A M Ag A z i n e f o r f r i e n d s o f L u t h e r A n t h e o L o g i cA L s o u t h e r n s e M i n A ry

In This Issue:

Forming Identity as a Public Minister

Conquering the Mountaintops & Valleys—Together

Faces of Faith: Formation in Context

Martha Barre Legacy: To God Alone Be the Glory

Calling, Character, and Community

and more...

S u m m e r 2010V o l u m e 28 N o . I

Forming in God’s World

The Seminary Scene 3Forming Identity as a Public Minister, 3

The Formation of Seminary Students: Then & Now, 4

Seminary News & Announcements, 5

Teaching Teens to be Fruits of the Spirit, 6

Helping Those in Need: Haiti and the Homeless, 8

10 Faces of FaithFormation in Context, 10

Rick Reiten: Global Missions as Mutual Ministry, 11

Kris Litman-Koon: The Low Cost of Conversation, 12

Candy Heinlein: The Blessing of Global Service, 12

John David Bryant: Simple Gifts Create Holy Moments, 13

Visionary Giving 14Seminary News & Announcements, 14

The Changing Face of Funding Seminary Education, 15

Martha Barre Legacy: To God Alone Be the Glory, 16

Are You a Member of the Southern Legacy Society?, 17

18 Southern PeopleCalling, Character, and Community, 18

Suggested Readings from the Rev. Dr. Brian Peterson, 19

Faculty, Staff, & Alumni Updates, 20

Coming Events, 23

In This Issue

Photos Above (from top): Dave Wegner (Class of 2010 from the North Carolina Synod) leads a workshop at Confirma-tion Day 2010: A selection of LTSS seminarians and their professor, the Rev. Dr. Daniel M. Bell, Jr., with the families from

the Honduras village they visited in January; a 2002 photograph of Miss Martha Barre of Lexington, South Carolina, Susan Jackson (Class of 2010 from the North Carolina Synod) studies on the quad. On the Cover: Seminarians Matt Smith (Ju-nior MDiv from the North Carolina Synod), Chris Stump (Junior MDiv from the Southern Ohio Synod), and Rick Reiten

(Class of 2010, from the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin) lead a worship celebration in a remote Honduran village.

The Seminary SceneForming Identity as a Public Minister

There is an interesting question that a bishop or installing minister asks an assembly at an ordination or installation. The question is “Will you … honor him/her for his/her work’s sake?” The assembly is invited to respond, “We will.”

Something important occurs at that moment, the moment a person is set aside for the work of public ministry through a rite of the church. No longer are they just Dave or Sara or John or Kathy, they are now “Pastor” or “Deaconess” or “Director of Christian Education.” No more anonymous identity—this person is a public minister now.

Along with all the great joys of being a public minister there also comes responsibility and a shift in identity. Prepar-ing to receive this new status with grace, humility, confidence, and strength is what we often refer to as “formation.” It is a brand new identity and it takes a while to get used to it.

People often tell me that they want a leader who understands this new public identity. They want a pastor or other leader who:

· pays attention to us· knows how to lead and work with people· is accessible to the community · makes the faith of the church understandable· preaches with power and clarity· loves people· is not afraid to work hard and do everything that he asks others to do · pays attention to children and the elderly· remembers names, and much, much more. At Southern Seminary, we seek to form our students—these gifts of

the church. Experiencing contextual education, continuing prayerful discernment, watching pastors and other leaders do their work, listen-ing to seasoned leaders, wondering out loud about this call and what it means, and living a life faithful to Christ and his precious body are all part of formation for ministry.

I want to thank you for your part in this preparation: your words of encouragement, your examples of faithful service and holy living, your care for these candidates for ministry, your prayers for this ministry, and your support are great blessings to us.

Thank you for all you do to walk with us in forming women and men for public ministry.

In Christ,

Marcus Miller, President

Preparing to receive this

new status with grace, humility, confidence, and strength is what we often refer to as “formation.”

The Seminary Scene

The Formation of Seminary Students: Then & Now

At Southern Seminary, we often speak of the importance of “for-mation” as part of our mission. While all professors recognize the im-portance of excellent academic preparation, we also recognize that the formation of pastors and lay rostered leaders for public ministry often involves more than what takes place in the classroom.

As it turns out, this emphasis on a holistic preparation for ministry is nothing new: it actually dates back to the earliest days of the seminary’s history.

Like students today, students at the seminary in the 1830s and 1840s studied Greek, Hebrew, biblical crit-icism and exegesis, “Ecclesiastical History,” and even pastoral theology. But they also studied such intrigu-ing-sounding subjects as sacred geography, sacred chro-nology, “Biblical and Profane History Connected,” po-lemic theology, Jewish Antiquities, and “Philosophy of the Mind,” all under the able direction of Ernest Haze-lius, the seminary’s head (and only) professor.

But Hazelius considered the spiritual formation of his students to be as important as their academic devel-opment. Hazelius regarded it the duty of seminary pro-fessors to “promote genuine piety and true devotion... by warning their pupils against cold formality on the one hand and fanaticism on the other.” When he wrote the Seminary’s first constitution in 1833, he incorporat-ed into it expectations that would form the entire life of the student, not just the intellect.

In the spring of 2010, a student conducting research for a paper in Lutheranism in North America explored student life at the seminary in the early 1800’s and determined that in some ways, student life looked

remarkably similar to that of today. Students sat through long sessions in the classroom, followed by such favorite 19th century pastimes as long walks, devotional readings and prayer, eating together, visiting (flirting) with the oppo-site sex, debating theological topics, and even occasionally complaining about their professor. Then as now, such activ-

ities served to “form” students in preparation for ministry as surely as did their recitations in Hebrew, Greek and “ecclesiastical history.”

Since 1830, Southern Seminary has approached the preparation of its students in ways that embrace both the intellectual and the relation-al. In so doing, it has taken seriously its mission to teach, FORM, and nurture leaders for public ministry in the church and world, recognizing that the entire shape of a life informs the entire shape of one’s ministry.

...in some ways, student life looked

remarkably similar...

This article is by Dr. Susan Wilds McArver, Professor of Church

History and Educational Ministry.

Ernest Hazelius was the seminary’s head (and only) professor in 1833 when he wrote the seminary’s first constitution.

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News & Announcements

Colombia Delegation Visits Classroom

Two leaders from the Afro-Colombian community in the Department (State) of Choco, were present on Friday, March 26 to speak to the Rev. Dr. James Thomas’ class on missions. The class discussed the nearly 5 million internally displaced persons affected by the conflict in Colombia.

