the message of hope she pre-sented during a seminar hosted by the National Council of Churches and the University of Denmark, “Creation and the Climate Change.” Read more at www.lstc.edu/news/ and at ELCA news release archive for 12/31/09.

Craig Satterlee, Axel Jacob and Gerda Maria (Swanson) Carlson Professor of Homiletics, in October 2009, presented five lectures on the theme “When God

Speaks through Change,” at the Association of Trained Intentional Interim Ministers Annual Conference of the Illinois-Wisconsin Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ,

Starved Rock Conference Center, Utica, Ill. That month he also preached at the opening Eucharist and delivered three lectures on the theme “The Story We Live By” at the Bishop’s Convocation of the South Central Synod of Wisconsin, Fontana, Wis., and par-ticipated in a meeting of the ELCA’s Catechumenate Planning Team. In January 2010, Satterlee presented a paper entitled, “’The Eye Made Blind by Sin’—The Language of Disability in Worship” in the Word in Worship Seminar of the North American Academy of Liturgy at its annual meet-ing in Milwaukee, Wis. He lectured on mystagogical preaching at the University of Notre Dame, preached and led a mystagogical reflection on the Easter Vigil at Phinney Ridge

Lutheran Church in Seattle, Wash. In January, Satterlee also preached at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Middleton, Wis., and twice at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Glenwood, Ill. Satterlee’s article, “Worship is Mission,” was included in The Alban Institute’s “Top Ten Articles of 2009 (So Far).” He published “Psalm 114: Homiletical Perspective,” “Psalm 118:1-2; 14-24: Homiletical Perspective,” “Psalm 150: Homiletical Perspective,” in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, Vol. 2, eds. Barbara Brown Taylor and David L. Bartlett, (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Ky., 2009).

Carol Schersten LaHurd, auxiliary faculty, in November 2009, co-chaired the meeting of Lutheran Women in Theological and Religious Studies and presided and pre-sented at the panel “The Qur’an in the Classroom: Pedagogical Challenges and Opportunities” at the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting in New Orleans, La.

Michael Shelley, dean and vice president for aca-demic affairs and director of A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice (CCME), in September 2009, attend-ed the meeting of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue Initiative that is co-spon-sored by the National Council of Churches Interfaith Relations Commission. The meeting was hosted by CCME/LSTC. In October, Shelley repre-

sented the ELCA at the fall meeting of the Interfaith Relations Commission in Chicago. CCME/LSTC hosted two days of those meetings. Shelley published a review of The Gift of Responsibility: The Promise of Dialogue among Christians, Jews, and Muslims by Lewis S. Mudge in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, Vol. 63, #4 (October, 2009).

Mark Swanson, Harold S. Vogelaar Professor of Christian-Muslim Studies and Interfaith Relations and associate director of A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice, was editor of the Arabic Christian sec-tion of “Christian Muslim Relations: A Bibliographical History, Volume 1 (600-900,)” David Thomas and Barbara Roggema, eds., with Juan Pedro Monferrer Sala, Johannes Pahlitzsch, Herman Teule, and John Tolan, (Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2009). Swanson con-tributed 20 entries to this 957-page reference work.

Linda Thomas, professor of theology and anthropology, in October 2009, gave a lec-ture, “The African American Church and Politics in 2009,” at Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. The lecture was part of their Joseph J. Naples Conversations in Christ & Culture series.

Peter Vethanayagamony, associate professor of mod-ern church history and director of the doctor of ministry program, published “The Lutheran Churches of India,” a December web

44

FACULTY NOTES

Barbara Rossing leads a session at the seminar “Creation and Climate Change” held in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the U.N. Climate Change Summit

45

article on the Lutheran Forum, web site, at http://www.lutheranforum.org/extras/the-lutheran-church-es-of-india#1262987339. It accompanies his article, “Serving Body and Soul in Early Lutheran Mission to India,” Lutheran Forum (Winter 2009). Vethanayagamony preached and presided in January at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago.

Christine Wenderoth, director of the JKM Library and associate professor of ministry, published “In a Parallel Universe? A Response to Jeffrey Garrett,” in Theological Librarianship:An Online Journal of the American Theological Library Association, Vol. 2, No. 2, available at http://journal.atla.com/ojs/index.php/the-olib/article/view/96/376.

