LTSP 150th Commemorative Book

T h e L U T H E R A N T H E O L O G I C A L S E M I N A R Y a t P H I L A D E L P H I A

PS Magazine ✛ October 4, 2014

150th Anniversary Commemorative Issue

PS MAGAZINE ✛ COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTThe Rev. Dr. David J. Lose ................................................................................2

CELEBRATIONSGreetings from our Leaders, Ecumenical Partners, and Friends ................3

FEATURESCelebrating a “Goodly Heritage” ......................................................................7

At the Heart of the Celebration: Our Alumni ............................................12

Forming Public Leaders in Faith: Our Seminarians ....................................16

Faculty Members Reflect ..................................................................................20

Academics at LTSP for the Future Church ..................................................26

The Changing Face of Philanthropy at LTSP ..............................................29

Our Generous Sponsors and Supporters ..............................................32

LTSP Timeline................................................bottom of the page throughout

Expanded Story!

Visit the 150th expandedtimeline online atLtsp150.org where youcan offer your commentsand congratulations.

EDITOR/DIRECTOR of COMMUNICATIONS

Merri Bender Brown

WRITERMark A. Staples

PHOTOGRAPHYJohn Kahler

John Kaufmann CollectionJim Roese

DESIGNJulia Prymak

EDITORIAL BOARDMerri Bender Brown

David D. GraftonDonald G. JohnsonLouise N. Johnson

David J. LoseJohn V. Puotinen

Quintin RobertsonJ. Jayakiran Sebastian

CORRESPONDENCEPS,

The Lutheran Theological Seminaryat Philadelphia,

7301 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119

Telephone: 215.248.6311 or1.800.286.4616

Email: [email protected] us online: Ltsp.edu

PS is a publication of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, andis distributed without charge to alumni/ae,

faculty, staff, and friends of the seminary.

© Copyright 2014The Lutheran Theological Seminary

at Philadelphia

Commemorative (96)

Centered in the Gospel of JesusChrist, The Lutheran TheologicalSeminary at Philadelphia seeks toeducate and form public leaders whoare committed to developing andnurturing individual believers andcommunities of faith forengagement in the world.

THE PHILADELPHIA SEMINARY

PSMAGAZINE

�

2 PS�COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE Ltsp.edu

Message from the President

✛WELCOME IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST as we celebrate being one hundred and fifty years young!

Yes, young.That’s not the usual way we mark anniversaries, I realize. We

typically remember how old an institution is. But as we welcomeyou to our celebration of the rich heritage and manycontributions of The Lutheran Theological Seminary atPhiladelphia (LTSP), I think it’s important to remember that weare a community of the resurrection. We live, that is, accordingto Christ’s promise to come again and renew all things.

Which means that as grateful as we are for our august past,we nevertheless are always looking forward, anticipatingwhere God is already at work, searching for where God is outin front of us preparing the way, and discerning where God iscalling us to venture next.

Although LTSP was founded in the fall of 1864, hopes forsuch a seminary had been brewing for more than a century.Sometimes it takes a while for a dream to take root! Onehundred and fifty years later, we can only be grateful for theperseverance and patience of the founders of our school, andfor the faithful and tireless labor of generations of teachers,staff, and supporters who kept the “Mt. Airy Seminary”focused on its mission.

Well, that’s not quite right. For while we are indeedgrateful for the perseverance of our forebears, that’s not theonly thing we can do to recognize their achievement andexpress our gratitude. We can also commit ourselves tofurthering the mission of the school to raise up men andwomen of bold faith and courageous vision and equip themto be public leaders for a public church.

The ways we educate may have changed, the people whowalk through our doors may look different than ingenerations past, the composition of faculty and staff maymore fully represent the diversity of our wonderful urban andmulticultural setting and world, but the commitment to trainleaders to offer witness to the grace and mercy of the God weknow in Jesus Christ remains unchanged.

And so I hope that you do, indeed, feel most welcome toour shared celebration of this important milestone in the lifeof our dear school. But I hope even more that you feel bothinspired and challenged to strengthen us in fulfilling ourmission, the same mission Jesus gave his first disciples to “Goand make disciples of all nations.” When you realize thatgenerations of faithful Christians have been taking up thiscommission, you realize that we really are only one hundredand fifty years young!

For this reason, we welcome you to our festivities, gratefulfor your partnership as together we approach a future that weare confident will be more promising and fruitful than wecan possibly imagine.

Yours in the name of the Risen Christ,

David J. LosePresidentThe Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) has played a hugerole in my own moving forward in faith as it has for countless church leadersfor over 150 years.

When I first arrived as a Master of Divinity (MDiv) student on the LTSP campus inthe fall of 1974, there were few female students, and no female professors, yet Iremember being warmly and generously welcomed by the faculty and staff in spite ofthe resistance many of the early female MDiv students encountered in other arenas.

Those seminary years were formative in so many ways, but essential in instilling inme a love of scripture, sacrament, and service, an awe for the deep resilience of theChurch of Christ, and a respect and competence for preaching, teaching, evangelizing,and equipping people for God’s work to heal and bless the world.

Throughout the next almost four decades I stayed close to the heart and campus of LTSP as a pastorand alumna, as a donor, an occasional speaker and chapel preacher, and, after being elected bishop in2006, as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees. During my first year as bishop,President Philip Krey and I conspired to move the offices of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod tothe campus of LTSP. In so doing, it was our desire to further expand the Lutheran identity of LTSP asan ecumenical, interfaith, and community center.

Visionary leadership matters. In this 150th year I was honored to serve on the Presidential searchcommittee in order to choose a future-oriented leader. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ouragencies and institutions as well as our camp, college, global, and ecumenical partners, welcome Dr.David Lose as our new president with glad and grateful hearts, and pledge our continuing support tothe students, faculty, staff, and administration of our beloved seminary so that a robust Lutheranwitness will continue well into the next century.

Congratulations, kudos, and many blessings are sent to the Philadelphia Seminary for its legacy ofturning out inspired church leaders, and for its willingness to move courageously, hopefully, andfaithfully into God’s future.With and in Christ,

The Rev. Claire S. BurkatBishop, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA

Best Wishes3PS�COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE Ltsp.edu

✛CELEBRATIONS

FromMuhlen-berg to

the presentThe LutheranTheologicalSeminary atPhiladelphiahas tended

American Lutheranism. You arecelebrating 150 “official” yearsof service, but your mark onLutheran theological educationand the preparation of men andwomen for public ministry wasfelt long before 1864 and, Godwilling, will be felt way into the future.

Philadelphia Seminary hasbeen blessed with gifted andfaithful faculty and has blessed uswith gifted and faithful servantsof the gospel. Congratulationson the occasion of your 150th!May God continue to bless your ministry.The Rev. Elizabeth A. EatonPresiding Bishop, ELCA

As you celebrate 150 years of preparing men and women to serve in Christ’s church, we in the New Jersey Synod addour congratulations and thanksgiving! Looking back at the years since the seminary’s founding, so much haschanged in our society and our church, yet the seminary has adapted to the changing times without losing sight of

its central mission of preparing leaders. Looking ahead to the next chapter in the life of the seminary, we are confident thatThe Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia will continue to be a leader in both the community and the church,adapting to the changing needs and contexts in which we will find ourselves, just as our forebears did. May God continueto bless your work and your mission!From your friends (and neighbors) in the New Jersey Synod, ELCAThe Rev. Tracie L. Bartholomew, Bishop


RejoicingsCongratulations toPhiladelphia Seminaryon the occasion of its

150th Anniversary withgratitude for the many, manygraduates who have served andwill serve in the New EnglandSynod of the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America.The Rev. James E. HazelwoodBishop, New England Synod, ELCA

On behalf of myself and the people of theSlovak Zion Synod, ELCA, please acceptour heartfelt congratulations at this

celebration of 150 years of theological educationin Philadelphia. Along with our congratulationscomes our gratitude that The Lutheran TheologicalSeminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) has been able toprepare 150 years of people for ministry in thechurch, including many from our own Synod. MayLTSP continue to faithfully prepare workers forGod’s Vineyard and be a blessing to the church andto those whose lives are touched by the seminary.The Rev. Wilma S. KucharekBishop, Slovak Zion Synod, ELCA

“3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly prayingwith joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of yoursharing in the gospel from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:3-6

These words, from the letter to the Philippians, seem tocapture the essence of these days and the celebration of one-hundred and fifty years of ministry carried out, across the

generations, by faithful teachers and others who have been involvedin raising up leaders in the church of Christ.

Over the years of my ministry I have known many who were partof the formation process at The Lutheran Theological Seminary atPhiladelphia (LTSP), and I have been shaped by them and theirgifts along the way which has been a blessing to me and my ministry.

As you celebrate what has been and look forward to what mightbe, may you continue to give thanks and rejoice for all the past hasshared with the church and wonder and dream about the future andwhat, by the power of the Spirit, might continue to be shared amongus via leaders learning and growing at LTSP.

Thanks be to God!In Christ,

The Rev. John S. MacholzBishop, Upstate New York Synod, ELCA

Greetings to all in the name of Jesus Christ.While I am not able to be with you, I trustyou know that I am there in spirit,

celebrating one-hundred and fifty years of formingleaders for the church.

The witness of the “Mount Airy” seminary hasbeen a great gift to Lutherans and a source ofinspiration to me. I count among the people whohave given direction to my ministry many of thefaculty, staff, and students in this community of faith. Thepersistent and strong witness over these years is a great gift forwhich I give thanks to God with you today.

Now together we move to many more years of bearing thatwitness. As our Metropolitan New York Synod continually declares,we are claimed, gathered, and sent for such a time as this. I rejoicethat we will journey together.Sincerely in Christ,

The Rev. Dr. Robert Alan RimboBishop, Metropolitan New York Synod, ELCA

We at Gettysburg Seminary are privilegedto be partners with our sisters andbrothers of LTSP as together we engage

in the mission of theological education andformation, and service to the church. At thismilestone in your history, we celebrate with you acentury-and-a-half of faithfully and boldlycarrying out this mission. With our other partnersin the Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries andbroader ELCA seminary network, we salute allthat has happened in and from Philadelphia, andpledge our continuing commitment to serve Christ’sChurch together with you in the years to come!The Rev. Michael L. Cooper-White, DDPresident, Gettysburg Seminary

5PS�COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE Ltsp.edu

Many BlessingsDynamic forces in nineteenth-century North American Lutheranism prompted the founding of The

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). “Mt. Airy” consequently became a dynamicforce in North American Lutheranism throughout the twentieth-century. As we live by faith into the

twenty first-century, I am confident that LTSP is poised to become a dynamic force in global Lutheranism.There is so much for us to celebrate at this 150-year milestone in the seminary’s history. Thanks be to God!

The Rev. Dr. Samuel R. ZeiserBishop, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA

Congratulations, rejoicings, and celebrationon this grand occasion of the 150thAnniversary of this great seminary.