The two guests were Father Sterlin Londono Palacios, a Roman Catholic priest working with the diocesan office for justice and human rights in the Diocese of Quibdo, and Edwin Blandon Correa, leader of an association of Afro-Colombian youth in Choco.

Also present were Pastor Mark Cerniglia (Class of ‘82), Coordinator of the South Carolina Synod’s companion synod relationship with Colombia, and Pastor Sandy Jones (Class of ‘07), pastor of Manantial de Vida Lutheran Church in Columbia, South Carolina, who served as interpreter.

Dr. Thomas, who traveled to Colombia last summer, was also able to give personal accounts of his own experiences.

Employees Earn Discount for Seminary

The Futures Committee, a task group formed following the Fall 2009 Board of Trustees meeting, gave a report and list of proposals to the board at the Spring 2010 meeting. The com-mittee was to explore and devel-op strategies for the planning of the future of the seminary.

The committee’s report showed that while there was no single action that would dra-matically improve the seminary’s current financial realities, there were several steps that if taken together could significantly im-prove the future.

The resolutions brought for-ward are designed to bring both short-term and long-term growth opportunities. Among the passed initiatives included deep-ening relationships with clergy and congregations, exploring ad-ditional fundraising opportuni-ties, and conducting a re-imagin-ing of curriculum models to find market areas that could promote enrollment growth.

The seminary administration is currently conducting feasibility studies for the initiatives and be-ginning the first stages of imple-mentation.

Committee Plans New Paths Forward

For more news see page 14 or visit www.ltss.edu 5

The Southern Seminary faculty, staff, and spouses earned the seminary a 2% discount on this year’s ELCA Board of Pensions Health Care costs. This represents a cost savings of nearly $8,000 for the calendar year.

The employees earned the discount by participating in the Board of Pensions’ online Mayo Clinic Health Assessment and its accompanying programs designed to foster healthier lifestyles.

For all ELCA organizations who reached 65% participation in the program by April 30, a 2% discount was applied to the organization’s account for 2010. This year over 86% of seminary employees and spouses participated in the program, the second highest participation rate of all ELCA ministries.

In addition to the organizational discount, employees were able to complete healthy lifestyle programs to earn personal wellness dollars. These earned dollars, of up to $300 per individual, can be applied to healthcare related expenses throughout the year.

Teaching Teens to Be Fruits of the Spirit ...The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generos-ity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galations 5: 22-23)

Each spring, the seminarians at LTSS host “Confirmation Day” as an educational and experiential day to explore their faith. This year, on March 13, over 130 youth and their adult leaders gathered on campus. They gathered to explore Galatians 5: 23-26, and discover the many dif-ferent ways the spirit can be found and experienced in daily life.

After gathering for an exciting morning worship led by seminari-ans and the event’s chaplain, Pastor Amy Figg of Knoxville, Tennessee,

the youth were split into small groups for activities. The groups moved around to learning stations where they learned about what it means to be a fruit of the Spirit.

“Experiencing God in the details through the fruits of the Spirit is an impor-tant lesson for youth who are busy with music, sports, and more,” said Jenny Jack-son, middler Master of Divinity Student from Missouri and one of the planners of the event. “Learning that we can celebrate the community of Christ more often than Sunday morning is important.”

Angel Onley-Livingston, a first year Master of Arts in Religion seminarian, was one of the group leaders that guided the youth to learning stations. She was moved to tears after leading the youth through a

workshop to prepare mission bags for those who are homeless. “I will never look at a bar of soap the same again. I realized how we as indi-

viduals and collectively can take things for granted. I also saw how we can make a sermon out of the necessities and talk about Jesus washing us white as snow and making us clean. I was impacted by the youth’s ability to reflect on their personal journeys and stories and what fruit of the spirit they possessed or needed to strive for.”

As the youth gathered around campus that day, it was clear to Onley-Livingston that the messages and lessons were taking form in their hearts. She remarked, “My life will never be the same.”

“It was wonderful watching one young man who was walking the labyrinth and seemed to really be thinking about his day and what it is that spiritual expression meant to him.” Onley-Livings-

The Seminary Scene

“Learning that we can celebrate the community of Christ more

often than Sunday morning is important.”

Lynne O’Shea, Junior MDiv seminarian from the New England Synod, leads a small group during Confirmation Day.

This article is written by Andrew Boozer, Director of

Communications

6

The Seminary Scene

During Lent, the seminary student body adopted a discipline. Not to give up sweets or fast food, but to challenge each other to think about the spiritual gift of charity.

“As students we sometimes feel sorry for our financial states, and this discipline helped us to remem-ber that God is the true owner of all that we have, and proper stewardship means focusing on the gifts God has called on us to care for and using them in service of Christ’s Kingdom,” said Mark Peterson, President of the Student Body.

Starting on Ash Wednesday, they began the discipline to collect funds for “Haiti and the Home-less,” sending money to Lutheran Disaster Relief, earmarked for Haiti relief, and the Midlands Interfaith

Homelessness Action Council in Columbia. Lauren Dow Wegner, Vice President of the Student Body ex-

plained, “We wanted to address both local and international needs, as the Church is called to witness both at home and throughout the world. The Haiti earthquake left many without homes and basic necessities; in our own city, many live without shelter and food. We committed ourselves to this Lenten offering, bearing in mind the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ.”

By Easter, they raised $4,300 and were able to supplement an-other $1,000 through the student body benevolence account. To-gether they were formed as they explored the gift of charity and pro-vided for those in need.

Helping Those in Need: Haiti & the Homeless

Liz Brendle (left), Senior MAR seminarian from the North Carolina Synod, and Angel Onley-Livingston (right), Junior MAR seminarian from South Carolina, sing with the teens gathered for

worship in Christ Chapel.

ton, a Baptist student from the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, went on to recall, “It was great to watch them not know each other, but through faith and a common ground of Lutheranism they began to become strong-ly connected with each other. I will make every effort to begin to establish some-thing similar with the youth in our area who aren’t Lutherans to have the same ad-vantage to confirm what it is that they be-lieve, why they are in the denomination that they have chosen, and what is it that makes them unique in that light. ”

The day concluded by sharing the Eu-charist in Christ Chapel. After a day of in-teraction, education, and reflection these young people were filled with love, joy, faithfulness, peace, patience, self-control, goodness, generosity, and gentleness—the fruits of the spirit.

