Jun 02, 2014 Print This Article

Four Honored at Concordia Seminary’s Commencement

At Concordia Seminary’s Commencement Ceremony on May 23, 2014, four distinguished people were honored with awards.

Mr. Robert Becker and Mrs. Luanne Bole-Becker (Christus Vivit award)

Mr. and Mrs. Becker have served Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Ohio, and the Lutheran community of Cleveland for nearly 30 years. Both have served their congregation, LCMS schools, and countless other ministries as board members, directors, event coordinators, mentors, mission trip leaders, and more. Beyond Mr. Becker’s 37-year-long career in radio and television, he and his wife have developed many resources to benefit local Lutheran ministries and schools through their video production company, BB Sound & Light. Mrs. Bole-Becker has been a leader in helping Lutheran congregations serve their urban communities and has been involved in assisting refugees settle in Cleveland.

Rev. B. Steve Hughey (honorary Doctor of Divinity degree)

Rev. Hughey graduated from Concordia Seminary in 1968; he founded the Association of Lutheran Mission Agencies (ALMA), Lutherans United in Communications (LUC), the Ysleta Hispanic Lutheran Mission, and the Friends of the Border mission agency. He served as a missionary and Executive Director of the Spanish Lutheran Hour in Caracas, Venezuela; developed and led a national mission conference for Lutheran congregational leaders called New Directions; and helped establish a mission conference for Lutheran university students called Beautiful Feet. Rev. Hughey and his wife Grace presently work for the Central America Lutheran Mission Society (CALMS), where he’s the Executive Director and she’s the coordinator for children’s ministries and health teams.

Rev. Donald K. Muchow, RADM CHC, USN (Ret) (honorary Doctor of Divinity degree)

Rear Admiral Muchow served as the U.S. Navy’s 20th Chief of Chaplains; he was commissioned into the Naval Reserve in 1964 and ordered to active duty in 1967. He was the Director of Naval Chaplains School in 1988, became the Deputy Chief of Navy Chaplains in 1991, and was promoted to Chief of Navy Chaplains in 1994, during which time he also served as Chairman of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, on the staff of the Secretary of Defense. Rev. Muchow received many awards for his military service, including the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit. Rev. Muchow also served on various boards for the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, as well as the American Red Cross, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, and the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation. He lives in Buda, Texas with his wife, Monie, where he’s currently a pastor for Abiding Word Lutheran Church, Gonzales, Texas; Chaplain for the Buda Police Department; and Chairman of the Buda Ministerial Alliance.

Attached photo: From left, Mr. Robert Becker, Mrs. Luanne Bole-Becker, Dr. Dale Meyer, Rev. B. Steve Hughey, Rev. Donald K. Muchow.