Through the years, you have faithfully witnessedto the Gospel of Jesus Christ, raised up pastors toserve God’s people, and inspired prophets to callus to serve God’s mission in the world. Yourfriends and partners in mission in The EpiscopalChurch send you greetings and prayers forGodspeed in the coming century. We give thanksthat God has called us to a common mission tobetter serve the needs and inspire the hopes of theworld. In the midst of this joyful celebration, let uspray for a stronger resolve to serve, to heal, toreconcile, and to liberate in Jesus’ name.The Rt. Rev. Clifton DanielBishop, The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

On behalf of the leadership and congregations of The FirstEpiscopal District of the African Methodist EpiscopalChurch (AMEC), we extend warm congratulations to The

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) on its150th Anniversary. The Reverend Henry Melchior Muhlenberg,the Founder of North American Lutheranism, came to Philadelphiain 1742 and established The Ministerium of Pennsylvania, the firstpermanent Lutheran Synod in North America, in 1748. Less than40 years later, in 1787, The AMEC grew out of the Free AfricanSociety (FAS), established in Philadelphia by visionary AfricanAmerican leaders Bishop Richard Allen and The ReverendAbsalom Jones. Mother Bethel AME Church, the AMEC’s chartercongregation, was established in 1794 with Bishop Richard Allen asthe first pastor. Seventy years later, in 1864, LTSP opened its doorsin center city Philadelphia and, during its early days, was housed at212 Franklin Street, less than two miles away from Mother Bethel.Today, Mother Bethel’s proud 220-year legacy continues under thecapable leadership of The Reverend Dr. Mark Tyler, a member ofThe Urban Theological Institute Council of Advisors (UTICA) ofLTSP’s Urban Theological Institute (UTI). And the AMEC’s FirstEpiscopal District has been a longtime partner with UTI’s annualPreaching With Power event and a leading contributor to the J.Q.Jackson Scholarship Fund for UTI students. How wonderful thatLTSP and the AMEC have such deep and lasting faith roots inPhiladelphia! What a precious gift to have partnered together forthe past 35 years of UTI’s history at LTSP! And what a gloriousfuture God has in store for us as we Move Forward in Faith!Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram, Presiding PrelateThe Reverend Dr. Jessica Kendall Ingram, Episcopal SupervisorFirst Episcopal District of The African Methodist Episcopal Church

On behalf of the Eastern PennsylvaniaConference of The United MethodistChurch, sincerest congratulations on 150

years of faithful service. The rich legacy beautifullyportrayed on the 150th anniversary timelinetestifies to a strong faith foundation. May Godcontinue to bless the countless lives impacted bythis seminary as you move forward with the faithof your founding saints.Bishop Peggy A. JohnsonEastern Pennsylvania Conference of The UnitedMethodist Church

The Mount Airy Church of God in Christ (COGIC) conveys heartfeltcongratulations and blessings to The Lutheran Theological Seminary atPhiladelphia (LTSP) on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary! Over the past fifty

years, Mount Airy COGIC has grown from a tiny storefront mission with a congregationof 16 Sunday School children to a premier mega-church congregation and social serviceorganization, caring holistically for the needs of the congregation and surroundingcommunity in West Oak Lane and the greater Philadelphia area. We have been privilegedto serve as a leading partner with The Urban Theological Institute (UTI) of LTSP sinceits founding in 1980. Our Founding Pastor, Bishop Ernest Morris, has been a best friend

of UTI and served as the third Chair of UTI’s Council of Advisors (UTICA), helping to establish UTI asan innovative, top-quality program cultivating African Americans for effective urban ministry. As one ofthe leading annual hosts of UTI’s Preaching With Power (PWP) event, Mount Airy COGIC has beeninstrumental in raising tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship aid for UTI students. On Wednesday,March 21, 2012, during PWP, LTSP and Mount Airy COGIC established The Bishop Ernest C. Morris,Sr. Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit COGIC degree students, who are well represented at all levels ofstudy at LTSP, from Certificate Studies, to Master of Divinity and Doctoral level studies. With continuedgrowth and development under the visionary pastoral leadership of Servant Leader Dr. J. Louis Felton, amember of UTI Council of Advisors (UTICA), Mount Airy COGIC looks forward to a promising futureof partnership and extended ministry capacity with LTSP as we Move Forward in Faith!Bishop Ernest C. Morris, Sr. — Founder and Jurisdictional PrelateDr. J. Louis Felton — Servant LeaderThe Mount Airy Church of God in Christ


Expanded Story!

Visit the 150th expanded timelineonline at Ltsp150.orgwhere you can offer your comments andcongratulations.

East Mt. Airy Neighbors(EMAN) congratulates TheLutheran Theological

Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) for150 years of devoted service to thecommunity!

As one of LTSP’s secular partners,EMAN has experienced theseminary’s commitment to our verydiverse urban neighborhood.

As LTSP has opened itself to the community —physically, academically, socially, and spiritually — ourneighborhood and our organization have benefittedfrom LTSP’s generosity and genuine concern about itssurroundings. Whether it’s a community meeting, aTown Hall meeting hosted by an elected official, or afundraiser, the seminary has opened its doors (quiteliterally!) to many local organizations.

LTSP is not just in the community — it’s of thecommunity, and we appreciate having it here in EastMt. Airy!

Our best wishes on LTSP’s 150th, and we hope tocelebrate many more anniversaries with you!Elayne BenderExecutive Director, East Mt. Airy Neighbors

The Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church salutes TheLutheran Theological Serminary at Philadelphia(LTSP) on its 150th Anniversary! As one of your

Germantown-Mount Airy Baptist neighbors, Enon is proud ofits 133 years of history serving the faith needs of ourcommunity. Established as the first African American Baptistcongregation in Germantown in 1875, Enon, like LTSP, hasgrown and developed over the past century in response to thechanging times and emerging ministry opportunities in

Philadelphia. Today, Enon is a faith community of over 15,000 members whoseministry impact is felt beyond the walls of its physical structures, spilling intothe local community, throughout the city of Philadelphia, and reaching acrossthe globe to Africa. With a strong commitment to theological education for theformation of strong ministry leaders,

Enon is proud to partner with The Urban Theological Institute (UTI) ofLTSP — sending students for training, contributing funds for scholarships,serving as a leading donor to The Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Sr. Chairfor African American Studies, and hosting the evening session of UTI’s AnnualLecture and Evening Worship Celebration. We look forward to continuedgrowth and increased partnership with LTSP in the coming years as we MoveForward in Faith!The Reverend Dr. Alyn E. Waller, Senior PastorThe Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church


Celebratinga “goodly heritage” as

The Lutheran TheologicalSeminary at Philadelphia

“Moves forward in faith…”


“ANNIVERSARIES provide a welcome and salutary opportunity to look back at one’s historyand heritage in gratitude,” explained the Rev. Dr. David J. Lose, MDiv ’93, STM ’97, theseminary’s new president. “At such an historic

time, we can review significant events and accomplishments,remember saints of old, and recall and share favorite stories. And,indeed, there is much for which to give thanks across the 150 yearsof The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP).

“There is, for instance, the proud confessional heritage thatstarted with a dispute between competing visions for the Lutheranwitness in a new land,” Lose continued, “and that resulted in thecreation of this seminary, a seminary whose professors have editedeach English-language translation of the Book of Concord onNorth American soil.

“And there is the proud heritage of the outstanding leaders whohave studied at LTSP and led communities of faith and church-relatedinstitutions throughout the world,” Lose reminds. “Literally thousandsof leaders have been formed and nurtured on this campus, and thosegraduates have touched the lives of millions of God’s people.

“These students have been taught by generations of excellentteachers,” Lose recalled. “Names like Krauth, Jacobs, Tappert, andHeinecken have been joined in more recent years by Reumann, Lull,Krych, Wengert, Lathrop, Robinson, Day, Heen, Hoffmeyer, Rajashekar,Leonard, Rivera, Kreuger, Pahl, Sebastian, Grafton, Swain, Wiseman,Croft, and Krentz. From its inception, LTSP has attracted teacherscomposed of significant creativity and commitment who have shapednot only their students but also the whole church.

“There is also, of course, the significant history of our ecumenicalcommitment,” Lose noted. “We have welcomed faculty and stafffrom numerous Christian traditions because we recognize thatMartin Luther did not seek to start a new Christian tradition but toreform an existing one. Lutherans are always at their best whenstriving to be a voice for renewal within the whole Christian churchand to support as well as learn from our ecumenical partners andsisters and brothers in Christ.

The Reformation —Sowing the SeedsReformer Martin Luther and colleagues from the Reformation era

sowed the seeds which gave substance for the founding of LTSP

over 300 years later.

1500

s

PresidentDavid J. Lose


“LTSP also has a rich history of commitment to our variedcontexts,” the new president continued. “Located in a vibrant urbancommunity, the ‘Mt. Airy’ seminary not only takes advantage of thenumerous partnerships and cultural opportunities afforded by beinglocated in the city of Philadelphia, but also seeks ‘the welfare of thecity’ in which the Lord has placed us. The significant and salutarywork of the Urban Theological Institute is just one of manyexamples where we have been blessed and shaped by our urbanlocale. We also are both mindful and grateful that our contextincludes the towns and communities throughout the Northeast thathave supported us and look for leadership from us. Our graduateshave served rural, town-and-country, suburban, and urban parisheswith distinction, and provided excellent leadership to church-related agencies throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New Englandregions, and, indeed, across the country.

“We are also proud of our commitment to diversity,” Lose said.“One of the first things I noticed when I was a new student at LTSPis that the seminary and its community looked a lot more like theworld in which I would serve than many schools I had visited. Wetake seriously the confession that God desires abundant life for all ofGod’s children and that diversity of all kinds provides us thestrength and vitality to proclaim that confession and invitation tothe world. All are welcome here because God desires that all shouldknow life and fullness through Jesus.

“And we have a rich heritage of global involvement,” Lose added.“From the pastors who have gone abroad as missionaries to theinternational community and global leaders who have come toLTSP to further their training and share with us their gifts of faithand culture, we have been blessed to be in relationship with theworldwide church from the beginning of our history. Theserelationships have borne fruit in the current student body andfaculty, and continue to be a cause of thanksgiving and strength.

“In all these ways and more, we can agree with the Psalmist, ‘Theboundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places. Yea, we have agoodly heritage.’”

“As important as it is to recognize and give thanks for ourhistory, however, we would betray the treasure of our heritage if ourglance remained fixed on the past,” Lose reminded. “We need to‘move forward in faith.’ God, we believe, is ever out in front of us,calling us to new ventures of faith and courage in order to share theGospel with an emerging generation and respond to the needs ofthe world God loves so much.

“And so we look with both gratitude and excitement to what Godis doing in our midst even now to prepare us for faithful service inthe future,” Lose concluded. “We give thanks, for instance, for thelargest incoming class of students in recent years. We give thanks forinnovative programs like the Co-op Master of Divinity program thatcombines immersion in congregational life and leadership withrigorous academic training. We give thanks for the creative andresponsive Master of Arts in Public Leadership (MAPL) programthat shapes Christian leaders for dynamic service in a variety ofpublic venues. We give thanks for longstanding relationships in thecity and region that continue to make LTSP a remarkably vital placeto study. We give thanks for the increased partnership between ourschool and our sister seminary in Gettysburg. We give thanks for thecommitment to expand the reach of our remarkable faculty viaonline courses and distributed learning. We give thanks for therenewed commitment of supporting congregations, synods, andindividuals as evidenced in a significant increase in gifts received inthe previous year. We give thanks for a visionary board and growingcadre of supporters.

“For all these things and more we give thanks, knowing thatwhile the challenges that confront us along with the larger churchare great, the gifts with which God has blessed this community areeven greater. And so, after pausing to give thanks, we turn our faceeagerly to the future God is nurturing, confident of God’s grace androoted in God’s love. For as grand as the past has been, we believethe best is yet to come. Join us as we make the next 150 years evenmore remarkable than the first so that together we may sing with thePsalmist, ‘Yea, we have a goodly heritage … and a blessed andexciting future.’ Thanks be to God.”

Coming to the Colonies —The Swedes inPhiladelphia16

30s–

1740

s The American colonies grew,

and along with the immigrants

came their religions. Lutheran

Swedes had an early, significant

impact on the faith community

in colonial Philadelphia.


The Rev. Louise N. Johnson, the seminary’s Vice President forMission Advancement, taking note of Lose’s historical view ofLTSP, offered a look ahead as the school embraces the opportunityfor “Moving Forward in Faith.”

“If you know anything about theological education these days,you know that nearly every seminary in North America isscrambling to find the best way forward,” Johnson explained.

“The double jeopardy of the state of the economy andenrollment challenges has left theological schools weakened andwondering,” Johnson said. “LTSP is no different. We are workingdiligently to ‘educate and form public leaders’ while dealing withfewer resources, rising expenses, and the need to reduce costs anddebt for our students. It would be easy to be disheartened by this setof circumstances, to throw our hands up in the air and settle forfewer students, fewer schools, or some other version of right-sizing.It might even be prudent to do so.

“And yet, I cannot recall the last time the Holy Spirit called us(anyone really) to prudence,” Johnson continued. “We have beengiven an important mission ‘to educate and form public leaders whoare committed to developing and nurturing individual believers andcommunities of faith for engagement in the world.’ And we do sowith the expansiveness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In short, we arecalled to forge a new path into the future that casts the nets morewidely still, even while we have fewer resources with which to do it.