7

Student Body President Mark Peterson, Senior MDiv from the Minneapolis Area Synod, and Vice President Lauren D. Wegner, senior MDiv from the Southwest Texas Synod.

Lutheran T

heological Southern Seminary

Class of 2010

The Seminary Scene

This article is by Dave Wegner, President of the Class of 2010. Dave

is from the North Carolina Synod, where he and his wife, Lauren, also a member of the class of 2010, have

been assigned for first call.

As the seminary careers of the Class of 2010 come to a close, we are able to take a look back over the last couple of years and recognize how we have been taught, formed, and nurtured at Southern Seminary. Those are the big-hitting words around this campus—a mission state-ment that guides and directs the daily operating of the faculty, staff, and administrators. In the course of this reflection we will inevitably find moments that the teaching, forming, and nurturing is not as clear as during other moments. Similarly, we will remember the mountaintop moments when everything seemed to be as clear as the Carolina sky dur-ing Spring (after the pollen settles, of course). And perhaps that is how we should remember our seminary career: the valleys through which we’ve trudged together and the mountaintops over which we’ve climbed—together.

At the time of this writing we haven’t been to Baccalaureate or Commencement events. In fact, there are still two weeks of classes and some of us are having difficulty seeing past the remaining papers and projects. In addition there are those among us who have travelled as far as Pennsylvania and Minnesota for one or two interviews with call committees. There have already been calls extended—calls accept-ed. There are those who still wait for their pa-perwork to arrive at waiting churches. Those who have been told to be patient, for there is nothing available in their assigned synod quite yet. For all of us, though, life and ministry in the “real world” is becoming a reality more quickly than we could ever have imagined.

And so the metaphor remains: the mountaintops and valleys will always continue to exist on our journeys as individuals and as a class. It is for us now to discern how we will live and work as ordained and lay rostered leaders in the Church. I think those big-hitting words above mean even more to us now. Now, soon to depart the academic lifestyle, perhaps we can begin to see how Southern has taught, formed, and nurtured us into people that care deeply about our baptismal calling in the world. As the mem-bers of the Class of 2010 came to Southern Seminary, we were discerning our call to ministry. While here in this place, that discernment continued and we learned ways to show and tell God’s amazing Good News. Finally, we depart this place ready to teach, form, nurture, and join others on their own journey up and down the mountain. Thanks be to God for the gift of ministry!

Conquering the Mountaintops & Valleys—Together

...we depart this place ready to teach, form,

nurture, and join others on their own

journey up and down the mountain.

Dave Wegner, President of the Class of 2010 reads the first reading at the 2010 Commencement, held at

Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Columbia, South Carolina

9

Faces of FaithFormation in Context

To have the opportunity to

form in context is to give meaning to the lessons of the

classroom.

This introduction is written by Andrew Boozer, Director of

Communications

To have the opportunity to form in context is to give meaning to the lessons of the classroom. This issues’ Faces of Faith explores the various and significant ways contextual education forms seminary students.

Each year, seminarians participate in cross-cultural experiences that are immersions in a ministry setting different from the students’ custom-

ary environments. Sometimes these settings are halfway around the globe, other times they may be in an urban or rural setting not far from home. In this issue, Rick Reiten shares his Cross-Cultur-al learning experience to remote Honduran villag-es in January of 2010.

The most time-significant contextual educa-tion component at the seminary is the year-long in-ternship required for Master of Divinity students seeking ordination in the ELCA. This supervised year of extended and thorough involvement in a ministry setting is an opportunity for students to be formed by their pastoral mentors and the min-istries they serve. Kris Litman-Koon gives insight to his experiences in the urban and diverse neigh-borhoods around southern Los Angeles.

The seminary also offers a series of off-campus opportunities for those who desire experience in different environments while in seminary. There are many sites from which to choose, from sites here in the United States like the Lutheran Theo-logical Center in Atlanta and the Lutheran House of Studies in Washington, DC, to global service

in places like Makumira, Tanzania and Sao Leopoldo, Brazil. Candy Heinlein shares her experiences while studying in Tanzania and her sub-sequent opportunities in Kenya.

Another pivotal formation opportunity in context is Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). Required for most stu-dents seeking to be rostered leaders in the ELCA and other denominations, CPE is a hands-on learning experience in medical facilities and hospitals, correctional institutions, rehabilitation centers, and institutions for the aging. Stu-dents spend weeks, usually in the summer, at these loca-tions learning how to help those in need. John David Bry-ant shares how his CPE was transformational for him and those he served.

These stories, along with weekly field work opportunities in congre-gations, represent how the seminary forms in context.

10

The Rev. Dr. Julius Carroll, Associate Professor of Contextual Education, addresses the 2010-2011 interns and supervisors at the

annual Internship Conference at the seminary.

11

Global Mission as Mutual Ministry by Rick Reiten

For as in one body, we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

Romans 12:4-5

When you think of “mission trips,” what often comes to mind? Maybe we think of sacrificing some time and money in order to go do ministry. Maybe we try and figure out how we can help those less fortunate than ourselves. Maybe we want to engage with another culture and see parts of the world.

The seminary cross-cultural immersion

experience that I have been a part of has offered a different perspective. The opportunity to serve on two mission teams to Honduras has shown me the mutuality of service that is shared between different members in the body of Christ. In Global Mission, those we serve also serve us, as we become members of one another.

When our team was in Honduras this past January, we had visions of helping the poor and making a difference. We thought our tools, skills, medicines, and presence would transform our host community…only to realize that they would have been far better off if we just sent the money that it cost for the plane tickets. We realized that they could work harder and longer than us. The medicines we provided only gave relief for a couple months. The buildings we helped construct may be washed away. We saw this poor village of Brisas de Valle give up time and energy to feed us, wash our clothes, protect us, teach us, and allow us to play with their

children. So what good came out of this mission trip?

In this experience our team was formed and shaped for ministry. We saw the injustice of poverty, separated by only a couple miles from the wealth of tourism. We were humbled by living conditions that we

had only seen on the nightly news. We were able to ask the poorest of the poor where they saw God active in their lives. We witnessed what service in the name of Christ looks like, as we were the stranger who the Honduran people welcomed.

While we went to serve, and God did great things through us, we saw how God is doing great things in all of God’s people. We all have different gifts to share in the body of Christ, but Christ’s body is not complete unless all members are remembered; not one forgotten. We continue to remember all of God’s children, when we share their story with others.

The formation from Honduras is carried with us as we connect their story—God’s story—with our story and your story. We strive for justice, witness poverty and wealth only separated by a single street, and we embrace the mutual service that God provides. This does not occur only in overseas Global Mission…but in the mission to third world people in our own com- munities.

