Keynote Speakers

David Anderson

Dr. David W. Anderson is the Director of Congregational Renewal and Leadership at The Youth & Family Institute in Bloomington, Minn. He has been instrumental in developing a new paradigm for youth and family ministry, the Vibrant Faith Frame (formerly The Child In Our Hands Initiative) and resources to accompany it. He is also the co-developer of the Hand in Hand Congregational Training events that tailors the Vibrant Faith Frame to individual congregations. He has taught pastoral theology at Luther Seminary and St. Thomas Divinity School, and youth and family ministry classes at Augsburg College, all in the Twin Cities. Dr. Anderson currently serves at TYFI as a speaker, congregational trainer, pastoral coach and author. He is the co-author of "Frogs without Legs Can't Hear: Nurturing Disciples in Home and Congregation" and "Coming of Age: Exploring the Identity and Spirituality of Younger Men." His most recent book, "From the Great Omission to Vibrant Faith," is due out in the summer of 2009.

Diane Jacobson

Diane Jacobson came to the Luther Seminary faculty as an assistant professor in 1982 and was promoted to associate professor in 1990. In 1999, she became professor of Old Testament. She served as chair of the biblical division from 1993 to 1996 and as associate dean of MA/MSM programs from 1997 to 2006. She currently serves as Director of the Book of Faith Initiative for the ELCA. Jacobson is a Phi Beta Kappa magna cum laude graduate of Connecticut College, New London (1970). She earned the MA degree from Columbia University/Union Theological Seminary in 1975. She also holds the Master of Philosophy and Ph.D. degrees from Union (1982 and 1990). She is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and has been an Associate in Ministry of the ELCA since 1985. Jacobson is a frequent speaker throughout the Church. Her writings include "A Beginner's Guide to the Bible" (co-author, 1991) and the 1997 Lutheran Woman Today Bible Study, "From Slavery to Service: A Study of Exodus."

Rolf Jacobson

Rolf Jacobson joined the Luther Seminary faculty as associate professor of Old Testament in July 2003. Prior to joining the seminary he taught at Augsburg College, Minneapolis, as an assistant professor of religion. Jacobson earned his bachelor's degree from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn., in 1987. He holds a M.Div. degree from Luther Seminary (1991) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J. (2000). Ordained in 1991, Jacobson served for five years as associate pastor of Como Park Lutheran Church in St. Paul. Jacobson recently served as editor of "Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms." His articles have appeared in Word & World, Theology Today, Interpretation, Teaching Theology & Religion. He is the associate editor of the Book of Psalms Section of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Eugene Peterson

Retired pastor Eugene Peterson is also a writer and a poet. In addition to "The Message," a translation of the Bible in the language of today, Peterson has written 34 books. Retired from full-time teaching, he is professor emeritus of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also founded Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Md., where he served for 29 years. He and his wife, Jan, live in northwestern Montana, boast three grown children (an artist, a pastor and a writer) and six grandchildren. They worship at Eidsvold Lutheran Church.

Deanna Thompson

Deanna Thompson is professor of religion at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn. Author of "Crossing the Divide: Luther, Feminism, and the Cross" (Fortress, 2004), Thompson offers a constructive voice to the task of interpreting Luther's thought in light of modern concerns, including feminist concerns. Thompson has published numerous articles and speaks widely to pastoral, lay and academic audiences about Luther as a resource for contemporary thinking on topics ranging from empire to friendship. Thompson has also been active in the American Academy of Religion, serving on its Board of Directors and Executive Committee, as well as serving as Director of the Upper Midwest Region of the AAR. During her upcoming sabbatical, Thompson will join several dozen theologians working with Westminster/John Knox Press to do commentary on the books of the Bible. Her assignment? Deuteronomy.

Workshop Presenters

Robert Brusic

Robert Brusic is seminary pastor emeritus at Luther Seminary. He has nurtured a lifelong love of the fine arts through course work, reading and frequent museum attendance. He is the author of "And Grace Will Lead Me Home: The Jerry Evenrud Collection of Images of the Parable of the Prodigal Son" (Minneapolis: Lutheran University Press, 2007). He contributed a chapter in Keri Wehlender's "Creating Change: The Arts as Catalyst for Spiritual Transformation" and has written for Word and World, Lectionary Homiletics and ARTS.

Larry Clark

The Reverend Lawrence J. Clark is the executive director of the Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta (LTCA). He comes to this ministry with a rich history of leadership within the Lutheran Church having served as a campus pastor, congregational pastor, youth director, active member and associate to the Bishop. Pastor Clark has degrees from San Francisco State University, including a M.Div. degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and has done work toward a D.Min. degree in Mission and Leadership at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. He currently serves on the Governing Board of the African American Lutheran Association, chair of the Daniel Payne Scholarship Fund, the Board of Directors of Wartburg Theological Seminary, and the ELCA's Outreach and Congregation Mission Unit's National African American Strategy Team. Pastor Clark has spoken widely in the church and is a recognized leader. He is married to Darlene Gibson Clark, and they are the proud parents of Jessica Imanee' Lee Clark.