“Or do we have fewer resources?” Johnson asked. “The financialbooks tell one story. Our communities — students, faculty, staff,alumni, donors, and friends — tell another. By your support of LTSPwith your prayers and gifts, you tell another story. And moreimportantly, in your witness to the Gospel, you tell the old, old story ofthe God who makes impossible things possible. The same God whoblessed loaves and fishes, stilled the storm, healed the sick, and raisedthe dead is the One who calls us to this time, place, and mission.

“So as I assess our strengths,” Johnson continued, “I see that wehave a whole host of counter-cultural, not so obvious, extraordinaryresources that don’t show up on the books: the God of impossible

Late

160

0s Pastorius & the Establishmentof GermantownLutheran by birth and a lawyer by vocation, Francis

Daniel Pastorius established Germantown and became

the most prominent public theologian in the period before

Benjamin Franklin.

The Rev. LouiseN. Johnson


things who called us to our mission; the gift of one another; ourcollective, holy imagination; and the invitation to live into a newday. And of course, there are some gifts on the books as well. All ofwhich might just be enough for us to thrive.

“As we begin with a new class in our 150th year, we welcome thebrilliant and faithful Rev. Dr. David Lose as our president (anotherextraordinary resource we can count!),” Johnson said. “We will alsolaunch a new strategic planning process — a process in which we willbe inviting the inclusion of your holy imagination, since you are oneof our greatest resources. We hope you will join us in prayer, in work,and in giving as God leads us into this new chapter of our future.

“I have been rereading a favorite book of mine, On Religion. In it,Roman Catholic philosopher and teacher John Caputo says: ‘I amasking that we open ourselves toward a future we cannot seecoming, whose coming we can see only darkly and in a mirror, forwhich nonetheless we passionately hope and long.’”

One of the great challenges for the future of LTSP is figuring outhow best to embrace the ever-expanding frontier of technology withall of its challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning.

“When I was asked to contribute my thoughts on what the futureof technology looks like at LTSP, I hardly knew what to say,”explained Kyle Barger, director of Information Systems for theseminary. “It is barely possible to predict what will happen withcomputers next year, much less in future decades.

“So, how does an institution like LTSP navigate this changinglandscape?” Barger asked. “For me, the most important thing is toremain flexible and nimble. You can spend a lot of money, time andeffort chasing after the latest hot trend. We have to be very criticaland discerning: What choices will best serve our mission? While wemay look first to what our colleagues at other seminaries are doing, Ibelieve we also have to understand the broader context of technologyin higher education, from the smallest colleges to the biggest researchuniversities — not so we can duplicate them at LTSP, but so we canmake wise choices about which developments give us the mostbenefit given the resources we have to invest in them.”

Heritage. Commitment.Called by the Holy Spiritto carry out our mission.The faculty, the students,the staff, the communitywho have developed,nurtured, built, andchanged this institution,have known the schoolover its 150 years as TheLutheran TheologicalSeminary at Philadelphia,Philadelphia Seminary, Mt. Airy,or simply “Lutheran.” They haveseen, lived through, predicted,nurtured many changes as thechurch, the community, and theworld, have changed.

What was once a campus farfrom the “city,” behind a stonewall, served by horse-drawntrolleys, is now a center of avibrant, diverse community. Since its founding, LTSP, its graduates,and its faculty, have been serving — as Dean J. Jayakiran Sebastiancalled it — “The Always-Generous and Ever-Ready Church.” Acampus of men, Lutheran men, is now a vibrant place of learning formen and women from many faith traditions and ethnic and culturalbackgrounds. Who could have imagined the school as it is today?

How will we be “moving forward in faith” as the future — andour future — unfolds? Doubtless there will be surprises, featuringboth challenges and opportunities, calling for much prayer anddiscernment. What will the future be? Time will tell, but we havethe comfort of knowing that God will be with us throughout ourjourney. ✛

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg & the American RevolutionHenry Melchior Muhlenberg firmly established the Lutheran church

on American soil, and dreamed of a seminary in the city. In 1777, what

is now the seminary campus was a part of the Battle of Germantown.1740

s–17

90s

Kyle Barger


ALUMNI OF THE LUTHERANTHEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ATPHILADELPHIA (LTSP) have includeddenominational presiders (H. GeorgeAnderson and Franklin Clark Fry), a chiefecumenical officer (William Rusch), apioneering synodical bishop (MargaritaMartinez of the Caribbean Synod), and atalented musician/pastor who once turnedhis sanctuary into a courtroom settingwhere “wanted” felons could givethemselves up, receiving reduced sentencesor probation (Ernest McNear).

As more than one faculty member hasnoted, however, many hundreds of LTSP’smore than 5,000 alumni have broughtgreatest honor to their alma mater simplyby being effective pastors or other leaders,dutifully serving our Lord and Savior JesusChrist in the congregational vineyard andelsewhere — often out of the limelight.

Here’s a synopsis of some of the storieswe have told about the seminary’sgraduates just since 2010. They — and somany others — give special meaning to theschool’s celebration.

At the heart of the celebration:HOW LTSP’S PRECIOUS ALUMNI HONOR THEIR SCHOOL

✛ALUMNI18

50s–

1860

s The Civil War — A Seminary is FormedIn the midst of the Civil War, Muhlenberg’s dream of a seminary in

Philadelphia came to reality with the founding of The Lutheran Theological

Seminary at Philadelphia.

Clockwise from top:The Rev. MaritzaTorres-Dolich, the Rev.Sue Ruggles, and theRev. Keith Rohrbach.


One-time Verizon executive the Rev.Richard Yost, ’05, in 2010 told of aministry with older persons in Clay, NewYork, at Immanuel Lutheran Church.Located in a Syracuse suburb, thecongregation is about 20 minutes awayfrom Camilllus, where Yost grew up. Whatonce was a ministry involving 15 folksgathering at a local luncheon at the churchgrew to 70 to 80 visitors, involving afeatured speaker. Under Yost’s leadershipthe congregation also became part of anecumenical initiative, reaching out tomilitary personnel departing from andarriving home to Syracuse Airport.Immanuel members were distributing food

The Rev. Maritza Torres-Dolich, ’02, in2010, set up a playground and communitygarden outside St. Stephen’s LutheranChurch in Allentown, Pennsylvania, as away of reaching out to and meetingneighbors, many of them Hispanic adultsand children. Neighbors planted thegarden. “I feel we need to be engaged inministry ‘out there’ beyond these walls ofthe church,” Torres-Dolich said at the time.

In 2009, the Rev. Keith Rohrbach, ’84,pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church,Kutztown, Pennsylvania, began “ThePotato Project” on an acre of land in thecommunity owned by a couple belongingto the church. Kutztown had many peoplewithout jobs who were hurtingeconomically, and many were hungry. Thecongregation planted 7,000 potatoesduring the 2009 growing season andharvested 70,000, giving the harvest topantries and shelters in the area. Someoneelse donated another five acres to theproject, leading to an estimated yield of430,000 potatoes during the 2010 harvest.The project turned ecumenical. “I can’tbelieve all this has happened,” Rohrbachsaid at the time.

When the Rev. Sue Ruggles, ’02, beganher ministry at St. John Lutheran Church,Easton, Pennsylvania, she found herselffrequently greeting ex-offenders from theNorthampton County prison just up thestreet. “They wanted some food or clothingor perhaps a bus ticket home to BerksCounty,” Ruggles said. She began a Thursdayafternoon visitation initiative to inmates atthe prison, offering bible classes and thechance to converse. “I talk to them aboutwhat is missing in their lives,” she said. “Theyhave been hearing words of judgment, and Itell them God forgives them. Can youforgive yourself ? What is it that God wantsyou to do now and in the future?”

The Move to Mount AiryContinuous growth saw the seminary move from

center city’s Lutheran Bookstore, to the first seminary

building on Franklin Square, to the seminary’s

permanent home in Mt. Airy.

1880

s–18

90s

From left to right: The Rev.Richard Yost, the Rev. Dr.Charles “Chaz” Howard, andthe Very Rev. Judith Sullivan.


and snacks and conversing with soldiers, many of whom were facing uncertainty in placeslike Afghanistan and Iraq. “Both my seminary training and background in corporatemanagement have assisted me greatly in working with people of the church,” he said.

The Rev. Dr. Charles “Chaz” Howard, who earned an STM in ’08 and PhD in ’10 atLTSP, was interviewed in 2010 about his work as a chaplain at the University ofPennsylvania, where he was overseeing a variety of campus ministries involving the threeAbrahamic traditions plus Hindu, Buddhist, and other traditions. “We strive to be a safeplace for all expressions,” he said. “Whenever there is a campus crisis involving, say, thedeath of a student, I get involved.” He counsels students on such topics as interfaith dating,grief and loss, and academic challenges. His LTSP thesis, “Incomplete Prophecies,” exploredthe intersection of Black Theology with capitalism, poverty, and the theology of the 1960s,helping him to appreciate economic systems and both the local and global contexts forministry. At the time, Howard cited the mentoring influences at LTSP of Professors KatieDay, John Hoffmeyer, and Philip Krey.

The Very Rev. Judith Sullivan, Dean of the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral inPhiladelphia’s University City, holds her MDiv from General Seminary in New York City,but took much of her training at LTSP, with its campus being within walking distance fromher Chestnut Hill residence. Recalling fondly her studies at LTSP, Sullivan called theseminary “a powerful institutional presence in the ecumenical partnership betweenEpiscopalians and Lutherans.” Under her leadership, the Cathedral was involved inecumenical work to feed the hungry and a food pantry consortium. “We see ourselves as anopen door, a connector between the Episcopal Church and the complex urban, suburban,and rural communities in the five-county region surrounding us,” she said at the time.

The Rev. Dr. William B. Moore, ’85, an LTSP alumnus who is the senior pastor ofTenth Memorial Baptist Church in North Philadelphia, has led his congregation through avariety of ministries including the development of housing initiatives for the disadvantagedand for seniors. Moore has expressed his deep appreciation for his legacy of learning atLTSP by chairing the Advisory Committee of the Urban Theological Institute.

Rozella H. White, ’10, earned her Master of Arts in Religion (MAR) from LTSP andtoday is part of a pioneer venture with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,serving as the Program Director for Young Adult Ministry. She is striving to reconnect theyoung adult population “that often is not found in our churches,” she said in the spring of2013. “It is less about getting them into church than it is about connecting with themwhere they are. Many young adults are telling us they are not against God and faith, butthey are not connected.” A third-generation Lutheran, White is working to discover “bywhat barometer” today’s young adults might “begin to see the church as authentic again.”

1900

–191

0 Campus TransformationGrowth on campus included the construction of

the Schaeffer-Ashmead Chapel in 1903 and the

Krauth Memorial Library in 1908, both thanks to

generous donations.


Visit the 150thexpanded timelineonline at Ltsp150.orgwhere you can offeryour comments andcongratulations.

Read More!

Frustration & ExpansionGrowth continued, the campus expanded to surrounding

properties, and meals began to be served in the Refectory.

The school struggled to develop a campus strategy, only to

be stopped by the Great Depression.

1910

s–19

30s

She acknowledges the ministry entails risk, both for the denomination and her personally. “It meansfinding another way to be the body of Christ, using networks that connect with young adults in non-traditional settings in order to develop new and authentic relationships.”

LTSP graduate the Rev. Mark Parker, ’07, is “reinventing” Breath of God (formerly St. Paul’s)Lutheran Church in the Highlandtown section of southeast Baltimore, Maryland. “I can’t be in myoffice,” he said. “I have to be out and about in the neighborhood, meeting people, building relationships.They see me now as more than a person wearing a collar. When I attend special events, meetings, orfestivals it is easy to have a conversation.” Parker talked about showing up at aneighborhood pub on Thursday nights at 8:00 wearing his collar. “A bar isactually a great place to meet people and get into conversations,” he said in a2013 interview, “Even Christian conversations. People in that climate willopen up to you and ask you questions.”

The Rev. Tiffany Chaney, ’12, is a mission developer initiating a newministry focus in the diverse neighborhoods of Dorchester, Massachusetts,with its 120,000 residents. “The neighborhood is my parish,” she said lastyear. “I spend a lot of time out in the community talking to people andhearing their stories.” The Mobile, Alabama, native visits coffee shops, restaurants, andstores. “I hear a variety of faith stories, or I talk to people who say they have no faith atall.” Her church, called simply The Intersection, is a place where she hopesDorchester’s African American, white, Asian, and Hispanic neighbors will feelcomfortable about connecting and sharing stories about the lives they lead.“Dorchester reminds me of the richly diverse seminary community of students, staff,and faculty, and of the seminary’s Mt. Airy community.”