Rick Reiten is a member of the Class of 2010 and is from the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin. This is his second experience in the Honduran program, led by

the Rev. Dr. Daniel M. Bell, Jr., Associate Professor of Theological Ethics.

Candy Heinlein is a 2009 MAR graduate of LTSS. She invites you to learn more about study-ing at MUCo at www.makumira.ac.tz and the ELCA Global Missions as at www.elca.org

For years I felt called to service in Africa and to seminary, so when I learned about the LTSS exchange program with Makumira University College (MUCo) in Tanzania, I jumped at the opportunity.

I learned so much at MUCo, not only about theology and missiology, but about myself

and human nature. I learned that I could

live without a lot of things that I previously thought were essential. I learned to walk

everywhere I went.

I learned that people are really very much alike despite cultural differences. Most of all, I learned about the power of the Holy Spirit and the expanse of Christian love. I came home a very changed person and was most thankful for that change.

I have since returned to Africa as a volunteer ELCA missionary to the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) in their communications department. Before coming to Kenya, I attended a missionary conference in Wisconsin, and my hands were anointed with oil at the closing ceremony. My dream has been fulfilled, and I am overwhelmed by God’s grace and mercy. Already I am seeing

The Blessings of Global Service by Candy Heinlein

the blessings God is lavishing upon the people of the KELC through me. It is humbling and awe- inspiring.

We can learn a great deal about Christianity and serving God from our brothers and sisters in Christ overseas who perform their duties and witness to their faith under conditions we would find trying at the very least and down right impossible at best. Global service is a true blessing.

My internship is with New City Parish (NCP), formed af-ter the 1992 Los Angeles social unrest. This man-made catas-trophe was caused by decades of systematic problems, such as racism, poverty, and over-all injustice in the community. Five ELCA pastors came to-gether while the ashes of their

neighbor-hoods were still smol-dering, and they asked, “How are we to do ministry in the midst of these ruins?”

Today there are nine congre-gations in NCP, working togeth-er to hear and meet the needs of the people in South Los Angeles, Inglewood, and Compton. I’m learning how to serve as a pastor within a context of vast cultural backgrounds and nationalities.

Russell is a regular at the community meals prepared by NCP, and I’ve enjoyed convers-ing with him during these. He has bouts with mental illness, but he says he is content as long as he has food. Yet, at a particu-lar meal, I could tell there was something bothering him. He ad-mitted that he was worried that his bicycle would break down before he could get back to the park where he lives. His eyes lit

The Low Cost of Conversation by Kris Litman-Koon

up when I told him I could fix it; I had commuted by bicycle that morning and had my repair kit with me. After 20 minutes and some greasy hands, Russell’s bike was ready. Beaming with joy, he voiced, “God bless you!” I thanked him for giving me a blessing, and as he rode away I heard a shout of joy.

I have since kept repair tools with me, and I have of-fered tune-ups and maintenance advice to others. All for the low cost of a conversa-tion.

Before arriving to his internship in Los Angeles, Kris Litman-Koon, from the North Carolina Synod, spent a month in cultural and language immersion in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

13

Simple Gifts Form & Create Holy Moments by John David Bryant

Some might liken Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) to “pastoral care boot camp.” It is a process of self-discovery wrapped up inside the opportunity to give, and at times receive, pastoral care from others in a real environment. And perhaps the biggest gift CPE offers us is the getting-real-with-oneself so that others might really see Jesus through God’s simple gifts resident with each of us.

And so last summer, my classmates and I went out to places where Jesus was meeting us, forming us into gifts for the Church, and making us aware of ourselves. We went to hospitals and trauma centers, and others, like myself, went to a retirement community, The Heritage at Lowman.

And it was there, in little White Rock, South Carolina, that I learned the power of simple gifts.

One day, two old books fell into my possession as I helped a family parcel out belongings of a loved one recently moved into an

apartment. The books, hand-written

journals, told of a burgeoning young love brilliantly shining beneath the dark shadow of the Pearl Harbor attack. They described a love celebrated and carried inside the heart of a missionary author, laboring alongside Jesus in China, India, and Malaysia. I saw a father’s love for children, a pastor’s heartfelt desire to see a church grow, a widower’s sense of loss born from absence and the burning love for a wife.

What gifts! My heart and eyes streamed tears as I realized these books were collected holy moments of a lifetime. As I held those books God was creating a holy moment.

Two days later, joy poured through me as I re-presented these holy books to their owner. The author smiled broadly, beautifully, asking “how in the world” had I found these books long thought to be lost. God was creating another holy moment.

And from that encounter God is still making holy moments. As I consider this gentleman, and the sharing of his books, I learn afresh the intense power contained in slow, intentional reflection. Throughout the summer I learned again how to share these reflections with another romantic, sentimental poet, as we sat in holy reflective moments. These are lessons no classroom can teach. This was CPE.

Because of these simple written gifts, I learned anew how to share tales of lost loves, grieve death and loss, celebrate missions, and to see God in peculiar, unexpected places. I was reminded of how important it is to be still and open as God reveals hidden things long thought to be lost. I was reminded of Jesus.

This CPE experience reminded me a great deal of God’s gift— Living Word tucked into two books, cradling Jesus for all to share, and re-presenting God’s love-gift to us. This is so like God the gift-giver, who last summer wrapped two farm boys, one a product of 1970s Georgia the other from 1920s South Carolina, inside holy moments gathered around two old books.

During Clinical Pasoral Education, John David Bryant (MDiv, Florida-Bahamas Synod) experienced contextual formation while serving at the Heritage at Lowman, White Rock, South Carolina.

14

News & Announcements

Dr. Bost Receives Bachman Award

The seminary awarded its highest non-academic honor, the John Bachman Award for Distin-guished Leadership, to the Rev. Dr. Raymond M. Bost on the evening of Thursday, March 18, 2010, in Christ Chapel.

“In service to Christ and his body, the church, Dr. Bost has been a leader in theological edu-cation and Lutheran Theologi-cal Southern Seminary,” said the Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Miller, Presi-dent of the seminary. “It is with thanksgiving to God that we rec-ognize his service by presenting him the John Bachman award.”

Bost, a 1952 graduate of LTSS, served at the seminary as a professor, trustee, and volunteer development associate. He also served as Academic Dean and President of Lenoir-Rhyne Col-lege (University) and Newberry College, as well as President of the Lutheran Theological Semi-nary at Philadelphia, one of eight ELCA seminaries.

