Building Bridges: Lessons from the Indonesian Delegation’s Visit to LSTC In the fall of 2024, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago hosted a delegation of 20 educators, scholars, and leaders from Indonesia as part of a certificate program on “Religion, Peace, and Encounter.” The two-month, interfaith program, an initiative of the American Islamic College’s […]
Far From Home As conflict persists in Myanmar, Burmese students at LSTC grapple with distance and despair The ongoing conflict in Myanmar, which erupted after a military coup in February 2021, continues to have severe consequences for the country’s people. LSTC’s students from Myanmar are no exception. Wu Mee, Char Laywa, Ji Bu, and M. […]
Walking in Faith: Alum Miho Yasukawa on Pastoral Care, the Power of Connection, and Returning to her Roots For LSTC alum Miho Yasukawa, the journey from Japan to the United States to pursue her MA and MDiv at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago is a testament to the power of divine calling and […]
LSTC Exchange Student Tobi Friedlein: A Path to Pastoral Leadership and Advocacy Tobi Friedlein, a 2023 exchange student hailing from Germany, has embarked on a new academic and faith journey at LSTC with the generous support of a Lutheran World Federation Scholarship. Here, his purpose extends far beyond the pursuit of academic excellence; Friedlein aspires […]
LSTC Exchange Student Mia Federmann: Navigating an Unexpected Journey Growing up in Germany, LSTC exchange student Mia Federmann’s academic path initially seemed far removed from the study of theology. She had dreams of becoming a teacher or pursuing a career in a different field entirely. “I always wanted to become a teacher… and then, after […]
LSTC alum Pemba Buthelezi, former Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa, returns to visit LSTC alum Bishop Paulos Phembukuthula Buthelezi of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa (ELCSA) and his spouse Gretta visited LSTC on April 15-18. They met with LSTC students, faculty, and staff and attended an interfaith iftar, LSTC’s […]
PhD Student Helen Chukka on the Path from India to LSTC and Beyond For PhD student and Pastor Helen Chukka, a life in pastoral work was never in question. Before her birth, her parents in Guntur, India, dedicated her to ministry. “It was like Jeremiah’s call,” she explains, “And this is normal in an Indian […]
PhD Student Smitha Gunthoti on How Scholarships Made Answering the Call to Ministry Possible For LSTC PhD student Smitha Gunthoti, the call to ministry has long been in her family. Her grandfather was a pastor in an Indian Evangelical Lutheran Church and was a teacher in India, her husband, also a PhD student, is studying […]
PhD student dax sunny mathew on research, persistence, and making a difference PhD student Dax Mathew recalls in vivid detail the moment that changed his perspective on learning. He was in an Adivasi community in Palghar, a town in the Konkan division of India’s Maharashtra state, home to Indigenous peoples often overlooked and neglected by […]
How Scholarships and a Leap of Faith Created New Opportunities for International Student Char Laywa When Char Laywa thinks about God’s role in her life she thinks immediately about the ways that faith has motivated her. “I can learn in the midst of good and bad times where God is and how God can help […]