Finally, if you are on a journey through New York City’s JFK International Airport,stop by the chapel located on the east end of Terminal 4 and greet the Rev. RomeoDabee, ’05, STM ’12. Dabee represents the Council of Churches of New York City asthe Protestant chaplain in an interfaith complex that also involves Jewish, RomanCatholic, and Muslim chaplains. “The ministry is like serving a community more thana congregation,” Dabee said. “You meet strangers, some of whom you may never see again, perhaps going home because a relative has died. The airport staff is also part of the community.” JFK serves morethan 42 million passengers annually across eight terminals. Dabee earned his MDiv and STM at theseminary and credits the school for preparing him to deal with the many complexities of his ministry. A highlight was presiding at a wedding for an employee of the New York Port Authority’s LincolnTunnel and his Anglican fiancée. “He was from the Carolinas and she was from the Barbados. Neitherwas part of a congregation, and they thought the airport was the perfect place for their wedding. It wasquite a celebration.” ✛

Page 14: The Rev. Dr. William B. Moore(top) and the Rev. Romeo Dabee. Thispage: Rozella H. White, the Rev. TiffanyChaney, and the Rev. Mark Parker.


IN SEVERALWAYS,Nicolette Faison hasfollowed a “pipeline” route to the seminaryeducation she begins this fall. She is aLutheran confirmand and attended aLutheran college, Wagner, on Staten Island,near her Elmont, New York, home. In herteen years, she was an active leader regionallyin the Lutheran Youth Organization.But in other ways, she is not exactly

typical. For example, she graduated fromWagner a year early, thanks to havingcombined two years of study in highschool. At the tender age of 22, she hasalready earned an MBA from Wagner. “Iwanted to study for that degree to be ableto develop further my leadership skills,” shesaid. “I wanted to be able to think creatively

and out of the box. In working for thatdegree I learned a lot about myself. I alsobelieve that now and in the future we haveto look at church differently, and I believedit would help me to be able to think like anentrepreneur and have the businessbackground an MBA would afford me.” Atthe time, she was in a holding pattern too,awaiting entrance to the Metropolitan NewYork Synod candidacy process.Baptized a Roman Catholic, Nicolette

and her family began attending New HopeLutheran Church in Valley Stream, LongIsland, New York, in the late 1990s. Sherecalled the worship and liturgy was likewhat she had experienced before. As aconfirmand “I asked all the questions,”

Nicolette said. And her pastor, the Rev.Jonathan Hopkins, ’03, an alumnus ofPhiladelphia Seminary (LTSP), “reallyhelped me explore my faith.” At the time,while attending a Lutheran congregation,she was exploring alternatives. “I thoughtof converting to Islam. I thought about theJewish faith,” Nicolette said.In February of 2006, her family

experienced the horror of the suicide deathof her 20-year-old brother, who had recentlyleft military service as a Marine. “He hadexperienced depression while in the service,but the family did not know the details. Hewas experiencing depression when he died,”Nicolette said. “It was terrible.“When he died I found myself

preoccupied with the question of whatreally happens when you die?” Nicolettesaid. “I knew about salvation and hell, butI wondered what if neither happens? Whatif you are laid to rest six feet under and youare just there?“Pastor Hopkins did an excellent job of

pastoral care with our family after thistragedy,” Nicolette said. Then, she went toa Koinonia event with 19 other teenagers.“During a Taize service I suddenly felt thereal presence of God and came to termswith what it means to be a Lutheran.” Becoming increasingly active in the

Lutheran Youth Organization, sheattended Pinecrest Camp in order to honeher leadership skills. “Pastors Mack Smith,Katrina Foster and Paul Millholland werestrong mentors for me,” Nicolette recalled.

New seminarian Nicolette Faison:FIGURING OUT HER PLACE IN THE FUTURE CHURCH

1938–1960s The Civil Rights Movement

Significant winds of change came to the seminary

campus, as some campus expansion was accomplished,

and students returning from World War II were succeeded

by students in the Civil Rights era.

✛SEMINARIANS


Vietnam Through a Generation of ChangeThe transition from the Civil rights era to the Vietnam War era brought

more change, including a plan to merge with Gettysburg seminary and

the first woman — Martha Kriebel — to receive a degree from the school.1960

s–19

70s

“That gift of youth ministry experiencehelped to form me and my faith. I decided Ineeded to pay forward what had been givenme.” She became immersed in theleadership and additional faith training ofProject Connect, an initiative that hasaimed to enable talented youth tocontemplate their options for serving Godand others. During her LTSP campus visitswith that initiative, “I knew where I wantedto be,” she said. Seminary was on the radaras early as seven years ago. Now, as anUpsala at Wagner scholar, Nicolette isgaining financial support to attend LTSP.

As Nicolette anticipated enteringseminary this year, she wanted to immerseherself in a ministry opportunity. Sheanswered a call on Craig’s List to directFamily and Youth Ministry at St. Peter’sLutheran Church in North Wales,Pennsylvania, a suburb about 30 minutesfrom the seminary campus. She is workingthere this summer. “The congregation is alovely old congregation, founded in 1776,”Nicolette said. “It is an old yet newcongregation with good lay leadership andmany young people and younger families.”During our interview, a young artists’ campwas being held in the church with manyyouth attendees not members of thecongregation. She appreciates an inventiveapproach to Vacation Bible School at St.Peter’s. The program is held in the eveningand begins with a family-oriented dinner.

At the time of the interview, Nicolettehad just returned from Kentucky, where she

was part of a St. Peter’s group of 20 adultsand youth working with the AppalachianService Project to repair a home. The familyincluded an unemployed mom and ahusband who is blind in a household withtwo children. “The mom had held a job, butthe travel distance was too far for her. Thejob just didn’t work out, and she is seekingnew work,” Nicolette explained. As thegroup worked on the shanty home, she saidshe was surprised to find it located near anelaborate home across the street. “Thedisparity struck me,” she said. “It didn’tmake sense to me. I learned a lot about thecommunity and its people in Kentucky, oneof the poorest states in the nation.” Shenoted that a nearby Baptist congregationhad collected only $1.72 in its offering on arecent Sunday, and found no Lutherancongregations nearby. “I wondered whereour church is,” she said.

Nicolette is excited about seminary. “Ifeel called to work my way up in the world,”she said, “to make good use of the tools andgifts I have been given for ministry, tofigure out where I can best serve. For methere is no work like church work. I need tobe out with people, praying, working onmyself and with others.”

Asked why she would not considerusing her knowledge and leadership skillsto serve in the more lucrative world ofbusiness, Nicolette acknowledges she couldfind such work if she looked for it, andmaybe use that opportunity to pay off hereducational debt more quickly.

But she equates such a move to theParable of the Three Servants found inMatthew 25, where a master is critical ofthe servant who buried his talents in theground rather than investing wisely. “If Iwere anywhere else than the church, Iwould not be investing wisely,” Nicolettesaid. “Why would I bury my talents in theground? I would not be sharing my giftsthe way I feel called to do if I was any placeother than the church.”

Nicolette believes the modern churchneeds to change. “It does a good job withpastoral care and global ministry,” she said.“But it needs to change to make the bestdifference in this time and place and in thefuture.” She is trying to figure out whatthat means, beginning with her seminaryeducation. “I need to see where the churchis going, and what my place in it is.” ✛


ALEx ZUBER, a new Philadelphia Seminary (LTSP) Master of Divinity — Co-operative Model (Co-op) student,once thought he wanted to become a physician. A resident of Roanoke, Virginia, Zuber was majoring in public healtheducation at James Madison University, intent on specializing in pediatric cardiology.

“It didn’t take long for me to figure out I wasn’t cut out to be a doctor,” Zuber explained. “I began todiscover that relating to patients would be the best part, rather than the actual practice of medicine.”

Zuber said he began to seriously discern a call to parish ministry four years ago duringhis freshman and sophomore years in college. “I talked about it with my mom over tortillachips in a Mexican restaurant,” he said with a smile. “And I opened my heart to the voicesin my life who were saying I had the gifts for ministry.” One of the first voices to raise thenotion of such gifts had been the Rev. Scott Mims, now a pastor in Virginia Beach,Virginia, during a confirmation interview with Alex. The interview took place at ChristEvangelical Lutheran Church in Roanoke. Also influential was the Rev. Dave Delaney, a Virginia Synod assistant to the bishop who directs youth and young adult ministries.

Zuber took several years to search for a seminary while finishing up college. “Theidea of studying in a major urban center like Philadelphia really appealed to me,” Zubersaid. “I was also excited to be a part of LTSP’s new Co-op program, and to be part ofhow the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is re-evaluating approaches toseminary education. It just seems that the Co-op program is a new and innovativeapproach to learning lessons both in the classroom and a congregation.”

The Co-op model enables seminarians to complete their studies in three years, ratherthan four. Zuber and eight other colleagues who are part of the initiative’s first year in2014–15 will engage in classroom study Tuesday through Thursday, and serve acongregation Friday through Monday. Zuber anticipates serving Stoney Man Parish inLuray, Virginia, a collaborative of two congregations, Grace and Beth Eden LutheranChurches, now served by one congregation council. Zuber’s supervising pastor will bethe Rev. Nick Eichelberger.

In his initial orientation, Zuber’s excitement is growing. “My Co-op colleagues are all from differentsituations, and I anticipate learning a lot from them,” he said. “I also look forward to the bigger experience oftaking classes in the city and working in a rural congregational setting. It sounds like a fun dichotomy.” Thedrive to Luray takes four hours one way, but Zuber looks at the trip as “a strong personal time for reflectingabout things. I’m a hands-on type of person, and I think I will learn best using the Co-op approach.”

He thinks his background majoring in health education will be an advantage when he takes up ClinicalPastoral Education in a clinical setting. Most of all, Zuber is excited about serving as a parish pastor. “I like theELCA’s approach to Word and Sacrament ministry,” he said. “A ministry celebrating the body and blood ofJesus Christ has a way of bringing people together. Through such a ministry amazing things can happen.” ✛

New MDiv Co-op student Alex Zuber:LOOKING FORWARD TO URBAN/RURAL SETTING FOR LEARNING

Growing Diversity & DiscoveryIn 1980, “Lutheran said YES!” to the Rev. Dr. Andrew H. Willis

and the late Rev. Dr. Randolph L. Jones and the Urban

Theological Institute started. The school continued to expand

its offerings, with more women and more students and faculty

from other faith traditions.

1980

s

I had the giftsfor ministry.