The Bachman Award recog-nizes those who have demon-strated in their support of the seminary the vision of its found-ers.

At their annual meeting in August 2009, the Executive Committee of the Alumni As-sociation of Lutheran Theologi-cal Southern Seminary set a par-ticipation goal of 30% for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

As the June 30 deadline ap-proaches, the alumni giving par-ticipation is at 29%, less than 15 people away from reaching the goal. The percentage of par-ticipation climbed close to the mark after Alumni Day on May 13. The Classes of 2010, 1985, 1960, and 1950 presented class gifts for their anniversaries.

If the 30% goal is reached this year, it will represent a 5 point increase over the previ-ous year and a more than 10 percentage point increase over the year prior. The recent rise in participation rates places the seminary as one of the best in the country for theological schools.

If you are an alumnus/a of the seminary, please consider using the enclosed envelope to show your support with a gift to your seminary and help them reach this impressive goal.

Alumni Near Annual Giving Goal

On Thursday, May 6, the seminary honored its scholar-ship donors and awardees at the annual Scholarship and Awards worship service in Christ Chapel.

During the 2009-2010 school year, seminary students received scholarship awards totaling $423,125 from endowed schol-arships and annual scholarship gifts.

Each award was made pos-sible by ordinary men and wom-en–people who have taken the formation of capable, commit-ted, and compassionate servant leaders as a personal responsibil-ity.

These awards were created as an act of faith. The scholar-ship donors gave without know-ing who would later benefit from their generosity.

To those who have made these awards possible, thank you for touching lives that will each touch thousands of lives in ministry. To those who have re-ceived these awards, thank you for becoming a living legacy to those who have given.

Scholarship Awards Honored at Service

For more news see page 5 or visit www.ltss.edu

Above: Dr. Bost and family

Above: Greg Sommer, Junior MDiv from the South Carolina Synod and Mr. Von Metts of South Carolina Lutheran

Men in Mission.Above: The Rev. Dr. Bill Johnson presents the Class of 1960 gift.

Visionary GivingThe Changing Face of Funding Seminary EducationThings are different. The church is different. How new pastors and

rostered lay leaders are prepared is different. So too is the way that seminary education is funded.

In a bygone era, students bore little of the cost of acquiring the ex-tensive education that the church requires of its pastors and rostered lay leaders. “It only cost me $1,000 a year,” reports a latter 20th Century graduate, “and that included room and board.” Today’s candidate for ordained ministry will spend roughly $100,000 of his or her own, do-nated, or borrowed money over four years of seminary. Why the dif-ference?

The national church body and support-ing synods are no longer able to provide the level of funding that they aspired to when the ELCA was formed. In fact, synodical and churchwide support has declined by 9% per year for the past two years, even though the synods in Region 9 ELCA pro-vide more basic support per student than any other ELCA region. As a result, fund-ing has shifted to seminary students, direct gifts from congregations and individuals, and earnings from endowed funds.

Today, student tuition provides 34% of what it costs to operate the seminary. The seminary must raise the remaining 66% through gifts, synod and churchwide support, endowment revenue, and operations like student housing. Tuition, while low in comparison to non-ELCA seminaries, is already a significant burden for seminarians. Transferring more of the cost to students is not a viable answer to funding other reve-nue shortfalls. Synods and churchwide cannot provide dollars that they do not have. Endowments, hard hit by the “Great Recession,” are only now recovering their ability to provide earnings revenue.

That leaves people like you and me and congregations like yours and mine to take on this burden. And we have. Our di-rect gifts have increased from $243,747 in 2006 to $709,564 in 2009. Through May of the current budget year, we have giv-en just over $600,000 in direct support gifts. You and I have made up almost all of what has been lost from other sources.

Yes, the way seminary education is funded has changed. We, the people and congregations who call new pastors and rostered lay church leaders, have taken on the funding of seminary edu-cation as a personal responsibility. It is in our hands. Our hands are the right hands for this vital work for the church. Thank you for lending your hands, and for all you do for the name of Jesus Christ.

People and congregations are taking on the challenge of funding seminary education. Above, members of the “The Joy Club” of Christ Lutheran, Charlotte, North Carolina, tour the seminary.

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Contributing Author, Ron Walrath,

Vice President for Development

It is in our hands.

To God Alone Be the GloryMartha Barre was a faithful servant of the Lord and a fervent believ-

er in being a good steward of God’s gifts. As she carried out her daily work, she wanted to do a good job while loving and honoring the Lord through her deeds. She worked diligently, first as a teacher and later as a secretary for the State Superintendent of Education for 30 years.

She never lived a life of extravagance or excess. She did not want a lot of things. She just wanted to do the right things.

“She was the kind of person that spent her life saving so that she could give back to the church,” said Pastor Dennis Bolton (Class of

1979) of her home church, St. Stephens Lu-theran Church in Lexington, South Caroli-na. “She’s a great example of stewardship for any person at any point in life.”

A native of Lexington, Martha saw first-hand how people’s work could bring glo-ry to God. Her parents and grandparents helped found St. Stephens in her hometown. She was connected to her church through-out her life, worshipping and growing clos-er to the Lord with family and friends.

Martha carried on the family tradition—working to build the church for the gen-erations to come. When she was a young woman, she led the Luther League group. She even stepped up to the task of taking

the group of high school students to Pittsburgh for the national con-vention. She taught Sunday School, played piano for the ladies’ class,

and started the first library at the church. As the resident librarian and an educator at heart, she encouraged chil-dren and young people to read and learn more about Je-sus. She would help them and talk to them, all the while knowing that she was helping develop the faith of a new generation.

So it was no surprise that when Martha began to look at her estate planning more than two decades ago that she turned to two places that would embody her legacy of faithful worship and enthusias-tic education: her hometown church, St. Stephens, and the seminary just down the road, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.

Martha was a faithful donor to the seminary, giving personally sig-nificant gifts annually to support the seminary’s mission to educate and prepare the future leaders of the church. Through the decades, semi-nary representatives knew her as a gracious and generous-spirited wom-an. As her giving relationship with the seminary grew, she decided to es-

Martha Barre in the church library she helped start at St. Ste-phen’s Lutheran Church, Lexington, South Carolina.

Visionary Giving

“A gift to LTSS is a gift that bears fruit

not just today, but in generations to come.”

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Contributing Author, Andrew Boozer, Director of

Communications

Visionary Giving

Are You a Member of the Southern Legacy Society?

