Faculty Stories

Get to know some of the extraordinary individuals who make up the Luther Seminary faculty. They are visionaries, dreaming of the expanded role the church will play in society and imagining new ways to reach those who have not yet heard the good news.

David Lose Assistant Professor of Homiletics David Lose, assistant professor of homiletics, made the decision to go to seminary a year after college during a long drive home for Thanksgiving. “I spent the whole time thinking about what I most enjoyed, what gave me the greatest sense of purpose. By the time I reached home, I had decided to go to seminary. No one was surprised!”  Read more

Mary Hinkle Shore Associate Professor of New Testament Whether she’s teaching on campus or online, Mary Hinkle Shore, associate professor of New Testament, will always say that “one of the gifts of the call to teach at Luther Seminary is the gift of getting to know students.”  Read more

Craig Van Gelder Professor of Congregational Mission “I really believe God is about gathering those who have not yet come to fully know the living and true God,” Van Gelder says. “God has a passion to find such persons. The Spirit is actively guiding congregations to introduce Christ to thousands of such persons, many of whom are very spiritual yet don’t know Christ.”  Read more

Gary Simpson Professor of Systematic Theology “One Sunday morning, a woman in front of us turned around and said, ‘Gary, one of these days, you’re going to be a pastor.’ The rest of the congregation picked that up and ran with it.”  Read more

Janet Ramsey Associate Professor of Congregational Care Leadership “My call was not very dramatic. I believe I was brushing my teeth the first time I thought of going to seminary,” Ramsey says. “I felt a little foolish, because I didn’t know of any other women doing this. But fortunately those around me, including my pastor, were very supportive.”  Read more