…I opened my heart tothe voices inmy life whowere saying


Two MDiv Co-operative Model sponsoringchurches share their ministry stories

In picturesque and economicallydepressed Luray, Virginia, congregationsusually can’t afford a full-time pastor, andmany are searching for new models ofministry. For two congregations in the county,Grace and Beth Eden Lutheran churches, the new Master of Divinity — Co-operativeModel (Co-op) for seminary education at The Philadelphia Seminary (LTSP) hasbecome a godsend that is appreciated both by the seminary and the financiallystrapped churches.“Luray is a small town with about 5,000

residents and no major highways goingthrough it,” explained the Rev. NicholasEichelberger, dean of the Page (County)Lutheran Conference. “There are about 140congregations in a county of 18,000residents,” explained Eichelberger, who hasserved St. Mark Lutheran Church in Luray for26 years. “About 85 percent of them can’tafford a full-time pastor and survive throughsome form of part-time ministry.“Unless you are a teacher, attorney, or

physician in Page County, your best option isto look for a job about 90 miles away in theWashington, DC, corridor,” Eichelbergerexplained. Long distance commuting is anobvious challenge.Grace and Beth Eden can’t afford a

pastor. They have begun working closelytogether and have a single collaborativecongregation council. Just a few weeks ago,Virginia Synod Bishop James Mauney heardof the new Co-op initiative for seminaryeducation at LTSP. The program enablesseminarians to complete their studies inthree years rather than four, and also offerspartner congregations the continuity of threeinternship years. Through their participation,congregations help seminarians pay for theirseminary training and become trainingpoints. Mauney spoke with Eichelberger, andthe pair concluded that it could make sensefor Grace and Beth Eden to be part of theinitiative. Through the Co-op Model theycould afford, with synod support, acontinuity of leadership in training for threeyears while options for the future arecontemplated. Eichelberger will offersupervisory support to the seminarian, AlexZuber, who is from Roanoke, Virginia.“Alex has impressed us with his

personality, enthusiasm, and energy,”

Eichelberger explained. “It is something newfor us as well of the seminary, and we areexcited about it.” Zuber will commute thefour hours to Luray Friday through Monday,taking classes the other three days of theweek in Philadelphia. The Co-op Model deals directly with a

concern that troubles congregations in Lurayand elsewhere. “When I went to seminarythe cost was about $2,500, and my parentspaid all the costs,” Eichelberger said. “So Ihad no student debt. Today young pastorsare coming to places like Luray withconsiderable debt. Congregations can’tafford to pay them well. And so we find it ishard to retain a minister for any length oftime. This Co-op that enables training to becompleted sooner helps greatly with the debtproblem in our view. Everybody benefits.”Another Co-op partner with LTSP is Trinity

Evangelical Lutheran Church in FairviewVillage, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania,located between Lansdale and Collegeville.Trinity, founded in 1848 as a German-speakingchurch, was once a thriving congregation in acathedral setting in downtown Norristown,the county seat for Montgomery County. Butafter its heyday in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s,the congregation fell on hard times and wasnear closure in the early 1980s. “We decidedto make the congregation part of a newmission venture, purchasing an old farm inFairview Village in 1993,” explained the Rev.Kim Guiser, the congregation’s senior pastor.The venture had the support of theSoutheastern Pennsylvania Synod. “We knewwe had the advantage of putting the church inan area of rapid demographic growth.” Thecongregation has many young suburbanfamilies now, and a mix of senior citizens and“empty nesters.” It also operates a school, andis in the midst of its fourth building expansionsince the decision to move 21 years ago.Guiser explained the church worked

successfully with a co-op venture involvinganother seminary, and so they lookedfavorably upon working with LTSP on its newventure. “The intern from the earlier situationtold us the experiential learning focus wasvery valuable. The benefits to thecongregation are the continuity we expect toenjoy over three years. It’s a chance for thecongregation to form deep relationships overthree cycles of the church year,” Guiser said.

The participating seminarian will beMicah Krey, “a recent college graduate in hisearly 20s with a background in history andmusic.” Micah is the son of the Rev. Dr. PhilipKrey and René Diemer. The senior Krey lefthis post as LTSP president in August. Diemeris the seminary’s registrar.“We are risk-takers and social

entrepreneurs at Trinity,” Guiser said. “So itis a good place for a seminarian to develop asense of vision. We roll the dice, experiment,try things. Many things have worked, andsometimes we have failed.”Trinity has 18 outreach ministries, one of

which is a project with eight to 10 partnercongregations in the area, working withLutheran Immigration and Refugee Serviceto resettle immigrants, many of whom are inthe U.S. on asylum. Among those recentlyresettled are Congolese immigrants, about50 families in all. Partner congregationsinclude half a dozen Lutheran churches,along with Seventh Day Adventist,Mennonite, and United Methodist churches.“The culture is changing,” Guiser

explained. “Overall at Trinity we’ve done wellas a church by doing good. We need to thinkof ways to set up our shop differently as achurch, focusing on changing the world forgood for God.” ✛

The Rev. Kim Guiser

The Rev. NicholasEichelberger


HOW DO The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia’s(LTSP) faculty members view their calling to teach? And how dothey prepare themselves to remain relevant in rapidly changing andchallenging times in the life of the seminary and the church?

Several faculty members, including a pioneer who still teaches, tooksome time to assess their vocation, what it means to them, and theirideas about what lies ahead as they “Move Forward in Faith.”

“The teaching ministry involves both an internal and externalcall,” explained the Rev. Dr. David Grafton, LTSP’s AssociateProfessor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations.Grafton also directs graduate studies at LTSP and is coordinator ofinternational students. Grafton oversaw the most recentreaccreditation process undertaken by the school. Serving twoparishes early in his career, Grafton recalled parishioners’ tellinghim he was a good teacher, “good at explaining things.” That“external” reinforcement jived with his assessment of his God-givengifts. “Teaching confirmands, I recall the excitement I felt teaching

and learning from them,” he said. Graftonwent on to “learn how to teach” by

studying for his PhD at the Universityof Birmingham (England), where healso served as chaplain to the university,engaged in preaching andvisiting.

Grafton then moved on to serve as director of graduate studiesfor seven years at the Evangelical (Protestant) Theological Seminaryin Cairo, Egypt. Then LTSP dean J. Paul Rajashekar heard aboutGrafton though a mutual acquaintance from India, and Graftonand his family made the decision to return to the U.S., leading to acertain culture shock.

“”It is different teaching here,” Grafton explained. “Africans andArabs in Egypt express a public politeness. Students in America arepaying their way and have a sense of entitlement. They are moreproactive and sometimes not so polite.

“I think because of my experience in the Middle East that I bringa certain passion to my teaching, given where we are as a country,”he explained. “Given the demographic change in our citizenry andour pluralistic makeup, I hope I can give our students some filters tohelp them with the challenge of thinking about issues as they go outinto ministry.”

With the current tensions in the Middle East and his personalgrieving for the region he once served, Grafton has been sendingmessages to listserv recipients (students, faculty, and staff ) containinglinks to two organizations working for peace. “One pastor wrote tome expressing gratitude for my taking the time to do that,” he said.The pastor used the background for congregational instruction.

On the challenge to remain relevant in his teaching, Grafton hasspecial concern for dealing with pluralism in the population.“Studies have been done that show if a congregation is not in theproximity of a synagogue or mosque the issues regarding otherreligions and faith may never be raised,” he said. “And yet we live ina culture that is increasingly interfaith. We are set up for failure ifour leadership is not intentional about cross-economic and cross-cultural concerns, more sensitive and aware.”

Grafton explained the model for theological training thatapplied to his learning decades ago is simply not up to recentpluralistic challenges. “That focus on training competent pastors

✛FACULTYMoving Forward in Faith:FACULTY MEMBERS REFLECT

1990

–200

0 Transitioning to the Twentieth CenturyThe close of the Twentieth Century saw the opening of the Wiedemann

Center, designed for the growing number of families coming to campus.

More concentrations were added to reflect the times.


did not have the emphasis on lifelong learningemphasized today,” he said. “That emphasismay involve the earning of an advanceddegree,” Grafton said, “but I think we are alsoconcerned at the seminary about offeringspace for all people committed to think aboutthe struggles the church is facing to cometogether as a cohort to think about thechallenges facing the people of God.”

“I was drafted to come to LTSP,” explainedthe Rev. Dr. Katie Day, Charles A. SchierenProfessor of Church and Society and Directorof the Metropolitan/Urban Concentration. “Iwas a graduate student at Union TheologicalSeminary (New York City) and working forthe Presbytery of Philadelphia back in 1984,and Dean [Faith Rohrbough] Burgess askedPastor Gordon Simmons [an alumnus ofLTSP] if he knew anyone who could teachChurch and Society at the seminary, and hesuggested me. Dean Burgess called me out ofthe blue, and until then I had never evenconsidered an academic career.”

Day explained there had been threesearches for faculty positions the previoustwo years. The faculty had told students thenthat at least one position would be filled by awoman. The first two were filled by men.“The third, Church and Society, had resultedin the recommendation of another man,” Dayrecalled. “The women students were at awomen-in-seminary conference with ProfessorMargaret Krych [the first woman to have been

appointed to the faculty]. She told thewomen that on Monday the faculty wouldvote on the man’s recommendation. Thewomen students apparently drove backimmediately, wrote a petition of protest,circulated it among the student body, andpresented it to the faculty at their meetingthat afternoon. The faculty voted torecommend to the board that they start thesearch all over again, this time seriouslylooking for women candidates. The wholeprocess took another year, during whichtime I prayerfully considered my vocation. Istarted in July 1985. I owe my career atLTSP to affirmative action, feminism, andstudent activism — all principles I continueto believe in strongly.”

Day thinks having one foot in activismhas been an experiential gift she brings tothe classroom. “I am fascinated by howchange happens and where God is in themidst of it,” Day said. “I am inspired bypublic theologians who have lived out theirChristian commitment both in the academyand in the public forum. There is anintegrity and balance that I seek in my ownvocation and to share with my students.

“Our students bring a wealth ofexperience and skills with them by the timetheir path leads them to LTSP,” Day noted.“I encourage students to draw on what theyhave learned and done thus far, and allowtheir background to be one of their teachers.”

A New Era & Renewed CampusThe nature of the campus changed as The Brossman Learning

Center was planned and built. The Center for Interreligious Dialog

got its start, and the PhD Program graduated its first students.

2000

–201

0

Page 20: The Rev. Dr. David Grafton. Page 21: The Rev. Dr. Katie Day; group photostanding from left to right: Dr. Jacobs andDr. Sparth; sitting left to right: Dr. Mann andDr. Schaeffer.


Speaking of teaching and remaining relevant, Day cited thewriting of H. Richard Niebuhr, who wrote that relevance is relatedto relativity. “Traditionally the church has been afraid of relativity,which it has interpreted as compromising of our commitments toJesus Christ,” Day said. “And so we have sought to be immutable …but then wondered why those outside the church did not consider usrelevant! The world, of which we’re a part, is changing in ways bothsubtle and seismic. We need to expand our capacity for relating tonew cultures and finding new conversation partners. My hope is thatat LTSP our students find the confidence and the courage to engagean ever-widening spectrum of human experience. It is Christ who is‘the still point in a turning world’ and will not let us go.”

Day said she is “especially excited” by the new MDiv Co-opprogram “and has been honored to be part of its development. Itwill push us all, especially the faculty, to make sure our coursesresonate with the current needs of ministry. Of course we willcontinue to cultivate critical thinking in our students. But there isgoing to be a closer connection to congregational ministry so wewill also be further challenged, ‘Yes, but does this preach?’”

“Teaching was always an honored profession in my family,”explained Dr. Erik Heen, who holds the Rev. Dr. John H.P.Reumann Endowed Chair in Biblical Studies at LTSP. “Mymaternal grandmother was a teacher in North Dakota who hadgone on to get a master’s degree. My paternal grandfather wassuperintendent of rural schools in the Minot, North Dakota, area.Teaching was one of the vocations that came naturally to me as apossible life choice.”

2010–2014

Renewed Challenges & OpportunitiesThe decade leading up to the 150th Anniversary saw continuing

changes, with a trend toward more commuter and part-time

seminarians. The Master of Arts in Public Leadership saw its

first graduates.

How did Heen get to a Lutheran seminary? “My family, on bothsides, has been involved in the Norwegian branch of Lutheranism inthe USA since the 1860s,” Heen said. “Most recently, a grandfather,father, and two uncles were pastors in the Norwegian LutheranChurch in America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and theAmerican Lutheran Church, predecessor bodies of the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America. When I was finishing up my PhD inEarly Christianity at Columbia University, a position in NewTestament at LTSP became available. Coming to know the schoolthrough the interview process, I was very impressed by its faculty,then in the process of rebuilding, and the seminary staff. I was oneof four new instructors hired in 1986. The others were AdeleResmer, Nan Aalborg, and Elizabeth Huwiler.”

Discussing the gifts he feels he brings to the classroom, Heen said,“I am interested in Lutheran theology and the richness it brings tobiblical theology. I am also interested in the fascination withBuddhist, Native American, and Nature spirituality in the widerculture and am working with finding areas of overlap with thesespiritual traditions and my own Lutheran heritage as a way of enteringinto a dialogue with those who tend to think pejoratively aboutChristianity, a segment of the population that seems to be growing.”

From left to right: Dr. Erik Heen and the Rev. Dr. Nelson Rivera.