The Southern Legacy Society is a distinguished giving society at Southern Seminary. Members of this society come from all walks of life and are of all ages—but they all share the common belief that their stewardship should not end after taking their last breath. They believe that their final gift, their legacy, should be to support the essential role that theological education plays in the future of the church.

Arranging your planned gift is easy to do. If you believe in the mission of Southern Seminary and you feel that your stewardship should continue after you enter the Church Triumphant, please consider making a planned gift to the seminary.

The seminary staff is ready to help you join the Southern Legacy Society. To learn more, visit the “Donors and Partners” section of www.ltss.edu, or contact Ron Walrath, Vice President for Development, at 803-461-3237 or rwalrath@ltss.edu for more information.

tablish an end-of-life, planned gift to the seminary.“She understood that we had to have pastors for the church,” said

Bill Mathias, a cousin of Martha and childhood neighbor. After Mar-tha’s death at the age of 93, Bill, as executor of her estate, had the plea-sure of seeing her legacy come to fruition. As he walked to the front of Christ Chapel on Friday, March 19, 2010, he presented President Marcus Miller and the Rev. Dr. Bill Trexler, chair of the board, with her final gift—a gift that would make a last-ing impression on those present, and place her name in prestigious Greever Society for Lifetime Giving.

Her legacy was cemented. Her gift was given that day, not to the seminary alone, but to the women and men sitting in the pews of chapel that warm spring day.

Martha had indeed given God the glo-ry. Her gift provided leaders for Christ’s church, leaders that can now go into con-gregations throughout the world—to lead youth groups, teach Sunday School, play the piano for the ladies’ classes, and start the libraries that will teach and form the faith of the next generation.

Her legacy is not defined by just the dollar signs and numbers printed on a piece of paper. Her gift had done after her passing what she always strove to do during her life…the right thing.

Bill Mathias (center), Martha’s cousin and executor of her es-tate, presents President Marcus Miller (left) and the Rev. Dr. Bill Trexler, Chair of the Board of Trustees (right), with Martha’s fi-nal gift to the seminary at the daily service in Christ Chapel on

March 19, 2010.

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Welcome to Southern Seminary – we thank God for your call to min-istry. ...

The seminary states as its mission: “To teach, form, and nurture women and men for public ministry in a context that is Christ-centered, faithfully Lutheran, and ecumenically committed.” The operative verbs – teach, form, and nurture – imply change, transformation. This is how the seminary articulates being “set apart” for public ministry.

It is easy to assume that you were set apart when you first heard that call to min-istry, when you first said “Yes” to God. But it would be more accurate to say that that was the beginning of you being set apart. The real setting apart for ministry comes over the course of these wonderful four years of being taught, formed, and nur-tured at Southern. If your life here in semi-nary takes the form that God wills, then it is upon graduation that you will find your-self set apart – but there is quite a lot of time between orientation and graduation. …

Being called is not strictly a matter of discerning a few pastoral gifts and then say-ing “yes” to God. It is fundamentally a mat-ter of being open to God’s transformative power. It is really in our transformation that we say “yes” to God. God works through this community to transform you. …

A couple of points follow from this. First, to whom does the semi-nary mission statement refer? It is easy to assume that the seminary’s mission statement refers only to the responsibility of its faculty and staff,

to assume, in other words, that it is strictly the responsibility of the faculty and staff to teach, form, and nurture you. Of course that is our responsibility. But that interpretation does not fully capture the mission of seminary, which is a Chris-tian community in which you the students are members. Im-plied in the seminary mission statement, in other words, is your own responsibility to be taught, to be formed, and to be nurtured.

In fact, at the risk of disturbing some of you, I will put it even more boldly: Right now, you are not being called to ordained public ministry. We might call that your ultimate calling. But your immediate calling, your current vocation, is to be seminary student, and the best seminary

Calling, Character, and Community

Southern People

It is really in our

transformation that we say

“yes” to God.

Guest lecturers, the Rev. Dr. Bill Trexler (Class of ‘70 and ‘91), Chair of the LTSS Board of Trustees (standing), and the Rev. Dr.

Ronald Rinn (Class of ‘72 & ‘92), senior pastor of Augsburg Lutheran Church, Winston-Salem, NC, lead a discussion in the

Rev. Dr. Tony Everett’s Parish Administration class.

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The following article contains excerpts from an extended

orientation workshop led by Dr. Brent Driggers, Associate Professor of New Testament. It was originally

given on September 15, 2009.

Southern Peoplestudent you can be. Now, obviously you will be doing public minis-try…as a student. But it’s your identity as a student that is your im-mediate and present calling. And that, quite frankly, is because God knows what God is doing. And the church knows what it’s doing…The seminary is not a “weigh station” where we check your vitals, take a few measurements, and then push you back onto the interstate. You are exactly where God wants you to be. God has called you to be a student.

And the church has also called you. In fact the church, in sending you to Southern, has invested its own resources for you to be taught, formed, and nur-tured. Your student tuition does not even come close to covering the costs of your education. From the books in the library, to the classrooms, to the forks in the re-fectory, you have been given innumerable and invalu-able gifts – gifts given by other members of the body of Christ that con-tribute to the process of being set apart. And you are called, in turn, to be good stewards of those gifts. …

And so your calling continues. Let the transformation begin!

Reading Suggestions from the Rev. Dr. Brian K. Peterson

Heresies and How to Avoid Them. Why It Matters What Christians Believe, edited by Ben Quash and Michael Ward (Hen-drickson, 2007)This book clearly and concisely argues the (now perhaps too uncommon) point indicated in its title, that theology actually matters, and that what we be-lieve is worth paying attention to. Each chapter contains a remarkably clear reminder of one of the major heresies rejected by the church in the first few centuries, and an even more remark-ably clear discussion of why these old fights still matter (after all, the really important heresies never completely go away). The chapters are not simply a lesson on church history and theologi-cal argument, but are meditations on the grace of God. Reading the chapter on Nestorianism and its rejection of “theotokos” as a description of Mary, and thus the claim of the incarnation, became a profoundly enriching part of Advent for me last year.

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Dr. Peterson is Professor of New

Testament at LTSS, where he has been on the

faculty since 1998.

President Marcus Miller presents Dr. Brent Driggers, Associate Professor of New

Testament, with the 2010 Cauble Faculty Distinguished Service Award.