Vítor Westhelle, profes-sor of systematic theology, published his eleventh and twelfth books, The Church Event: Call and Challenge of a Church Protestant (Minneapolis, Minn.: Fortress, 2009) and After Heresy: Colonial Practices and Post-colonial Theologies (Eugene, Ore.: Cascade Books, 2010). Westhelle’s article, “Santa Frida with Aura and Aroma: On Frida Kahlo’s

Kitchen and Her ‘Broken Column,’” was published in Perspectivas, Thirteenth Issue, (Fall 2009).

Louise Williams, director of spiritual formation, in October 2009, led a retreat, “Nurturing the Spiritual Life,” for the women of Luther Memorial Church, Madison, Wis., at Holy Wisdom Monastery, an ecu-menical Benedictine com-munity, in Middleton, Wis.

FACULTY NOTES

1963

Carl L. Hansen (Augustana, M.Div.) represented LSTC at the inauguration of Mark S. Young as Denver Seminary’s seventh presi-dent on January 30, 2010. The ceremony took place in Littleton, Colo. Dr. Hansen served as presi-dent of Midland College in Fremont, Neb.

1974

David Beckmann (Christ Seminary-Seminex, M.Div.) published “Smarter foreign aid: How to fix USAID” in the December 29, 2009, issue of The Christian Century. Beckmann, who serves as president of Bread for the World, is considered a lead-ing advocate in the United States for hungry people.

Steve Myers (Christ Seminary-Seminex, M.Div.) has started the Sabbath Center, a retreat center, in Lanark, Ill. The center is available to groups of up

to 30 people who wish “to slow down, rest, and recon-nect with nature, with God and with one another.” For more information, visit www.sabbathcenter.com.

1977

Wayne Basch (Christ Seminary-Seminex, M.Div.; 1984, D.Min.) was featured in an article in the January 22, 2010, issue of the Southtown Star, a suburban Chicago newspaper. Read it at www.southtownstar.com/lifestyles/2004688,012210facesoffaith.article.

1986

Melody Beckman Eastman (M.Div.) and her congre-gation, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wheaton, Ill., have received a National Clergy Renewal Program grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant will allow Beckman Eastman to take a sabbatical of several months’ duration. Only 149 such grants were given to clergy and congregations of

all denominations around the U.S.

1988

Leslie Whited (M.A.; 2008, D.Min.) led an education trip to Sumpango, Guatemala, in November 2009. She is CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Utah.

1990

Eardley Mendis (D.Min.; 1993 Th.M.; 1997, Ph.D.) was honored by two other LSTC alumni with the pub-lication of Witnessing in Context: Essays in Honor of Eardley Mendis (Tiruvalla, India: CSS Books, 2009) Monica Melanchthon (1990, Th.M.; 1995, Ph.D.), professor of Old Testament at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India, and George Zachariah (2002, Th.M.; 2006, Ph.D.), assistant pro-fessor in the department of theology and ethics at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and

Research Institute, Chennai, India, edited and contrib-uted to the collection. Essays include “Witnessing in a Globalized World” by K.C. Abraham, “Christian Theology and Interreligious Hermeneutics” by J. Paul Rajashekar, “Witness in Context: Dalit Theology” by James Massey, “Pastoral Care of Migrant Communities” by H.S. Wilson, and a tribute to the late Tamara Mendis by Scott Chesebro, “Bridging Two Worlds.”

1992

Susan Davenport (M.Div.) has begun a new call as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Stockton, Ill. Susan serves on the LSTC board of directors as a rep-resentative for the Northern Illinois Synod.

Nancy Goede (M.Div.) and her congregation, Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Oak Lawn, Ill., have received a National Clergy Renewal Program grant from the

CLASS NOTES

46

Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant will allow Goede to take a sabbatical of several months’ duration. Only 149 such grants were given to clergy and congrega-tions of all denominations around the U.S.

1993

Ronald Beltz Jr. (M.Div.) has been serving as a military chaplain since 2001, with tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was featured in an article that appeared in the November 30, 2009, Quad-Cities Online news service http://www.qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=469038.Beltz is currently serving as chaplain for the Joint Munitions Command at the Rock Island Arsenal in Bettendorf, Iowa.

1997

Caryn Riswold (Th.M.; 2000, Ph.D.) recently published her third book, Feminism and Christianity: Questions and Answers in the Third Wave (Eugene, Ore.:Wipf and Stock, 2009). Riswold is associate professor of religion and chair of gender and women’s studies at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill.

1998

Jennifer Thomas (M.Div.) and her congregation, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Kansas City, Mo., have made their neigh-borhood both safer and greener. They helped get flashing lights installed at their busy intersection to make the crosswalk safer for pedestrians. The lights are solar-powered.

