LSTC Celebrates the Gift of a New Organ
The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago is pleased to announce a generous gift from Gordon Braatz that has made possible the installation of a new Rodgers Imagine 359D organ in the LSTC Chapel. The gift, made in December 2025 and installed in May 2026, represents a significant investment in the worship life, musical excellence, and future of the seminary community.
Custom-built for LSTC by Rodgers Instruments and installed by Triune Music of Elmhurst, Illinois, the new organ was carefully selected to meet the unique acoustic and liturgical needs of the chapel space. Triune Music President Steven Smith worked closely with LSTC and chapel leadership throughout the consultation and installation process, collaborating with Cantor to the Community Keith “Doc” Hampton to identify an instrument that would support both congregational worship and a wide range of sacred music traditions.
“This instrument is an extraordinary gift not only to the chapel, but to generations of students, musicians, worship leaders, and visitors who will gather in this space,” said LSTC’s Vice President of Advancement Sandra Nelson. “It strengthens LSTC’s ongoing commitment to worship, theological formation, and the arts.”
The Rodgers Imagine 359D combines the craftsmanship and tonal richness associated with traditional cathedral pipe organs with the flexibility of modern digital technology. Rather than relying on synthesized tones, the instrument uses individually recorded samples from renowned American cathedral pipe organs, creating an authentic and immersive sound experience throughout the chapel.
The instrument features three manuals, four divisions, 59 speaking stops, and more than 330 total voices, allowing musicians to draw from a broad range of American, English, French, and German organ traditions. Its custom-designed nine-channel audio system was specifically engineered for the chapel, using stereo imaging and surround sound technology to fill the worship space with rich, multidimensional sound while keeping speakers visually unobtrusive.
The organ also offers significant flexibility for future ministry and performance use. In addition to traditional liturgical playing, the instrument includes recording and playback capabilities, USB and MIDI compatibility, orchestral voices, hymn accompaniment technology, and the ability to incorporate additional pipe components in the future.
For LSTC, the new organ is more than a technological upgrade. It is a resource for worship, teaching, community gathering, and musical expression that will serve students and the broader church for years to come.
LSTC extends deep gratitude to Gordon Braatz for his generosity and vision, and to the partners at Rodgers Instruments and Triune Music whose expertise helped bring the project to life.