Engaging Scripture, by Stephen E. Fowl (Blackwell, 1998)What does it mean to read the Bible as the church, why do we read it, and how do we do that faithfully? Fowl focuses on what it means to be readers who are part of a reading community that comes with particular theological claims and concerns and practices. The chapters on “Vigilant Communities and Virtuous Readers” and on “How the Spirit Reads and How to Read the Spirit” in particular provoked thoughts for me about how pastors and other congregational leaders can nurture a more healthy reading of the Bible.

Faithful Disagreement. Wres-tling with Scripture in the Midst of Church Conflict, by Francis Taylor Gench (Westminster John Knox Press, 2009)Dr. Gench, who taught for a time at the Lutheran seminary at Gettysburg and is now teaching at Union Seminary in Richmond, spent several years on the Presbyterian Church, USA’s “Task-force for Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church.” That difficult and rich experience was the catalyst for this book. Structured around chapters that focus on particular biblical texts, her pastoral wisdom and exegetical insight keep the book focused on God’s call to the church, the painful realities of broken community, and the power of God at work even there. I found her chapters on the Johannine Epistles and on Romans 14-15 to be particularly helpful for seeing how God continues to shape us, through Scripture, into the peculiar community which is the Body of Christ.

Southern People

Updates and News from the Southern Community

Online Resources Now Available

There are a number of online resources available at www.ltss.edu that are available and free to use throughout the year.

The LTSS Media Downloads (Access through the “Visitors & Friends” tab on the homepage) enable users to listen to and down-load a number of sermons and special presentations held on campus at the seminary.

Also for alumni, the Lineberger Memorial Library now offers the online periodical database, ATLAS. To access this database of theo-logical journals and articles, please contact the library at (803) 461-3221 to receive registration information.

The 2008-2009 Donor Report is also available for viewing and downloading by visiting the “Donors & Partners” tab on the homepage. There, users can view reports from the President, Dean, and Chair of the Board of Trustees, view a timeline of events for the past 18 months, and search the donor listings & categories. Hard copies of the report are available upon request by calling (803)461-3296.

Dr. Brent Driggers,Associate Professor of New TestamentThe seminary Board of Trustees granted tenure to Dr. Driggers at the Spring 2010 meeting, held on the semi-nary campus. He was also awarded the Herman E. and Elizabeth P. Cauble Faculty Distinguished Service Award at Commencement.

The Rev. Shauna K. HannanAssistant Professor of HomileticsThis summer, in addition to running a half marathon, Professor Hannan will be teaching Biblical Preaching for Luther Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program. Later in the summer, she will be teaching a course at LTSS on “Men-toring Your Preaching Chaplains,” for Senior Military Chaplains, and com-pleting a writing project for Fortress Press’ “New Proclamation” series.

Dr. Robert D. HawkinsLeonora G. McClurg Distinguished Professor of Worship and Music, Dean of Christ Chapel Dr. Hawkins played the organ prelude

on March 21 in honor of J.S. Bach’s birthday as part of the 2009-2010 Bach Cantata Vespers held at Grace Lutheran Church & School in River Forest, Illinois. In addition, his wife, the Rev. Karen Salvo Hawkins (Class of ‘94), was the Homilist and the Rev. Michael Costello (Class of ‘06), Cantor at Grace Lutheran, was the director of the Bach Cantata ministry.

The Rev. Dr. Lamontte M. Luker Professor of Hebrew ScripturesDr. Luker is currently planning and booking a study tour of the Holy Land for January 2011. This immersion tour and spiritual retreat will travel to Egypt, Israel, and Palestine to visit biblical sites and to meet and learn from the people living there today. He encourages pastors, rostered leaders, and lay people to consider joining him and seminarians for the trip. More in-formation is available on the seminary website, www.ltss.edu.

Dr. Michael J. RootProfessor of Systematic Theology Dr. Root was named the 2010 Mc-Carthy Visiting Professor at Pontifical

Faculty, Staff, & Emeriti

Alumni

Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. In addition to teaching at the university, he will present at a number of confer-ences while living in Rome during the Spring and Summer of 2010.

The Rev. Dr. Luther E. LindbergProfessor of Educational Ministry, EmeritusDr. Lindberg recently donated a selec-tion of his private collection of cal-ligraphic art to the seminary. He is an accomplished calligrapher, who has shared his passion and expertise with numerous students, in courses which combined practice in calligraphy with learning about the history of printing and of books. The collection is now on display in the Lineberger Memorial Library at the seminary.

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Robert Beard, ‘58Robert, of Mooresville, North Carolina, was awarded an honorary doctorate at the 2010 Commencement of Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he had previously earned his Bachelor’s degree in 1955. He is a retired pastor who served for more than 20 years

leadership in times of anxiety. He is currently a teaching professor of Pastoral Care at the Medical College of Virginia and a part of the new Ministerium Team in the synod.

John Scherer, ‘70On May 1st, John delivered the commencement address and was awarded an honorary doctorate degree at Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia. He is a 1962 graduate of Roanoke, where he was an active member of the student body and received the Granville P. Meade Award to “the graduate with the greatest service to the world potential.” He is the founder of The Scherer Leadership Center and author of several best-selling books. With his training duties, he currently splits most of his time between Seattle, Washington, and Krakow, Poland.

Paul Harmon, ‘81Paul was named superintendent of the Spartanburg (South Carolina) District of The United Methodist Church by Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor of the

South Carolina Conference. He is married to the former Jan Shull of West Columbia, and they have two daughters, Leslie Hendon (Trey) in Spartanburg and Amy in Lexington.

Fred Suhr, ‘84Fred was awarded the Meritorious Service Medallion of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Presented by Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, and the Reverend Darrell Morton, Executive Director of the ELCA Bureau for Federal Chaplaincies, the medallion and accompanying certificate affirm his many years of service as an ELCA Chaplain in the Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. He is completing his service as the Senior Chaplain in the South Carolina Army National Guard where he has also been recognized for his significant ministry to soldiers and their families. He serves as the pastor of Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Little Mountain, South Carolina. He and his wife, Joan Biser Suhr, have three children, Ashlyn, David, and Rebecca.

Southern People

The Rev. Dr. Bill B. Mims, (Class of 1972) was honored with the 2010 J. Benjamin Bedenbaugh Award for Distinguished Pastoral Leadership at Alumni Day on May 13.

Bill is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate, and received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. He was privileged to serve as pastor of two congregations in South Carolina, and three in North Carolina, and was a Dean in both synods. He was Vice-President of the Lutheridge Board and later President of the Lutheridge-Lutherock

Board. Since 1995 he has also taught religion courses as an Adjunct Professor at Lenoir-Rhyne University, a position he still holds. He served a term on the N. C. Synod Council, and was a voting member at three Churchwide Assemblies. He is currently the Book of Faith Advocate for the N. C. Synod.