2001

Pamela Lojewski (M.Div.) is serving as the Spiritual Care Coordinator for Heartland Hospice in Rockford, Ill. She began this new call on December 1, 2009.

2003

Robin Brown (M.Div.) was installed as pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Glenview, Ill., on January 17, 2010.

Joy Heine (M.A., dual degree), spouse, Michael Wasniowski, and daughter Cyanna, welcomed Auguste Joseph (A.J.) into the world on November 1, 2009. A.J. weighed 8 lbs. 12.7 oz., and was 20 inches long. He was thoughtful enough to wait to join the family until after they had moved into a new home in Homewood, Ill.

2004

Robert Bryan (M.Div.) helped host and lead LSTC’s annual rural immersion trip and class to Nebraska during January 2010. The class was featured in an article in the Yankton Press & Dakotan on January 15. Read it at www.yankton.net/articles/2010/01/15/community/doc4b-500cb874845815996168.txt.

Jennifer Moland-Kovash (M.Div.), pastor of All Saints Lutheran Church, Palatine, Ill., represented LSTC at the November 2009 inaugura-tion of Kenneth L. Ender as president of Harper College, Palatine, Ill.

2005

James A. Maxey (Th.M.; 2008, Ph.D), published From Orality to Orality:A New Paradigm for Contextual Translation of the Bible (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2009). The book is included in a series on biblical performance criticism edited by Dr. David Rhoads. For more informa-tion on biblical performance criticism visit www.biblicalperformancecriticism.org.

2006

Margaret “Peg” Otte (M.Div.) began a new call as pastor of youth and family formation at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wilmette, Ill., in November 2009. She was featured in an article that appeared in the Pioneer Local newspaper on January 14, 2010.

Peter Perry (Th.M.; 2009, Ph.D.), published The Rhetoric of Digressions: Revelation 7:1-17 and10:1-11:13 and Ancient Communication (Tuebingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2009).

2007

Elonda Clay (Th.M.) received a travel award from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology’s (FASEB) Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) program to par-ticipate in the American Society for Human Genetics 59th Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, in October 2009. Clay’s poster presentation on the Ethical, Legal, Social and Policy Issues in Genetics

session was titled “Using Genetics to Overturn the Legacy of Slavery? The Hope and Hype of Popular Representations of Personal Genomics, U.S. African Americans and Genetic Ancestry Testing.” Her scholarship explores the cultural, social, and ethical implications of genetics and the media.

2008

Jason Bense (M.Div.) was ordained on October 17, 2009, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago. Bishop Wayne Miller of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod presided. Pastor Bense has been called to serve at the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Sacramento, Calif.

Gretchen Enoch (M.Div.) was ordained in February 2009 and is serving as solo pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jasper, Ind. Pastor John Bradford (1997, M.Div.), who was her internship supervisor in Arlington, Va., presided at the ordination. Pastor Enoch was one of the first recipients of an ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission Scholarship. She is pres-ently mentoring someone considering going to semi-nary. Email her at gretchen.enoch@gmail.com.

Dana Hendershot (M.Div.) published a guest commen-tary in the Naples News, Naples Fla., on the condi-tions of farmworkers labor-ing in the tomato fields of Collier County. She is serving as pastor at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in North Naples, Fla.

CLASS NOTES

2009

Timothy Brown (M.Div.) was ordained on October 17, 2009, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago. Bishop Wayne Miller of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod presided. Pastor Brown is serving Luther Memorial Church in Chicago.

Luke Smetters (M.Div.) was ordained on January 23 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Chicago. Pastor Smetters has been called to serve at Wiota Lutheran Church in South Wayne, Wis.

47

CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM

Joseph Dahlquist1917 – 2009

Augustana Class of 1945Pastor Dahlquist died on September 12, 2009, in Duluth, Minn. He was ordained in 1945 and served churches in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. He served on the boards for Lakeshore Lutheran Home and Bethesda Hospital (Minneapolis), and chaired the board on Social Ministry for the LCA. He was a member of the Senior Olympics as a golfer and bowler. He also sang in the Duluth Symphony Chorus and Duluth Opera. He was preceded in death by his wife, Janice. He is survived by two sons. A funeral service was held September 21, 2009, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Duluth, Minn.

Kenwood K. Engel1931 – 2009

Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary, Maywood, Ill. Class of 1955

Pastor Kenwood Engel was ordained in 1955 and served congregations in Wisconsin and Illinois. From 1963

until his retirement in 2001, Pastor Engel served at Christ Lutheran Church in Clarendon Hills, Ill. He died on October 31, 2009. A memorial ser-vice will be held at a later date.