Heen described his efforts to keep leaders he is training relevant tothe challenges of ministry today. “The leaders of the church need tokeep one foot firmly grounded in the vast and deep and true resourcesof Christianity, and one foot grounded in the world outside of thechurch,” he said. “This makes for a difficult balancing act, but onewhich is necessary. I would like to see the church become a resource forfolks who are uncomfortable with the values of late capitalist consumeristculture. The early church provided a clear alternative to the values ofthe Roman Empire. If Jesus was Lord, then the emperor was not. Someof the excitement of the early church was tied up in the way it resisted,as a corporate body, the values of the empire. No individual had (orhas) the strength to do this alone. I hope the leaders of the church areable to articulate a ‘way’ through the thicket of post-modern life that isbased in the truth of Christ and the life-bringing spirit of God.“The new curriculum,” Heen said, “seeks to integrate theological

education with the real-life demands of the contemporary church andwider world. To the degree that we do that well, we are living into theintent of the curricular revision. Actually, I think we did a pretty goodjob of it in the old curriculum. That is because my colleagues take theirvocation as teaching theologians seriously.”

The Rev. Dr. Nelson Rivera embarks with the Rev. Dr. Karl Kruegerin the teaching of the Lutheran Confessions this academic year. Rivera,Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Hispanic Ministry,also directs the seminary’s Latino Concentration. In addition toteaching Hispanic students (and other students too) in Hispanicstudies, Rivera has a strong interest in the relationship between scienceand theology.“I was called to LTSP to become a teacher and scholar,” recalled

Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico. The invitation to do graduate studieswas through the expansion of the Black Scholar Program, renamed asthe LTSP Scholar Program at the time. “Some of my former teachers atthe MDiv level knew of my desire to serve the church as a teacher,” hesaid. “I’m grateful to Jim Echols, Helmut Lehmann, Clarence Lee, andFaith Rohrbough, who encouraged me. There are certainly others.Without them I could never have fulfilled my dream to become aseminary professor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

“My call to serve as a professor is an extension of my original call toministry,” Rivera said. “I have worked to bring a pastoral ethos to mywork and the relationship I have with students. I keep my originalletter of call that I received as an instructor of theology in my office. Itis a good reminder of why I am here. Over the last 14 years I believe Ihave grown as a teacher, pastor, writer, and advisor in many ways.“As someone strongly committed to mission and ministry, as well

as to the best theological education and discourse, I like toemphasize the connections between conceptual analysis andpractice-oriented approaches.” Rivera cites two major influences onhis theological training. “Lutheran commitments have provided mewith a faith and freedom that I don’t see how I could have enjoyedotherwise. Also, perspectives from theologies of liberation haveopened the doors to communal engagements while keeping theplight of the poor and needy in my mind and heart.”Rivera said one of the graces afforded him by the seminary has

been to be able to listen to different voices that have “helped meponder varied contributions to Christian experience and thought …One area that most interests me, but also worries me at times, ispreaching. I believe in the need for a strong Gospel-orientedproclamation, the kind that loudly and stubbornly announces grace,forgiveness, and new life without relying on any one preacher’spersonal piety or ideological assumptions. Thank goodness, life-giving proclamation has been heard soundly from these halls manytimes, and I am not ready to see it diminished by anyone.“Our new FAR curriculum (Flexible, Affordable, Relevant) is a

welcome addition,” Rivera added. “It provides the kind of flexibilitythat current students need as they plan their programs of study. Inaddition, the curriculum reflects much needed emphases, such asthe Ecumenical, Interfaith, Global/Cross-cultural, and Missionalinitiatives of the ELCA. Focusing on learning outcomes certainlyhelps, even though it is not the whole of the story. As we know,there is more to a good education and training than outcomes. Onany given learning process, in any classroom for that matter, thereare variables that can ultimately transform the learning experiencebeyond our expectations.”

2014–2164

Leading LTSP into the next 150years: The Rev. Dr. David Lose“...Christian leaders in congregations and public and private

institutions are called not to the hero’s quest of individual

accomplishment, but rather to the disciple’s quest of nurturing a

community, of equipping the saints for witness and service, and of

following our Lord in caring for all people as fellow children of God.”


The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain,Associate Professor of Pastoral Careand Theology and Director of Anglican Studies, explained she“backed into teaching” by being an “eternal” student in a variety ofsettings. Some insights came during training she received in earlyministry in her native New Zealand as a hospital chaplain and then apsychiatric chaplain. “I found I was working on the edge of myknowledge and experience, so I would seek to extend that edge,” shesaid. Her earliest teaching was as a Clinical Pastoral Educationsupervisor with small groups from a wide variety of culturalbackgrounds. Feeling burned out, she came to the U.S., studyingwith Professor Ann Ulanov at Union Theological Seminary, whereSwain admired Ulanov’s combination of spiritual joy and academicrigor. She returned to New Zealand with a passion for training clergyboth in the parish setting and in specialized ministries, such aschaplaincy. She ended up returning to the U.S. to take up pastoralpsychotherapy training and a residency program at the Blanton PealeInstitute in New York before entering a doctoral program at Unionin Psychiatry and Religion. Along the way, Swain said she learnednot to say, ‘You’ve got to be kidding’ to either God or a U.S.Immigration official.” She says she also learned not to plan for anyparticular position in life as “God may mess with you in delightfullyunanticipated ways.” Swain is an Anglican who was profoundlyshaped by experiences ministering in the aftermath of the 9/11disaster in New York City.While working on her dissertation at Union, Ulanov handed

Swain a job announcement for a professor of pastoral care andtheology at LTSP. “The position began to work on me,” she recalled.She wrote about the position to then dean J. Paul Rajashekar andbegan hearing from others about the academic rigor and quality ofthe faculty, along with the inclusive nature of the community and itsracial diversity. She interviewed at the school, becoming excitedabout its focus on public theology. “It said that LTSP was focused onthe church and the world, not simply on producing pastors for aparticular denomination,” Swain said. Five years later, now a tenuredprofessor, she has turned down teaching opportunities elsewhere,“feeling this is a good place to have an academic vocation. I havegrown to love standing in the classroom and sitting at Earth Bread +Brewery, walking the halls of The Brossman Center and the paths ofthe Wissahickon. I have grown to love my colleagues and thestudents I am privileged to teach. Here I can step out of the boat andrisk sinking into new methods of teaching and learning so that wemay all fulfill the vocations to which God has called us.”Swain explained she comes to her teaching at LTSP with a wide

range of ministry experience — congregational ministry, pastoralpsychotherapy, and hospital chaplaincy — and shaped by diversecontexts and persons. “I come as someone who is both animmigrant and shaped by living in a bi-cultural context with anunderstanding of both privilege and marginality that informs my

vocation as a priest and professor,” she explained. She said sheencourages her students to have models they will be able to use asadaptive leaders and pastoral caregivers in real life situations.On keeping students relevant as they prepare for ministry, Swain said

the thing “that most keeps the leaders we are training relevant is that weuse their own ministry to inform their study.” She explained thatstudents want to be prepared for the church “that is and that will be, notthe church of 20 years ago, when I went to seminary.” A course on“Thriving, Dying, Merging, and Emerging Congregations,” for example,“will look at best practices of current congregations facing what it is to bepart of a church where no one model of congregation is normative.” Sheexplained the new FAR curriculum makes all opportunities possible “forthose training for congregational ministry or some other public ministry.A good theological education enables us to be resourced enough toprepare for the unpreparable of a ministry that may take us to places andencounter people of which we may not even currently conceive. That’swhat happened to me, thanks be to God.”“I came to teach at LTSP because the opportunity for me to

shape and prepare future leaders intrigued me,” explained the Rev.Wayne E. Croft, Sr., DMin, PhD.Croft is the Jeremiah A. Wright,Sr. Associate Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics at the seminary.“There have been mentors, both local and distant, some I never metbut read their published work, who left an indelible impression onmy life. I desired to do the same for others. The profession ofteaching provides me the opportunity to give back to others whatwas given to me: a brighter future.“I chose to teach at LTSP because of its commitment to train

seminarians who are not only Lutheran but also those who may benon-Lutheran and of African descent through the Urban TheologicalInstitute (UTI),” Croft said. “I admire its commitment to diversity.

The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain


“To the seminary I bring a passion for social justice and an appreciation for AfricanAmerican homiletics and liturgics,” Croft said, explaining how his background helpsto make a difference in his teaching approach. “It is important to me that as we moveinto an age where it appears we are losing an appreciation for social justice and traditionthat I challenge students to know their history, especially those of African descent.“As an active, full-time senior pastor and seminary professor, I am in a position to

help students stay on the cutting edge,” Croft explained. “I not only teach studentshow to be relevant in today’s church, but I also practice it. I bring both theory andpractice to the classroom. I am not removed from what is relevant. I’m in the trenchestrying to keep the church alive and active. I encourage students to not only read theBible but also the newspaper, broaden their horizons, listen to the stories of those theyserve and their community. This approach is the best way to remain relevant.“Our new curriculum stretches me as it requires me to dig deeper into my

profession,” Croft said. “The curriculum helps me not to forget the basics. I am madeto know at least the basics of other teaching disciplines than my own at the seminarythrough our new curriculum.”

The Rev. Dr. Margaret Krych, who in retirement still teaches at the seminary fromtime to time, is a true LTSP pioneer, having become the first woman to join the facultyMay 1, 1977. (Faith Rohrbough Burgess came to the seminary as dean a year afterKrych joined the faculty.)“I got to the school because someone at LTSP called me and asked if I would be

interested in the Christian Education teaching position that Rich Olson had vacated,”she said. “I didn’t even know the whereabouts of the seminary at the time! At thatpoint I was enjoying working as an editor of Christian education materials at the thenLutheran Church in America’s Division for Parish Services at 2900 Queen Lane inPhiladelphia. But I did want to teach in systematics, my PhD field, so I said I wouldinterview if I could teach both Christian education and systematics.“I was actually surprised when they offered me the position!” Krych said. “Now

years later, I have been able to see many pastors and directors of Christian educationwhom I have taught as students, and it is a delight when they share what they haveaccomplished in teaching and learning in the parish.“For me the fruits of seminary teaching can only be seen in terms of parish practice,”

Krych explained. “Working with and supporting female students has been veryimportant to me, especially in my early years at LTSP when there were so few womenat seminary and not all congregations were welcoming of their ministry. Probably themajor accomplishment of my ministry at LTSP was the growth in the Graduate Schooland the establishment of the PhD program during my tenure as Associate Dean ofGraduate Education.” ✛

From left to right: The Rev.Dr. Wayne E. Croft, Sr., andthe Rev. Dr. Margaret Krych.


objectives which must be met. “Facultymembers acting through their areas candesignate their courses around fulfillingthese requirements,” Sebastian said.

Several faculty members commented onwhat it is like to work with the newcurriculum and how it is impacting theirown sense of call to their teaching vocation.

“The model of theological educationthat I trained under was that you go toseminary, take classes, and get an educationand training to become a competentminister,” explained the Rev. Dr. DavidGrafton, the faculty member who ledLTSP through its most recentaccreditation process (2010-2012) and co-chaired with the Rev. Dr. JohnHoffmeyer the Curriculum ReviewCommittee that developed the FARcurriculum. Grafton directs the GraduateSchool and is associate professor of IslamicStudies and Christian-Muslim Relations.He also oversees international studentsstudying at the school.

“Under the old model of theologicaleducation you might take a minor in somearea of special interest if you were soinclined, and you could study for advanceddegrees,” he said.

“We can no longer today live under thatold model,” Grafton said. “We used to haveconcentrations where our students couldfocus on particular emphases in which theyhave gifts. For example taking an interfaithfocus was an elective, or a student mighttake a course elective on another religion.Today we are recognizing that if you aregoing to do ministry in North America youhave to be aware of interfaith, cross-cultural,global, and ecumenical perspectives andhow we do mission and evangelism in sucha climate. For example, doing worship todayin a congregation without a cross-culturalperspective or a view that is ecumenicallysensitive doesn’t work the way it once did.

“IN TRYING TO IMAGINE the scope ofthe present and future church, it is easy tobecome uncertain about the academic pathto take,” said the Rev. Dr. J. JayakiranSebastian, The Lutheran TheologicalSeminary at Philadelphia’s (LTSP) dean.“But now more than ever we have theopportunity to be courageously creative inhow we prepare tomorrow’s leaders bytransforming possible limitations into thelimitless possibilities that unfold on ourfaith journey.