Pastor Mims met his wife Sherry in 1968 while working on the Lutheridge summer staff. They are the parents of John Mims of Greensboro and the Rev. Stephen Mims, LTSS Class of 2000, of Lexington, S. C., (see picture on left) and they are the proud grandparents of Jacob, Rachel, Aaron, Sarah, and Mary-Margaret.

Bill Mims Receives 2010 Bedenbaugh Award

in congregational ministry, a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, and a civic and philanthropic leader, most notably as President and CEO of North Carolina Lutheran Homes.

John Weaver, ‘61After 25 years, John is retiring from his duties as leader of Interfaith Community Services in Newberry, South Carolina. The group reaches out to others by visiting hospitals and nursing homes, leading drug and alcohol abuse programs, and creating newspaper and radio devotions. John and his wife, Barbara, reside in Newberry and he is currently an interim pastor at St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Whitmire, South Carolina.

Mark Cooper, ‘70Mark led a workshop in the Virginia Synod entitled “Healthy Leading in Anxious Times,” at Grace Lutheran Church in Waynesboro, Virginia. The event was a stimiluating day centered on the basis of family systems and

21

Southern People

Alumni Day 2010

22

Lane Bembenek, ‘95On June 16, 2010, Lane will preach at the noon Eucharist at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Presiding at the service will be the Rev. Roy J. Enquist, Ecumenist at the Cathedral. Lane is currently serving at Joy Lutheran Church, Moore, South Carolina.

Shelley Allen, ‘02Shelley and her husband, Drew, welcomed the birth of their second son, Cody Ross Allen, on February 7, 2010. He weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Their oldest son, Riley, is almost 2 years old. Shelley currently serves as the Director of Children’s Ministry at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina.

Paula Schmitt, ‘05Paula (formerly Paula Berger) married Rom Schmitt on January 1, 2010 at St. John Lutheran Church in Summerhill, Pennsylvania. She is currently serving Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sidman, Pennsylvania.

Paul Wollner, ‘05Paul and his wife, Katherine, welcomed the birth of their second son, Grant William Wollner, on April 9, 2010. He weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. Paul, Katherine, their oldest son, Luke, and Grant live in Columbia, South Carolina, where Paul is now serving as senior pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Joseph Bolick-Lang, ‘07Joseph was elected to the seminary Alumni Association Executive Committee as the Vice President from the Southeastern Synod at Alumni Day on May 13. He currently serves as associate pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Johnson City, Tennessee. His wife Sarah serves as a pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Boone, North Carolina.

Craig Falvo, ‘09Craig and his wife, McKenzie, celebrated the birth of their first child, Ella Serafina. She was born on March 12, weighing 10 pounds 10 ounces and was 21 3/4 inches long. Craig

currently serves as Director of Child, Youth and Family Ministries at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in SeaTac, Washington.

Want more Alumni in the News?Visit the alumni section of www.ltss.

edu for up-to-date alumni stories and archives of past articles and news stories, as well as a listing of Ordinations, Commissioning, Consecrations, and Installations.

Please send your News & Updates to Sandra Cline,

Associate Director of Development and Alumni

Relations, at scline@ltss.edu or 803-461-3252.

www.facebook.com/LutheranTheologicalSouthernSeminary

The seminary offers a special “thank you” to those who attended Alumni Day 2010 on Thursday, May 13. It was an eventful day, from the Yost Lectures by Dr. William Cavanaugh and the afternoon ministry workshops, to the fellowship and meals that were shared, especially by our anniversary classes (Class Of 1960 pictured below on left). A special collection of photographs of the day’s activities is available at the seminary’s online photo gallery at www.ltss.edu or by finding Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary on Facebook. Next year’s Alumni Day is scheduled for Thursday, May 12. Please mark your calendars and make plans attend this fun and meaningful time with fellow seminary alumni.

Coming Events

Photos Above (from top): The Rev. Dr. Ginger Barfield welcomes guests to the 2010 Hall Lectures in Stavros Hall; Meredith DeBenedetto, wife of Aaron DeBenedetto (Class of 2010), takes children from the seminary community for a ride around

the quad during the Seminary Days picnic; Dr. William Cavanaugh delivers the 2010 Yost Lectures at Alumni Day; Lauren Wegner (Class of 2010) accompanies Dr. Robert Hawkins during the prelude at Baccalaureate. Back Cover (left to right):

Jillian Chilcoat (Middler, MDiv from the Lower Susquehanna Synod), Corwin Scriven (Middler MDiv, Baptist), the DeBene-detto family (East-Central Synod of Wisconsin), and Ingrid Schalk (Junior MDiv, Southeastern Synod).

for more events and information visit

www.ltss.edu

Fall Classes Begin Sept. 8Orientation, September 7

Fall Break, October 18-19

CPE Day/Reading Day, October 20

Fall Meeting of the LTSS Board of Trustees, October 20-22

Thanksgiving Break, November 24-26

Exams, December 16-18

Oct. 10-12 Seminary DaysJoin prospective students from across the country as they

discover what life is like in our seminary community. Attend classes and lectures, learn more about financial aid, and enjoy the fellowship that Southern Seminary has to offer.

Room and board are provided. Contact Jenny in Admissions at jtomalka@ltss.edu or 803-461-3297 for more information.

Lecture on Luther Oct. 28The seminary community welcomes Dr. Risto Saarinen and

Dr. Olli-Pekka Vainio from the University of Helsinki. These two scholars are leading voices in the “Finnish School,” which

in recent years has been central in refocusing the study of Martin Luther and his theology. At 10:00AM they will ex-plore “The Theology of Giving as Comprehensive Lutheran

Theology.”

Nov. 7 Fischer Organ Recital

Advent Lessons & Carols Dec.5 Both events begin at 4:00 PM in Christ Chapel, the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

4201 Main Street Columbia, SC 29203-5863 www.ltss.eduContact Us: (803) 461-3219 or (803) 786-5150 Fax: (803) 461-3272

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Mr. Ron Walrath • e-mail: RWalrath@ltss.edu Vice President for Development

Editor/Design: Andrew Boozer • e-mail: AndrewBoozer@ltss.edu Director of Communications

Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race or religion. Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary admits men and women.

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Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary’s Mission:

To teach, form, and nurture women and men for public ministry and Christian leadership in a

context that is Christ-centered, faithfully Lutheran and ecumenically committed.