Pat Taylor Ellison

Pat Taylor Ellison is managing director of research and development at Church Innovations. An accomplished consultant, trainer and curriculum designer, she has taught for 40 years and holds a doctorate in adult learning. At Church Innovations she trains, does analysis and writes for Congregational Discovery, a process for congregations, schools and other organizations to discern their missional calling through self study. She also helps develop user-friendly materials for congregational and judicatory use, and she assists a team of database designers in tracking data from hundreds of congregations and other systems in Church Innovations' massive interactive database, Church FutureFinder.

Andrea Fieldhouse

Andrea Fieldhouse is the Youth and Family Institute associate and director of family ministry at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Excelsior, Minn.

Terry Fretheim

Terence Fretheim was a teaching fellow in Greek at Luther Seminary from 1958-60 while still a student. He returned as assistant professor in 1968 and became professor of Old Testament in 1978. He served as dean of academic affairs (1978-88), acting chair of the Old Testament department (1977-78) and chair of the curriculum committee (1976-77). He is a member of the Catholic Biblical Association and the Society of Biblical Literature and was editor of SBL Old Testament Monographs. He has served on the Buddhist and Muslim Task Forces of the American Lutheran Church, as co-chair of the Theological Consultation for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as president of the Minnesota Consortium of Theological Schools and as Old Testament Book Editor for the Journal of Biblical Literature. Fretheim's recent books include: "God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation" (Abingdon, 2005); "Hope in God in Times of Suffering" (with Faith Fretheim) (Augsburg/Fortress, 2006); and "Abraham: Trials of Family and Faith" (University of South Carolina Press, 2007).

Dennice Gooley

Dennice Gooley is an inspirational/motivational speaker and teacher frequently invited by public and private organizations to speak to regional and national groups. She holds degrees from Augsburg College and Luther Seminary. Her message is one of hope, possibility and promise. This is true whether the topic is inter-faith dialogue, multiple generations in the work place, the creation of wisdom legacies, success strategies or the Bible. On any subject, Gooley engages participants by meeting them where they are and leading them to a new understanding by challenging them to open up their "knowing."

Bill Huff

Since January of 2009 Bill Huff has been serving as the assistant director for the Book of Faith Initiative. Bill began his professional career as an advertising agency account executive in Des Moines and Minneapolis. In 1989 Bill received his MA degree from Luther Seminary. After graduating, he became marketing director for Seraphim Communications, then service development director for LSS of Minnesota, before he came to Augsburg Fortress in 1998. Most recently, while serving as vice president of publishing at AF, Bill worked on the development of groundbreaking resources including: The Lutheran Study Bible, "Here We Stand Confirmation," "Akaloo," "The Lutheran Handbook," "The Lutheran Course," "No Experience Necessary Bible Study" and Smart Living and Legacy stewardship programs. Bill has also worked with full-communion partner denominations and other denominational publishers. Bill and his wife Sue have twin 13-year-old boys and live in the Minneapolis area.

Greg Kaufmann

Pastor Greg Kaufmann serves as assistant to the Bishop of the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin and as director of the ELCA's Fisher's Net Select. In 1993 he helped form the synod's Lay School of Ministry and currently serves as its director, Bible course teacher and Book of Faith Synod advocate. Kaufman has written a number of adult Bible studies for Augsburg Fortress and also works as one of their curriculum editors. When not teaching, writing or editing, Kaufman enjoys visiting his grandson, mountain climbing in Colorado or canoeing and fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

Beth Lewis

Prior to joining Augsburg Fortress in 2002, Lewis spent 22 years working for three Fortune 500 publishing companies: Time Warner, McGraw-Hill, and Times Mirror. She also owned Computer Coach, a computer and technology career school, for five years. In her current role, she has led notable successes that include "The Lutheran Handbook - Here We Stand," a confirmation curriculum; "The Lutheran Course;" SundaysAndSeasons.com, a Web-based worship planning tool; Evangelical Lutheran Worship; SPARK Sunday School curriculum; and a collection of resources in support of the ELCA's Book of Faith Initiative. Lewis is frequently invited to speak throughout the ELCA on topics ranging from strategic planning to technology use in congregations.