“In developing our current FAR(Flexible, Affordable, Relevant)curriculum, we have been working hard tochallenge our students to be best preparedto meet our rapidly changing context —one that, regardless of the degree a studentpursues, truly embraces the reality that weare increasingly global and cross-cultural,ecumenical, interfaith in our outlook,while embracing a mission/evangelismperspective with regard to our Christianfaith,” Sebastian said. “You can see theworld’s focus in all of these requirementssometimes at a glance by watching theevening news and the turmoil in places likeUkraine and Middle East, where our faithhas its roots. But our training is also meantto lend important perspective to anycommunity and neighborhood where afuture leader may find himself or herself.

“This new curriculum enables us torededicate ourselves to the ongoing task ofserving the living and loving Lord in the evergenerous and always ready church,”Sebastian said. “With this curriculumimplemented at the beginning of the lastacademic year, Goal 4 of our Strategic Plan isclose to being achieved. That Goal namely isto ‘Prepare leaders for the church of thefuture by implementing a new curriculumthat is flexible, affordable, and relevant.’

“What is gratifying is that this hugeexercise impacted all our academic

programs, including the Graduate School,and many documents were rewritten inkeeping with the goals and objectives of thenew curriculum,” Sebastian said in thankingthe many committees and subcommittees,the registrar, and others across the studentbody, faculty and staff, alumni and friendsfrom the Philanthropy office, whocontributed to the enterprise. “Withouteveryone working together on this we couldnot have accomplished what we did.

“Unlike the past, all of the courses weteach now are connected by these globaland cross-cultural, ecumenical andinterfaith, and mission/evangelismemphases,” Sebastian said. “And we areconcerned in designing such a curriculumto be as efficient as we can be. We aregreatly concerned about all the challengesand sacrifices students face in preparingthemselves, including a concern formounting student debt, which oftenbegins at the college level.”

Overall the seminary’s courses cover across-cultural and global focus byincluding study of cross-cultural, inter-ethnic, and/or international experiences.

“We want our students to understandthe components of inter-denominationalengagement and be able to recognizetheological convergences and divergenceson such matters as baptism, Eucharist,ministry, liturgy, history, and polity,”Sebastian continued.

An interfaith requirement andunderstanding so essential for today willinclude components of beliefs, discourses,and practices across divergent traditions.

A mission/evangelism requirement forall courses includes components of sharedjustice, peace, and the integrity of creation,mutual accompaniment, and sharedleadership experiences, Sebastian explained.

To satisfy accreditation requirements,each degree and each course has learning

✛ACADEMICSMoving Forward in Faith:ACADEMICS AT LTSP FOR THE FUTURE CHURCH


Not everyone in a Lutheran congregation isa cradle Lutheran, for example. And wedaily in our neighborhoods and workplacesrub elbows with people from otherbackgrounds and traditions.

“We need an approach to teaching andlearning at a school like this that takes intoaccount the realities of today,” Grafton said.

“For another thing, our leadersconstantly need to retool themselves,”Grafton added. “This doesn’t only meancoming back for an advanced level degree.It may simply mean taking continuingeducation classes to encourage deepthinking about difficult issues leaders andbelievers face. We offer space here foreveryone, including lay leaders who are allcommitted to various struggles in ministry,to come together as a cohort to learn fromus and from each other.”

Grafton taught in the Middle East forseven years prior to returning to the U.S. asan LTSP faculty member. “One thing Iappreciate about being part of this newcurriculum approach is how I can make useof my unique experience to engagestudents from various denominations,traditions, and faiths. We have much toteach each other.”

“When we instituted the priorcurriculum over a decade ago, one of thedefining features was the requirement forcourses in the areas of global, ecumenical,and interfaith education,” explained Dr.Hoffmeyer, who is Associate Professor ofSystematic Theology. Hoffmeyer co-chaired the Curriculum and AssessmentCommittee that oversaw implementationof the FAR curriculum. “The newcurriculum retains the requirement forcourse work in those areas, but while theprior curriculum featured relatively fewcourses with a focus in those areas, theFAR curriculum allows students to choosefrom a broad range of courses, each of

which has a significant global, ecumenical,and/or interfaith element. That is, thoseemphases have spread themselves morebroadly through the course offeringsavailable to students.”

Hoffmeyer is particularly concerned toclarify the relation between beingLutheran and being ecumenical.

“We are a Lutheran seminary thatthrough the years has embraced theopportunity to become increasinglyecumenical.” Hoffmeyer said. “LTSP issometimes described as ‘Lutheran, but alsoecumenical.’ I want to do away with the‘but’ in that description. As a seminary of

the ELCA we are committed to a Lutheranidentity that is inherently ecumenical. Thisis the ELCA’s understanding of Lutheranidentity. The ELCA’s accomplishments inliving out this ecumenical Lutheranismhave been stunning: formal ‘fullcommunion’ or other strong ecumenicalagreements with more churchdenominations, I think, than any otherchurch in North America.

“In all those formal ecumenicalagreements achieved by the ELCA, far and away my favorite phrase is found in the Formula of Agreement with thePresbyterian Church (USA), the Reformed

Clockwise from top left: The Rev. Dr. J. Jayakiran Sebastian, the Rev. Dr. David Grafton, the Rev. Dr. Karyn L. Wiseman, and the Rev. Dr. John Hoffmeyer.


Church of America, andthe United Church ofChrist. The phraseexpresses our jointcommitment to live in arelationship of ‘mutualaffirmation and admonition’ with each other.

“At LTSP I am deeply grateful for colleagues and students whobelong to traditions other than my Lutheran one,” Hoffmeyer said.“Through them I experience affirmation of Lutheran theology thathelps me better understand and appreciate the great treasures of myown tradition. I also experience admonition of Lutheran theology,which helps me to be self-critical about the limitations of Lutherantheology and its need for ongoing growth and renewal.

“This admonition, while a gift from others who are notLutheran, should sound like home to Lutherans, because Lutherantheology is inherently self-critical,” Hoffmeyer continued.“Lutheran theology has a strong sense of how widespread anddevious sin is, which means that those of us who are Lutheranshould never cease being on the lookout for sinful deformations inour own theology. The great Lutheran emphasis on justification ‘bygrace for Christ’s sake, through faith’ as classically expressed inArticle IV of the Augsburg Confession, means that we are notjustified by the rightness of our theology. Lutheran theology is soprecious because of the powerful and nuanced ways in which itkeeps bringing us back to the God who in Christ turned our enmitytowards God into reconciliation (2 Corinthians: 5:18).

“When Lutheran theology is most properly Lutheran, itwelcomes all ecumenical contributions to grounding us anew in theGod who in Christ accomplishes our reconciliation,” Hoffmeyerconcluded. “When Lutheran theology is most properly Lutheran, itis quick to repent of ways in which Lutheran theology has failed tolive that God-given reconciliation.”

“Personally, I like the new curriculum and the options it gives toour students,” explained the Rev. Dr. Karyn L. Wiseman, AssociateProfessor of Homiletics and Director of United Methodist Studies.“The flexibility and affordability in this difficult climate fortheological education is important for both current and potentialstudents. Students have options, and they have full plates with family,jobs, studies, churches, and personal lives. Providing the chance for asmuch flexibility as possible in their course scheduling will bebeneficial both for students and the seminary. Crafting course workand creating classes that address the need for relevancy in the realworld and in the church is an important part of the new curriculum.The demands on the church are changing quickly, and we need to beas nimble as we possibly can be in our curriculum.” Wiseman was

secretary of the seminary’s Curriculum Revision Committee and issecretary of the Curriculum and Assessment Committee whichmakes the new curriculum happen and assesses its outcomes.

“All our courses have the opportunity for dialogue withinterfaith, global, and ecumenical issues,” Wiseman noted. “Somecourses will more specifically address these issues, but all courses areprovided the chance to engage them. Since the curriculum isinterlaced and connected, this allows for cross-fertilizations onthese and other issues.

“The new curriculum is very outcomes oriented,” Wisemanindicated. “That allows for students’ learning to be assessed as thecourse is going on and for the seminary to assess the learnings of allof its students as we end each class. The other part of outcomesassessment is that the assessment closes the loop of learning. Before,we would receive feedback from students at the end of courses butwould not be able to clearly assess how the learning occurred andhow it did not. This new approach better helps the professorchange teaching techniques and strategies so that we better serveour students’ needs. The direct and indirect assessment is better forall parties involved.

“Even courses that I have taught for a number of years have changedunder this new curriculum,” Wiseman added. “I have a betterunderstanding of how my teaching is being engaged and processed sothat I can facilitate better instruction in the classroom. It does takemore work on the part of the professor, but it means deeperengagement with the instruction and more possible learning outcomesin the classroom. I find that the new curriculum has made me moreaware of how my students learn so that I can be a better instructor.”

Speaking of the new curriculum’s impact on her sense of call andvocation, Wiseman explained that she has always tried to be as relevantin the classroom as possible. “I even get faulted at times for nothonoring the traditions of the church enough,” she indicated.(Wiseman is a United Methodist.) “But I would rather be accused ofbeing too relevant than too stuck in the past. I want to honor that notall churches or communities of faith are ready to engage new methodsbut all need to be more aware of them. And they need to understandtheir contexts well enough to see the possibilities for new methods ofengaging faith formation, preaching, worship and ministry.

“Being part of the creation of the new curriculum was excitingand exhausting,” she recalled. “We had a lot of meetings, dreamingsessions, and options for conversations with interested parties. Allof that was important. Getting input from all of our stakeholders aswe crafted the new curriculum was likewise important.” ✛


Moving Forward in Faith:THE CHANGING FACE OF PHILANTHROPY AT LTSP

THERE HAS BEEN A DRAMATIC SHIFTin the way in which students pay fortheological education. Some alumni of TheLutheran Theological Seminary atPhiladelphia (LTSP) may recall a timewhen little or no tuition was required, butthat time is long past. Today it is notuncommon for students to leave seminarywith over $50,000 in student loansacquired over their four years of theologicaltraining. The root cause is a combination offactors, including recent economic realitiesand the stress of budgets on congregations,synods, and the broader church. The endresult is a heavy burden placed upon newgraduates who struggle with debt whileoften serving in positions also struggling tomeet the financial needs of their ministries,including their pastors.

That shift has called for a similarrealignment of the highest priorities forthe fundraising efforts of the seminary.

✛PHILANTHROPY

Creating physical campus resources heldour attention for two decades, and donorsresponded with generous gifts to buildclassrooms, offices, dormitories, andmeeting spaces.

“One of the outstanding achievementsof that earlier bricks and mortar era wasthe construction of The BrossmanLearning Center (2005), which has notonly upgraded and expanded LTSP’slearning and working spaces, but has alsoenabled LTSP to serve as a premiere settingfor neighborhood and community events,”explained the Rev. John Puotinen, LTSP’sVice President for Philanthropy. TheBrossman Center has served as a hub foractivities as widely ranging as townmeetings and weddings, and just recentlybecame the temporary home for thePennsylvania Diocese of the EpiscopalChurch, which joins the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America’sSoutheastern Pennsylvania Synod as apresence on campus.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to thoseleaders and donors whose vision and givingmade that step of faith possible,” Puotinensaid. Leaders who helped inspire TheBrossman Center bricks and mortar dreamhave included retired LTSP president theRev. Dr. Philip Krey; the late Larry House,one of LTSP’s most experienced, effective,and well-known fundraising professionals;the Rev. Glenn Miller, past ExecutiveDirector of the LTSP Foundation; and keytrustees and Foundation Board memberssuch as the Rev. Dr. John Richter, Dr.Addie Butler, and the late Dr. RobertBlanck, Esq., who died in January. Theirefforts linked together with leading donorssuch as DeLight and Helen Breidegam andthe Brossman, Henry, Frye, Lull, Butz, andBenbow families. Also crucial was thepartnership of public officials likePennsylvania State Representative theHonorable Cherelle Parker, who secured

Clockwise from top: Thomas Henderson, MerriBender Brown, the Rev. Louise N. Johnson,Yvonne Jones Lembo, the Rev. John V. Puotinen,and Kathie Afflerbach, AIM.


public funding for The Brossman Centeras well as the ongoing Connector Projectto link Krauth Memorial Library withBrossman, which will make our treasuredtheological library collection far moreaccessible to persons with disabilities.Scholarship assistance never

disappeared from the priority list of theseminary, but in comparison the dollarsneeded for bricks and mortar were muchmore dramatic. The history of LTSP iswritten with the names of women and menwhose faithful support served the needs ofstudents. At one time there was a Women’sAuxiliary that boasted 17,000 members!The realities of our life now call for asmuch boldness in financial support ofstudents as it has in creating the academicresources of our campus.“At the heart of LTSP’s 150th

Anniversary commemoration is a $10million initiative for student scholarships,”Puotinen said. “This initiative represents afaith-filled focus and concertedcommitment to ensure a sound financialfoundation for future LTSP seminariansanswering God’s call to public leadershipin the twenty-first century.”

