Madagascar pastor returns home as a systematic theologian When the Malagasy Lutheran Church identified Hery Andrianotahina Naivoson as a trailblazer, he accepted the call to further his education in the United States, particularly LSTC. Naivoson is a pastor in Madagascar, a big island in the Indian Ocean separated from Africa by the Mozambique Channel, nearly […]
Strategic plan update: Accomplishments & focus on new priorities We’re nearly halfway through LSTC’s strategic plan for 2021-2023 that the board of directors approved in November 2020. And although prayer has been part of it, it’s also taken a lot of time, work and commitment. We need it all “for such a time as this” […]
Vance Blackfox: Shifting the narrative of mission and service From an early age, Vance Blackfox (2012, MATS) felt a call to help others feel included. Blackfox has fulfilled that call in many different roles across the church: as a youth leader and a director of youth programs, in positions at Women of the ELCA and […]
Five distinguished alumni honored at Homecoming 2021 For the second year in a row, LSTC presented distinguished alumni awards in a ceremony held online. The five recipients— with varied years and experiences of service—expressed deep gratitude to the school, their families and all those who have cheered them on. Hosted by alumni board members Michael […]
Commencement 2020: A year of asking, and now facing, ‘What’s next?’ In campus apartments and in homes well beyond Chicago, LSTC 2021 graduates gathered around screens to “officially” graduate on Sunday, May 16, as they watched the seminary’s 161st commencement video released on YouTube and Facebook. This was the second year the global pandemic prevented […]
Seminary ambassador: How Lane Lewis jumped from limited seminary knowledge to telling LSTC’s story When Lane Lewis was encouraged to consider volunteering with LSTC in 2019, he realized he hadn’t ever given much thought to where pastors come from and how they are trained. A member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Naperville, Ill., he was nudged toward LSTC by […]
Retired missionaries, teachers, Kenneth and Eloise Dale embody LSTC’s values “LSTC has always been very close to my heart,” said Kenneth Dale (Augustana, 1950, MDiv), when he and his wife, Eloise, made a leadership commitment to Giving Day. The Dales embodied many of LSTC’s values and commitments in their long ministry in Japan and even […]
Maddie Tallman & Corey Bergman: ‘Getting married during seminary was a hoot’ Maddie Tallman, from Maryland, and Corey Bergman, from Minnesota, met on a CTA bus as their Orientation groups returned to campus from excursions showing students how to use public transit. They had a lot of classes together and their core group grew closer, “especially as we navigated […]
Adam and Elle Dowd: ‘Our work will always be collaborative’ Adam and Elle Dowd came to seminary together—Elle on the track for an MDiv since age 7, Adam with not nearly that destination history. They met as undergrads at Iowa State in an Old Testament class. Adam was an art and design major who had […]
Lora Salley’s internships prepared her for Word and Service chaplaincy Lora Salley (2020, MAM) recently finished her internships—at a church and as a hospital chaplain—but she can still be found walking the hallways as a registry chaplain as she plans her future as a deacon (Ministry of Word and Service). Her recently completed internships have […]