J. Dean Gevik1931 – 2009

Augustana Class of 1957The Rev. Dr. J. Dean Gevik was the author of five books, including Confessions of a Parish Pastor and Paradigms of Ministry, and a con-tributor to a number of periodicals and publications. He served as pas-tor of congregations in Michigan and Minnesota, and as chaplain of Lutheran Memorial Homes in Twin Valley and Halstad, Minn., and at Woodland Good Samaritan Center in Brainerd, Minn. He died on June 6, 2009. Funeral services were held June 20, 2009, at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Baxter, Minn. He is survived by his wife, Melba, three children, and one grandchild.

Arvid T. Swanson Jr.1925 – 2009

Augustana Class of 1954Arvid “Ted” Swanson received his honorable discharge from the Army and his call to ministry in 1946. He was ordained in 1954 and served con-gregations in New Jersey, Texas, and Pennsylvania. After earning a master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University, he became assistant direc-tor and later director of the Lutheran Children’s Home, now called Glade Run Lutheran Services. In 1978, he accepted a call to serve St. John’s Stone Church in Prospect, Pa. Pastor Swanson died September 10, 2009. A memorial service was held September 15 at Hope Lutheran Church, Cranberry Township, Pa.

Alumni take note! Excellent resource available to you through JKM LibraryBack when you were in seminary, you had access to one of the best theological libraries in North America – the JKM Library. One of the things that made JKM so good was its extensive periodical collection. In the last few years many of the journals became available online, so you could find, obtain and print out full-text articles from your home or office. The premier database for full-text online articles in religion is called ATLASerials or ATLAS. This database contains full articles from 140 major religion and theologi-cal journals, including Christianity Today, Christian Century, Interpretation, Worship, and Zygon. JKM subscribes to ATLAS and so you have access to them all if you are a currently enrolled student. When you graduate, licensing law prohibits JKM from granting ATLAS access to you. Until now! JKM Library through The American Theological Library Association and Lilly Endowment, Inc., offers YOU, the alumni of LSTC, free access to ATLAS and all of its wonderful full-text articles from this and the next two academic years! It’s one of the benefits of being our alum! How can you participate? It’s simple: phone or email Chris Wenderoth, director of the JKM Library, at 773-256-0735 or cwen-deroth@jkmlibrary.org, for the username and password of ATLAS. Then, log on…and read.

48

Board notesThe Rev. Dr. Harvard Stephens Jr., college pastor and Dean of Siebert Chapel, Carthage College, Kenosha, Wis., represented LSTC at the funeral of Benjamin Larson held at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, on January 22. Ben Larson, a student at Wartburg Seminary, was killed in the January 12, 2010, earthquake that struck Haiti. He had been on a teaching and research trip to the country. Pastor Stephens repre-sents the Greater Milwaukee Synod on LSTC’s board of directors.

The Rev. Dr. Jean Ziettlow, pastor of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tulsa, Okla., represented LSTC at the inauguration of Dr. Gary Emil Peluso-Verdend as president of Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa. Pastor Ziettlow is the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod representative on LSTC’s board of directors.

Staff notesAnthony Elia, associ-ate librarian for reference and instruction, JKM Library Staff, published “An Historical Assessment of the Narrative Uses of the Words ‘Kabbalah,’ ‘Cabala,’ and ‘Qabala/h’: Discerning the Differences

for Theological Libraries,” in Theological Librarianship Vol.2, no.2, 2009.

IntroducingJane Gegel has been receiving visitors and help-ing the LSTC community with room reservations and work orders since late spring 2009. As the morn-

ing person at the front desk, Jane is the first per-son to greet you when you come through the door. Jane is involved in the International Women’s Bible Study Group on cam-pus. In the last year, she was able to travel to Spain with her daughter. Her spouse, Brian, is a middler M.Div. student who works part time in the office of Vocation, Admissions, and Financial Aid. Jane and Brian are from Indianapolis and are enjoying what the Windy City has to offer them

while Brian is in seminary. Be sure to greet Jane when you visit LSTC. Her phone number is 773-256-0700.