David Lose

David J. Lose joined the Luther Seminary faculty in July 2000 as assistant professor of homiletics. In May 2005, he received the Marbury E. Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching. Previously, Lose served as a pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and as a teaching fellow and visiting lecturer at Princeton Theological Seminary, both in Princeton, N.J. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English and psychology from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. (1988) He earned his M.Div. (1993) and master of sacred theology (1997) degrees from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and his doctorate in homiletics from Princeton Theological Seminary (2000). Lose started WorkingPreacher.org, a free preaching resource from Luther Seminary's Center for Biblical Preaching, in 2008. He is the author of "Confessing Jesus Christ" (Eerdmans, 2003), named one of the "Top 10 Books of 2004" by the Academy of Parish Clergy. He is the author of numerous articles on preaching, biblical interpretation and theology, and is the editor of "New Directions in Preaching" (forthcoming from Chalice Press).

Linda S. Magill

Linda S. Magill serves as a congregational and seminary relations manager for Augsburg Fortress (formerly she was a congregational field representative in the Northeast) and is a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Manasquan, N.J. Magill has served on the New Jersey Synod Council, the New Jersey Synod Resource Development Team and as the ELCA mission interpreter coordinator for the New Jersey Synod. After eight years as agency resource manager for Lutheran Brotherhood (now Thrivent), she served as the director of development for Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey. This fall, her son, Patrick, will be a senior at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Leslee Nestingen

Leslee Nestingen has served congregations in various capacities throughout her career, most recently as one of the congregational and seminary relations managers for Augsburg Fortress. Prior to joining Augsburg Fortress five years ago, she worked with the national volunteer network at Lutheran Brotherhood (now Thrivent) and learned from Lutherans at a grassroots level while serving as a church organist, choir director, Sunday school teacher and youth leader. Nestingen's roots are in southwestern Minnesota's Clarkfield Lutheran Church, and she is currently a member of St. Peder's Lutheran in Minneapolis.

Christy Olson

Christy Olson is an associate in ministry in the ELCA. Her call to the St. Paul Area Synod in specialized ministry takes her down beautiful faith-filled paths of teaching and writing. Christy writes children's curriculum for many publishers. She has written for AKALOO and SPARK, and helped the Unitarian Universalists redefine their Christian roots for children. Her first children's Bible storybooks will be published in 2010. Christy teaches with Luther Seminary's Center for Lifelong Learning and writes from her central Minnesota home, where she watches the native prairie and flies with the sand hill cranes into new places of creativity.

Christian Scharen

Christian Scharen joined the Luther Seminary faculty as assistant professor of worship and theology in 2008. He spent the four years prior as director of the Faith as a Way of Life Program at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture and assistant professor of Congregational Studies and Practical Theology (Adjunct) at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Conn. Scharen has served as a regular supply pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, East Point, Ga.; as senior pastor of First Lutheran Church of the Reformation, New Britain, Conn.; and as research associate and lecturer at Chandler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta. After receiving a certificate from College of Arts, Science and Technology, Kingston, Jamaica (1987), Scharen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. (1989), a Master of Arts in Religion degree from Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, Calif. (1995), a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley (1996) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Emory University (2001). Scharen has published a number of books including "Faith as a Way of Life: A Vision for Pastoral Leadership" (Eerdmans) and "One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God" (Brazos) as well as a variety of popular and scholarly articles.

Linda Staats

Linda Staats is the author of the "Book of Faith for Households of Faith" resolution, which has generated much lively and positive conversation on the Book of Faith NING site. A practical theologian, Staats is a passionate speaker and popular workshop leader for passing on faith through cross-generational and milestones ministry. She and her spouse enjoy giving away children's Bibles to friends and neighbors as a means and mission for engaging all ages in faith-filled conversation. Staats holds a MS degree in Human Development and the Family and serves as assistant to the Bishop for Youth and Household Ministry in the Rocky Mt Synod. She is also the director of HomeGrown Faith, an associate with The Youth and Family Institute, and former assistant to the Bishop for Faith Formation in the Grand Canyon Synod.
 

David Tiede

David Tiede occupies the Bernhard M. Christensen Chair at Augsburg College. He is an emeritus Professor of New Testament and President of Luther Seminary. His scholarship and teaching focus on Luke-Acts and the Jewish origins of the apostolic Christian movement in the Greco-Roman world of many cultures and religions. He was a Biblical consultant and the author of the Acts materials for Search Bible studies and an active teacher in the Word and Witness program.

Sara Vanderpan

Pastor Sara Vanderpan is the Book of Faith advocate for the Saint Paul Area Synod. She is also on staff at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Woodbury, Minn., where she leads the confirmation ministry, leadership development initiative and various prayer and caring ministries. Vanderpan is married to Pastor Ted Vanderpan, and they have two high school-age daughters.

