Faculty Stories

Gary Simpson, professor of systematic theology, heard his call to pastoral ministry as a young child sitting in the pew with his grandmother. “She was a matriarch of the congregation” says Simpson. “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.”

Simpson did become a pastor, serving 14 years and three parishes before joining the faculty at Luther Seminary in 1990. “Congregations are the most important institutions in North America,” he says. “Yet they have historically underestimated how important they are. They have a hidden impact and strength in society. That”s what”s fun –- leading communities of people who have a deep impact on their communities.”

A self-described lifelong learner, Simpson says “I can’t stay away from learning. It”s like being in heaven ahead of time. Being a teacher is primarily inviting other students into your learning.”

Simpson feels that the time is crucial for the church in North America. “One of the challenges now is to revitalize those congregations that turned inward. Mission isn’t something congregations choose. It”s the work of the Holy Spirit.” He remains as hopeful as ever about its future. “My hope for the future of the church in North America is completely a hope in God. God is an expert at bringing life out of the dead and bringing into existence things that don’t yet exist.”

Craig Van Gelder, professor of congregational mission, felt a strong sense of call emerging in high school. “In my first year of college, it became clear that the Lord was leading me into ministry,” he says. He was involved in campus ministry for 10 years before starting seminary where his call to teaching emerged. After a decade of consultation work and serving on a Presbytery staff, Van Gelder was called to a faculty position as professor of domestic missiology at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Now he”s at Luther Seminary in a similar position where he emphasizes the need for congregations and their leaders to think missionally. “The day of the residential pastor is over and the day of missional pastor has come. A primary challenge for us today is to start new congregations and reinvigorate older established ones.”

Van Gelder is excited about the future of the church.  “I really believe God is about gathering those who have not yet come to fully know the living and true God,” he 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.”

He also thinks it”s a great time to be a leader in the church. “We are living in an unprecedented time. God is providing opportunities for the church to really engage in fresh and new ways. It's a great day to be alive and in ministry.”

Mary Shore

Whether she”s teaching on campus or online, Mary Hinkle, 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.”

Hinkle especially treasures opportunities to study scripture with her students in discipleship groups. “Discipleship is a time when advisors meet with advisees to dwell on a passage of scripture. It”s about spiritual growth and relationship building –- not like an academic exercise.”

But as much as Hinkle enjoys relationships and discipleship, “my very favorite part of teaching is seeing something new in a text I”ve read dozens of times before. My students will see something in the scriptures I haven't seen. It's that sense of discovery that keeps me in this work.”

Janet Ramsey, Associate Professor of Congregational Care Leadership, was born into a parsonage family in 1945. “I didn’t grow up thinking I”d be a pastor. Women weren’t clergy in those days.” Later, in the early 1970s, women began to think about seminary. “My call was not very dramatic. I believe I was brushing my teeth the first time I thought of going to seminary,” she 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.”

After seminary, Ramsey, then living in the South, initially encountered few churches willing to be served by a female pastor. Ordained in 1985, she was one of the first female pastors in Virginia. From the first, working with older adults was her particular passion. “People would often say to me, 'How can you be a nursing home chaplain? That must be so depressing.” But where else do you go to work and have people greet you each day with 'Oh good! You”re here!”? Older adults are often very appreciative.”

Ramsey decided to return to formal education and, in 1995, received her Ph.D. in marriage and family with a specialization in gerontology. Since that time she has combined clinical, parish and academic work. She was serving as a pastoral counselor, part-time parish pastor and researcher/writer when she received the call to teach at Luther Seminary. “I had a very strong sense that all of the things in my life were coming together with this call to Luther.”

As one whose vocational life has enfolded moment by moment, Ramsey has similar advice to those discerning their own calls. “Don’t worry about forever. Do what you believe God is calling you to do now. If you”re open to the future, your gifts and talents will all come together in meaningful ministry.”

Ramsey is optimistic about the future of the church. “I”m confident that this is God”s church and that God will continue to bless us in the future. I think the spiritual hunger in many people is a sign of hope. It”s also a time of tremendous opportunity for people who listen deeply, find creative ways of talking about faith and aren’t afraid to take risks in ministry.”

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!”

He went to seminary to become a pastor. But within a month, as he watched his professors he was thinking to himself, “That”s exactly what I want to do.” So after three years of full-time parish ministry, he went back to school to pursue his doctorate. While there, he served two more congregations, part-time, gaining much from the chance to both study preaching and preach regularly in a congregation.

Now, eleven years after starting seminary at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, he”s teaching homiletics at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. “At graduate school I was torn between pursuing systematics and homiletics,” he says. “Can I really listen to all those sermons?” He found that he can and he does enjoy it. “I try to create an atmosphere that's both challenging and safe enough for people to risk themselves. I”m surprised at how much I enjoy cultivating that learning environment. When people ask me if teaching is everything I thought it would be, I always say, 'absolutely.””

Lose has this to say to those discerning their own calls: “There”s a line from Chariots of Fire where Eric Liddell explains his passion for running by saying, 'when I run, I feel God”s pleasure,”” Lose says. “God speaks to us, in part, through what we love, what we enjoy, and what we”re good at. That doesn’t mean it won’t be hard, but it”s a great place to start.” He also suggests testing ideas with others. “Talk with family, friends, professors, your pastor, people who know you well.” Additionally, he invites potential seminarians to trust themselves. “Vividly imagine making that decision. Does your stomach or chest tighten or does it relax? Trust that these are some of the ways God speaks to you.”