Kristin Johnson, program coordinator for Youth in Mission, has significant experience working with youth and families through case management and program coordination for faith-based non-profit orga-nizations. She participated in the 2009 Serving Christ in the World trip to Mexico and has done mission travel to Guatemala. She holds a human services degree and has extensive administra-

tive office experience. Kristin is coordinating both the YIM programs, Serving Christ in the World and Beyond Belief, and also the annual Youth Ministry Conference at LSTC coming up in April. To learn more

about YIM, visit www.lstc.edu/yim/ or call the YIM office at 773-256-0754. Kristin understands LSTC first-hand as a stu-dent spouse. Her husband, Zachary, is a middler M.Div. student.

Seminex reunion addendumPastor Rick Mueller, Lutheran Church of the Atonement, Florissant, Mo, wrote:

“I was pleased to see the picture of the Roschkes and Larry Neeb as part of your coverage of the Seminex reunion. “You might be interested to know that in addition to being ‘a long-time Seminex supporter,’ Larry Neeb was also Vice President for Seminary Relations, a member of the Seminex faculty, and the execu-tive editor of Missouri in Perspective, the newspaper which generated so much of the support for Seminex around the LCMS. For two years, Dave Roschke was managing editor of Perspective. “I had the privilege of being a colleague of both of these Christian gentle-men and know first-hand their invaluable contribu-tions to the support and survival of Seminex.”

TRANSITIONS

Jane Gegel

Kristin Johnson

Vitor Westhelle publishes two new booksAfter Heresy: Colonial Practices and Post-Colonial Theologies (2010, Cascade Books) and The Church Event: Call and Challenge of a Church Protestant (2009, Fortress Press), are the two newest books from Professor of Systematic Theology Vitor Westhelle. He has published five books in the last three and half years. In The Church Event: Call and Challenge of a Church Protestant, Westhelle states “The living church is to its forms of self-representation what a parasite is to its host. The orchid that blossoms will not have a ‘presence’ but for the tree that hosts it, yet it does not blossom because of the tree.” The church is an event that takes place and where church happens is inseparable from when it happens. How can we detect the signs of the living church and where does it take place? Westhelle’s book throws light on these questions and opens up others to ponder. After Heresy: Colonial Practices and Post-Colonial Theologies is a book in three parts. It begins with an examination for colonial missionary practices then moves to interpretations of the crisis of Western modernity. Finally, it analyses some post-colonial practices that at theologically grounded even when used in discourses that are not religious. Some of the questions this work takes up are: Is there a post-colonial understanding of sin and evil? How can we understand eschatology in post-colonial terms? What does it mean to be the church in a post-colonial framework? For more information about the books or to purchase them, visit the publishers’ web sites: www.augsburgfortress.org/store/ and www.wipfandstock.com/cascade_books.

From top left: LSTC students and Chicago area Lutheran professional singers and musicians presented part one of J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at Bach for the Sem; Ph.D. student Prinstone Ben provided the sermon for the LSTC International Christmas worship; President James Kenneth Echols with the Rev. Dr. Mercedes García Bachmann, 2010 Distinguished Alumnus in Biblical Interpretation; M.Div. student Vance Blackfox (at right, in white shirt) leads a service to celebrate American Heritage Month, Native Peoples, and Creation; playwright and actress, Rohina, performs her one-woman play, Unveiled, at LSTC

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDCHICAGO, IL

PERMIT NO. 9556

1100 East 55th Street • Chicago, IL 60615 • www.lstc.edu

Address Service Requested

For details and contact information, please visit ww.lstc.edu. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Mondays thru May 3, 6:30 p.m.LSTC Common Room (350)Advanced Seminar in Religion and Science

Tuesdays thru May 4, 6:30 p.m.LSTC Common Room (350)The Future of Creation lectures

Sunday, April 11, 4:00 p.m. Augustana ChapelLSTC Gospel Choir ConcertBenefitting the Grover Wright and Rev. Carole A. Burns Scholarships

Friday, April 16LSTC Common RoomStudent Symposium on Science and Spirituality

Sunday, April 25, 4:00 p.m.Augustana ChapelLa Paloma in ConcertChapel Music Series

Saturday, May 1, 8:30 a.m.“The Gift of Joy – The Joy of Gift”Spring Stewardship ConferenceFeaturing the Rev. Dr. J. Pittman McGheeRegistration fee: $40Register at www.mcselca.org orvisit http://tithing.lstc.edu/events.php

Sunday, May 16, 2:30 p.m.St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church150th LSTC Commencement

Monday, May 17 – Friday, May 28May-mester courses at LSTCVisit www.lstc.edu/may-mester for more information

Saturday, June 19 – Sunday, July 4Serving Christ in the WorldVisit http://yim.lstc.edu/index.php for more information

Calendar of Events