These gifts come as endowment gifts,often through planned gifts, and throughLTSP’s annual Leadership Fund, whichalso helps underwrite the $26,000 per yearcost of educating each LTSP seminarian.Moving forward in faith to respond to

the new reality, LTSP has listened to itsstudents and supporters and shifted itsphilanthropic focus to “flesh and blood.” Project Sponsor, an innovative program

spearheaded by Don Johnson, VicePresident for Student Development, bringstogether Admissions and Philanthropy in astudent-centered partnership. Individualsand congregations are invited to form arelationship with a seminary student thatincludes friendship, mentoring, andfinancial support for up to three years’tuition and living expenses. TomHenderson, Director of Church Relationswith the Office for Philanthropy, reportedthat one donor learned of the financialchallenges today’s seminarians face infunding their education and steppedforward to provide a $9,000 gift in directstudent aid for 2014–2015. As a result ofthe combined resources of Project Sponsor,the Leadership Fund, and LTSP’s

Endowed Student Scholarship Funds, 25 LTSP seminarians have had the full cost of their education covered for the 2014–2015 academic year.LTSP faculty, staff, and students have

become far more inclusive over the pasthalf century. Women now compriseupwards of 50 percent of the student body.Anglican, United Methodist, UnitedChurch of Christ, and Presbyterianseminarians are among the students fromfaith traditions other than the ELCA. Thenearly 35-year old Urban TheologicalInstitute (UTI) has been a pivotal force inattracting African American seminariansfrom black church denominations such asBaptist, African Methodist Episcopal, andChurch of God in Christ (COGIC).People of color (African American, Asian,Hispanic) represent more than 35 percentof those studying at LTSP. As aReconciling in Christ campus, LTSP haswelcomed and affirmed its LGBTseminarians, who play an integral role inevery aspect of campus life.

The history of LTSP is written with the names of women andmen whose faithful support served the needs of students.


This remarkable diversity has beencomplemented by diversified philanthropicsupport for students. For the past eightyears, the annual Women’s Rest,Refreshment, and Renewal retreat hashelped fund a Renewal Scholarship forWomen in Ministry. The Joseph Q.Jackson Endowed Scholarship Fund,supplemented annually through UTI’srenowned Preaching with Power series,supports LTSP’s UTI seminarians whonow come from every ethnic background.The Ernest Morris Endowed Scholarshipwas established in honor of COGICBishop Ernest Morris, former Chair of theUTI Council of Advisors (UTICA), forthe support of COGIC students at LTSP.The Dr. Grover C. and Irma S. WrightScholarship for African AmericanLutheran students supports seminarianslike Linda Manson, who was approved forrostered ministry with the ELCA this year(2014). Her final year of seminary is beingfunded in significant measure through the

Grover and Irma Wright fund. Withenthusiastic support and advocacy fromconcerned alumni, rostered leaders,faculty, and friends, an LGBT scholarshipfund is in the works.The flesh and blood focus of LTSP

Philanthropy also embraces the leading roleof our donors, who form the human linkbetween our past and our future. Dr. MiaEnquist, who received LTSP’s Soli DeoGloria award in 2012, along with itsposthumous award to her husband, the lateRev. Canon Roy Enquist, PhD, hasmodeled the spirit of philanthropy with atransformative legacy gift thatcommemorates the long history and fondmemories her family has with LTSP andcelebrates the hope of a bright future. She ispart of the great Cloud of Witnesses —donors whose legacy gifts light the way forLTSP’s next 150 years.

Those who celebrate the 150thAnniversary of the seminary are creating anew chapter in the history of this missionalwork. The church matters. Leaders matter.And the seminary matters as it helps toform those who will serve to bring goodnews to a rapidly changing world. It is goodto have friends who care as deeply as do thefriends of LTSP, and we are grateful.✛

Page 30 left to right: The Rev. John Puotinen, DonJohnson, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Q. Jackson. Thispage from left to right: Bishop Ernest C. Morris,Linda Manson, and the Rev. Canon Dr. RoyEnquist and Dr. Mia Enquist.

The church matters. Leaders matter. And the seminary matters asit helps to form those who will serve to bring good news … .

The remarkable diversity has been complemented by diversifiedphilanthropic support for students.


The Board of Trustees ofThe Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia welcomes

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eatonis honored and delighted to welcome its new president

The Rev. Dr. David J. Loseand thanks

The Rev. Dr. Philip D.W. Kreyfor 25 years of dedicated service to this institution

The Board also thanks the faculty, staff, alumni, donors, friends, and current studentsfor their dedication to and support of the seminary the past 150 years,and looks forward to “Moving Forward in Faith” the next 150 years!

J. Elise Brown, ChairPhillip J. Harrington, Vice ChairCheryl Meinschein, Secretary

Robert J. Smith, Assistant SecretaryFred E. Risser, Treasurer

Robert Blanck†Susan FayleSara LiljaJohn RichterAmanda Smoot

David HinrichsCharles MillerSamuel Zeiser

Peter BoehringerHarry McDowellAudrey MoodyCarmen RiveraPatricia RobinsonAndrew Willis

Kathie Bender SchwichDianne BrownClaire BurkatClaire Nevin FieldEmma PorterOlivia Retallack



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1215 E. Vernon Road

Philadelphia, PA 19150

Joins LTSP in celebration of their 150th Anniversary!

“The gifts Christ gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Chosen one of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:11 - 16)

With thanksgiving to god for the Lutheran theological seminary at

Philadelphia 150 years of “equipping the saints” and serving

the community. The Reverend Bruce H. Davidson, class of 1974 Distinguished Alumnus, 2011

Congratulationsto The Lutheran TheologicalSeminary at Philadelphia for150 years of educating andforming public leaders who arecommitted to developing andnurturing individual believersand communities of faith forengagement in the world. Blessings as you continue this mission into the future, and thank you for 25 wonderful years!LTSP will ever be in mythoughts and prayers (and giving!).

In Christ’s love,Philip Krey


IN MEMORY OF MY DEDICATED PROFESSORS:

CHARLES M. COOPER O. FRED NOLDEJOHN W. DOBERSTEIN LUTHER D. REEDMARTIN J. HEINECKEN GEORGE R. SELTZERPAUL J. HOH RUSSELL D. SNYDER

THEODORE G. TAPPERT

A Grateful Student:

Charles E. Fair 1950LTSP CLASS OF 1950


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Sermons for a Secular World

Robert H. Linders

No Time for Rest

All proceeds go to World Hunger. No Safe Route

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The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod celebrates our strong partnership with

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as we move forward in faith.

We extend blessings of

Godspeed to Dr. Philip Krey after his years of faithful service

and a warm

welcome to Dr. David Lose as he begins leading the Seminary

into God’s future.

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LAW OFFICES

SCHUBERT ! GALLAGHER

TYLER ! MULCAHEY

THE ATTORNEYS AND STAFF OF SCHUBERT, GALLAGHER, TYLER & MULCAHEY EXTEND BEST WISHES AND SUPPORT TO

THE LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT PHILADELPHIA

UPON THE OCCASION OF ITS

150TH ANNIVERSARY!

121 SOUTH BROAD STREET, 20TH FLOOR PHILADELPHIA, PA 19107-4533

PHONE: (215) 569-3535 FAX: (215) 557-7426 E-MAIL: [email protected]

WWW.SGTMLAW.COM


October 19, 2014The Meaney/Simmons Flute& Classic Guitar DuoFlutist Thomas Meany and classicalguitarist Michael Simmons will play achallenging program with works byGiuliani, Kleynjans, Desportes,Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Krouse, and Pujol.

November 23, 2014An English SerenadeThe Orchestra of St. John’s—Lawrence Baker, DirectorWorks by Elgar, Holst, Britten, Finzi, andVaughan Williams with soloists BethDzwil, viola; Jeffrey Halili, tenor; EvanOcheret, oboe; Stephen Slater, horn; andRoland Woehr, piano.

February 15, 2015David Pasnrig, concert pianistWorks by Respighi, Schubert, and Bolcom.St. John’s Festival Choir &Chamber OrchestraEaster Oratorio, Brandenburg Concerto No.5, Cantata 137—Lobe den HerrenWith soloists Deborah Swider, soprano;Denise Esposito, mezzo-soprano; SaraHagopian, mezzo-soprano; Jeffrey Halili,tenor; Jonathan Oehler, bass-baritone;Inna Nedorezov, violin; Christine Hansen,flute; and Stephen Rapp, harpsichord.

April 26, 2015Bach — 330 Years Young

The Arts at St. John’s2014–2015 Concert Season Highlights

St. John Lutheran Church1802 Skippack Pike

Centre Square, PA 19422610-277-1086 Concerts begin at 4:00 pm

Partners in Ministry for 126 Years.

Past, Present and Future.

417 N. 7th StreetAllentown, PA 18102-2835

610-434-3943

www.stlukeslutheranallentown.com


video• photo • media • webProspect Productions

Celebrating LTSP’s 150 years of mission and

ministry

Prospect Productionsvideo• photo • media • web

oductions.com • 215.253.8621ospectprproductions.comospectprjdkahler@pr

Prospect Productionsvideo• photo • media • web

oductions.com • 215.253.8621oductions.com

McMenamin’s Tavern in Mt. Airy

Raises a glass to LTSP on its 150th anniversary.

And is happy to support LTSP Students!

#2for1

7170 Germantown Ave. | Philadelphia, PA 19119 | 215.247.9920



drive

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skillhard work

It’s realizing that being the best doesn’t come easily.You have to work for it .

That’s the spirit that drives us at CRW Graphics in printing this program.

9100 Pennsauken Highway Pennsauken, NJ 08110 / 800.820.3000 www.crwgraphics.com

Pastors Rick Summy, Julie Recher, and Tom Scornavacchi,

and the people of Atonement, Wyomissing

CongratulateThe Lutheran Theological Seminary

at Philadelphia

on its 150th Anniversary

Thanks, Phil Welcome, David


With thanksgiving to Almighty God

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Yo u c o u l d i n v e s t i n a n o r d i n a r y I R A .O r y o u c o u l d i n v e s t i n a n I R A t h a t l e n d s a h e l p i n g h a n d .

Mission Investment Fund investments are subject to certain risks. See “Risk Factors” in the MIF Offering Circular. MIF investments are not bank accounts. As securities issued by a nonprofi t institution, the investments are not insured by FDIC, SIPC or any other federal or state regulatory agency. The securities are sold only by means of the Offering Circular. This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described here.

IRAs • SAVINGS ACCOUNTS • CHECKING ACCOUNTS • COLLEGE SAVINGS • MINISTRY LOANS

FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH

LAVALLETTE, NEW JERSEY

Save for retirement with the Mission Investment Fund

and you might just save an ELCA congregation. That’s

because your investments earn a great rate of return

and finance loans to ELCA congregations like Faith

Lutheran. When Superstorm Sandy destroyed the

renovations Faith had financed with an MIF loan, MIF

deferred Faith’s loan payments until the congregation

got back on its feet. Why invest in just any IRA when

you can invest in one with a heart?

To learn more about the competitive

interest rates and flexible terms we

offer on a wide range of investments

for individuals and congregations as

well as ministry loans, contact our

financial services center at mif.elca.org

or 877.886.3522.


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Congratulations!Pryme Design supportsThe Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

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6825 Germantown Ave, 2nd FloorPhiladelphia, PA 19119215-247-5555

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Philly Office Retail honors the Lutheran Theological Seminaryat Philadelphia and Phil Krey for their dedication to Mt. Airy!

Documents

LTSP 150th Commemorative Book