Join us for Homecoming Oct. 12-13! Distinguished alumni will be honored; a mini conference on implicit bias offered Oct. 13

LSTC alumni will return to campus in person Wednesday-Thursday, Oct. 12-13, for our fourth annual Homecoming. Participants may also join on-line.

This year’s homecoming will include the usual highlights—class reunions, worship, and the Distinguished Alumni Award ceremony. It will also include a Tuesday afternoon (4 p.m., hybrid), Oct. 11, conversation with President James Nieman and a Thursday mini conference hosted by the seminary’s centers.

In addition to an alumni and student lunch on Wednesday, an all alumni, in person, gathering and reception is scheduled for 5 p.m. that day, where members of the classes of 1972, 1977, 1982, 1997, 2012 and 2022 will be recognized. Special recognition will be given to alums who have graduation dates greater than 50 years. Hybrid reunion gatherings will be held throughout the afternoon.

Four alumni will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Augustana Chapel (hybrid and livestreamed). A reception will follow. Stories about all four recipients can be found in our story portal on the website. 

• Jason Chesnut (2010, MDiv) will receive the Witness to the World award given to a clergy or lay person engaged in the work of public church in any setting. Chesnut is a pastor of Anam Cara, a new digital-first mission start of the ELCA. He is founder of Ankos Films, Slate Project, is a biblical storyteller, and has served as digital liturgist at high profile conference worship events.

Chesnut will also be our preacher on Wednesday for 11:15 a.m. worship.

• Francisco Javier Goitía Padilla (2014, PhD) will receive the Called to Lead Award given to someone who has visibly answered the call to prophetic leadership in the wider church. Padilla is director for theological formation, seminaries and schools at the ELCA. He served as pastor to congregations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. and is a former youth leader in the Caribbean Synod.
• Louise Britts (2002, MDiv) will receive the Excellence in Parish Ministry Award for preaching, teaching, pastoral care, evangelism, or stewardship with at least a decade in ministry experience. Britts is a pastor, hospice chaplain, skilled community organizer, mentor, gifted preacher, Bible teacher and administrator. 
• Herbert Anderson (1962, MDiv Augustana Theological Seminary) will receive the Lifetime Service award given to an alumnus/a who exemplifies servant leadership throughout their lifetime. Anderson has served as parish pastor, hospital chaplain, author, professor and Lutheran pastoral theologian.

For more information and to register go here.

Mini conference to address implicit bias

New to this year’s Alumni Week is a mini conference, “The Neuroscience of Implicit Bias: Society, Systems and Synapses,” sponsored by all three LSTC centers and the office of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice.

It will be Thursday, Oct. 13, beginning at 8:30 with a plenary, and continuing will breakout sessions, lunch and panel discussions until the closing panel at 3:30 p.m. To see the schedule and register go here.