Committee on Addressing Racism

Luther Seminary seeks to educate persons for leadership in Christian communities in God's world. The diversity of peoples in Christian congregations challenges Luther Seminary to educate leaders in ways that prepare them for effectively leading congregations growing in cultural complexity. Furthermore, increasing cultural diversity in the neighborhoods of congregations requires leaders who will help congregations open themselves to the transformations worked by ethnic diversity and to speak the gospel across ethnic lines.

The primary motive for Luther Seminary to reflect self-critically on the problem of racism in its own institutional setting derives from its mission to educate leaders to remove impediments to the just order of human relations both in society and within the church, and to remove obstructions to the proclamation of the gospel. The process of institutional self-reflection concerning racism should therefore be understood as an indispensable element in the education of leaders for the church.

To initiate and guide this process, Luther Seminary created the Committee on Addressing Racism. The Committee is charged with the responsibility of leading Luther Seminary in addressing the following strategic issues.

Strategic Issues

There are six strategic issues* that Luther Seminary must address in regard to racism:

1. Meaning: Articulate what Lutheran theology has to say about racism.
2. Mission: Link our theological critique of racism to the heart of the mission of Luther Seminary.
3. Power: Link the mission to the heart of leadership and the five visioning task forces of Luther Seminary.
4. Structure: Review and evaluate decision making processes at Luther Seminary.
5. Resources: Review and determine if policies and procedures of Luther Seminary are moving us toward a fully inclusive community that is true to and effective for our mission.
6. Existence: Evaluate results of the educational process and curriculum to assess the effectiveness of our stated mission and Lutheran theology.

* The six strategic issues identified here are based on Robert Terry’s leadership wheel as described in his book, Authentic Leadership: Courage in Action.