Tim Westermeyer

Tim Westermeyer is a second-career pastor who came to the ministry as an experienced public relations practitioner. Prior to accepting his first call in 2002, Westermeyer worked for 10 years at major public relations agencies in Minneapolis and Los Angeles, where he focused on media relations, special events and crisis communications for technology, corporate and arts-based clients. When he left the business world to enter the world of parish ministry, he was managing the largest account at the largest PR agency in the upper Midwest. Since 2007, he has served as Executive Pastor of St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minn. In addition to his business experience, Westermeyer also holds graduate degrees in theology and ethics from Luther Seminary and The University of Notre Dame, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. He lives in Plymouth with his wife, Amy, and their four children.

Kelly Chatman

Kelly Chatman is a pastor in the ELCA and for five years served as ELCA Director for Youth Ministries. Chatman has been recognized for his leadership among youth and young adults and his service in multicultural and urban settings. Chatman has developed and presented workshops on diversity, leadership and transformational leadership in the Church. He has provided leadership recently in the areas of affordable housing, youth and community development. He has been a teacher for seminary, college and high school students and he has a passion for increasing diversity within the church. In addition to serving as pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Chatman serves on staff at Augsburg College. Chatman is a Lilly Theological Fellow and was recognized as Portland Public School's Volunteer of the Year in 1992, Mayor's Citizen of the Year for Portland, Ore., and 2003 recipient of the Tom Hunstad Award for Youth Ministries. On Nov. 1, Chatman will receive the Luther Seminary Race, Church and Culture Award. He is married to Dr. Cheryl Chatman, who serves as executive vice president at Concordia University in St Paul, Minnesota.

Philip A. Quanbeck II

Philip A. Quanbeck II is associate professor and chair of the religion department at Augsburg College, Minneapolis. Phil is a graduate of St. Olaf College and earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. from Luther Seminary. He also studied at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has served parishes in Illinois and Minnesota, written on preaching in Word and World and contributed to the SBL publication, "Teaching the Bible." Phil has also led several student and adult groups to the Aegean cities of the Apostle Paul and the Book of Revelation in Greece and Turkey. Phil is married to Dr. Ruth Johnson, a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. They share interest in travel to ancient sites and the relationship of spirituality and health.

Karl Jacobson

Karl N. Jacobson is assistant professor of religion at Augsburg College, Minneapolis. He is a contributor to "Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms" and co-author of "Crazy Talk Too: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Biblical Terms" (forthcoming in 2009 from Augsburg Fortress). He has written on the Lord's Prayer, the Psalms, world religions and has had articles published in Word & World, Lutheran Forum, the online Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception and WorkingPreacher.org. A graduate of St. Olaf College and Luther Seminary, Karl has been a parish pastor for 10 years and is nearing completion of his doctoral work out of Union-PSCE in Richmond, Va. Karl's wife, Kristen, is associate pastor of Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. They have three children: Hannah, 11; Sam, 9; and Lucy, 3.

Jeremy Myers

Jeremy Myers is assistant professor of religion at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, where he co-directs the youth and family ministry major. He has served as director of youth and family ministry at congregations in Minnesota and Indiana. He researches in the area of adolescent spirituality and constructive theology. He has written articles on youth ministry for publications such as The Lutheran, Dialog: A Journal of Theology, and the Journal of Youth and Theology. He recently served as the project director of the Getting Ready Materials for the 2009 ELCA National Youth Gathering.

Kristin Wiersma

Kristin Wiersma is president and owner of Seraphim Communications, a St. Paul, Minn.-based media communications company. For more than 20 years, Seraphim has provided the church with media resources for study and helped non-profit organizations tell their story to advance their mission. Kristin and Hans Wiersma live with their children in St. Paul.

Hans Wiersma

Hans Wiersma is assistant professor of religion at Augsburg College, where he also assists in coordinating Augsburg's youth and family ministry program. He is a contributor to numerous Bible and catechism resources (including the Lutheran Handbook, Akaloo, The Lutheran Study Bible, and the People of Faith study resources). He is the co-creator of two audio/visual study resources: "The Lutheran Course II" and "Road Trip." He is co-author of "Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms" (2008) and "Crazy Book: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Biblical Terms." Hans and Kristin Wiersma live with their children in St. Paul.

Greg Meyer

Greg Meyer is lead pastor of the ELCA emergent congregation, Jacob's Well, which has in two years grown to well over 200 attendees in its urban, 'given up on church' neighborhood of Minneapolis. A former missionary in Papua New Guinea, a youth leader since age 14 and a pastor in various settings, Greg has learned the importance of the connection between our story and God's story. Jacob's Well is a living laboratory of how God's Word can connect with people who don't know that God's story is their story. Greg is a grad of St. Olaf College and Yale Divinity School and speaks regionally and nationally about church transitions, health and launching. Read his blog at www.precariouspastor.net.