“The Lord has been so kind to me, in calling a poor, miserable sinner to speak in His name, and to serve His bride, His dear church, first as a parish pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Storm Lake, Iowa. Those were wonderful years that I will never forget. For the last 16 years as […]
by Melanie Ave Oh the stories Rev. Byron Williams Sr. can tell, from hurricanes to explosions to … the interview for this article. Williams chatted with Concordia Seminary magazine over Zoom one afternoon in February from the home of one of his parishioners at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Dallas, where he serves as senior […]
by Sarah Maney Ron and Phyllis Chewning have been married for nearly 47 years. They have raised three children and have six grandchildren and another is on the way. They aren’t slowing down anytime soon — evidenced by their active involvement in their congregation, Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Birmingham, Mich. Phyllis sings in the […]
Abigail Miller When most people think of a sacred space for spiritual transformation, McDonald’s is not typically what comes to mind. Yet, for Rev. Chan-U “Vincent” Kam, underneath the Golden Arches is where his mentor Wallace met him and guided him in his newly minted faith through Scripture and prayer. Vincent had converted to Christianity […]
by Timothy Saleska Andy Dufresne sat down to lunch with his friends after getting out of solitary confinement. They asked him, “Was it worth it? Two weeks in the hole?” “Easiest time I ever did,” he said. “No such thing as ‘easy’ in the hole,” they replied. Andy tried to explain to them that the […]
by Sarah Maney, Photo: Courtney Koll In May 2019, Concordia Seminary was actively seeking a new coordinator to reinvent and manage its health and wellness program, which had previously been minimally focused on overseeing student wellness, athletics and the Seminary’s historic field house. At the same time, Dr. Julie Gary was looking for something to […]
by Melanie Ave This year, Concordia Seminary created new part-time positions to aid the Seminary in recruiting students throughout the country. These Student Recruitment Ambassadors (SRAs) aim to build relationships with prospective students near where they live and work, and help them discern whether ministry and Concordia Seminary should be part of their future. Rev. […]
Dr. Thomas Egger, the Gustav and Sophie Butterbach Professor of Exegetical Theology, addresses the LCMS National Convention in Tampa in July 2019. Photo: Courtesy LCMS/Frank Kohn by Travis Scholl In the past year, Professor Thomas Egger finished his Ph.D., was installed as the Gustav and Sophie Butterbach Professor of Exegetical Theology and was appointed as […]
by Rebekah Lukas “Campus life.” For many in the Concordia Seminary campus community, this phrase is evocative of Student Association annual events like Oktoberfest or Springfest, the Seminary Women’s Association’s field day or the women’s retreat, campus activities such as intramurals and the annual Laudamus choir tours. What happened at Concordia Seminary … a place […]
Married seminarians Rachel and Daniel Heitshusen hold hands in the Main Quadrangle on campus this fall. Photo: Jill Gray by Sarah Maney Rachel and Daniel Heitshusen’s story is one that is filled with the faithfulness of parents, pastors and teachers. It’s a story that began with Baptism — Rachel before she was 1 month old; […]
by Sarah Maney Matter-of-fact and down-to-earth, Warren Solem chose a quiet life, living in a house on the outskirts of a small town. He drove an Amoco Oil truck around the country for his career. His church, Joy Lutheran Church in Cambridge, Minn., was extremely important to him. In his free time, he hunted. He […]
by Jeffrey Oschwald Think about it. Does even one of the following statements sound like — feel like — good news to you? “My world, the same yesterday and today, and forever.” “My church, the same yesterday and today and forever.” “My life, the same yesterday and today and forever.” “ME, the same yesterday and […]
