Margaret 'Marge' Hegge

Luther Seminary has been a part of Margaret “Marge” Hegge’s life since the year she was born, when her father used the G.I. Bill to enroll. In 2012, the family created a named scholarship in honor of their parents: the Rev. Irvin Junis Lovseth and Harriet Lovseth Scholarship, which funds a student’s tuition every year.

“I remember [my father] talking about how profound his teachers were, and I’ve felt called to be part of this place to honor him and support the evolution of our denomination,” says Marge, who is chair of the Luther Seminary Board of Directors.

In addition to establishing the named scholarship with family members, Marge is a vocal champion of the Jubilee Scholarship, calling it “a top priority in my personal and professional life.” It’s important to her to remove the financial barriers that prevent people from pursuing a calling in ministry.

Marge is enthusiastic about the innovative spirit of the seminary’s leadership, despite the risks involved in tackling things that have never been done before. “They have moved faithfully ahead to where the Spirit is leading, and that is powerful,” she says.

Jim and Anne Eidsvold

For many years, Jim and Anne Eidsvold gave modestly to Luther Seminary. Anne’s father, Kermit Graves, was a 1942 Luther graduate, and Jim’s grandfather was a Lutheran pastor. The Eidsvolds said they believe in Luther’s mission.

In September 2019, they met with Luther Seminary President Robin Steinke and Dwight Zscheile ’08 Ph.D., vice president of Innovation, to learn about the seminary’sListen! God is Calling campaign. “Our hearts were stirred,” Anne said, as they learned about the campaign’s three priorities: the Jubilee Scholarship, innovation, and the Sustaining Fund.

After the meeting, the Eidsvolds pledged a major gift to support the campaign’s $30 million investment in bold, innovative work to form Christian communities that are relevant and responsive in an ever-changing, global world. An example of that work is the Faith+Lead online community, Luther’s digital hub for church leaders. Since its 2018 launch, the site has welcomed 380,000 unique visitors and nearly 20,000 participants in at least one paid course, event, or workshop.

“The meeting was an ah-ha moment for me,” Anne said. “We could see the seminary is developing new ways to reach and connect with people in meaningful ways. They demonstrated to us that they are being innovative while also being practical.”

“It’s not every day we make a gift like this,” Jim added, “but we felt so good about its potential. Luther is a thoughtful steward of donors’ investments. Look at all they’ve already done related to innovation. We can’t wait to see how they continue to build on that work, fueled by our gift and the generosity of others.”

The Eidsvolds said they want to invest in the future of the church because they want others to experience the joy, hope, and purpose they have found in their faith community. As newlyweds, the two taught Sunday School together, and Anne directed a youth church choir for 40 years. The two have served on many committees at Lutheran congregations in Alexandria and Morris, Minnesota.

“Church has always been a happy place for us,” Anne said. “A place of warmth and learning about God and Jesus with good friends and people who care about you. We want others to experience that comfort and community of faith, but we know the world has changed, and people want and need different things out of the church.”

“Luther has proven it is the best place to invest in the inspiring work of imagining and supporting the church of the future,” added Jim, a third-generation owner and manager of Henry’s Foods in Alexandria, Minnesota. “We are proud and excited to contribute to this vital work to imagine a faith-filled future for our world.”

Donald Bottemiller

Donald Bottemiller believes that Luther Seminary’s dedication to innovation is crucial if the church is to continue to thrive in the 21st century.

“I grew up in rural Minnesota with three television channels and no Internet. Church was a social hub without much competition” says the 82-year-old lifelong Lutheran. “These days, we need to graduate pastors who can come up with creative and engaging ways to lift people’s faces up from their phones and remind people of the need for community and hope.”

Don, who has no family ties to Luther, is not only a donor but an advocate for the seminary, meeting regularly with donors to talk about its strategy and initiatives. An innovator himself—he is a retired business leader with several patents to his name—he served on the seminary’s Board of Directors from 2006 to 2018.

John Wright and Joyce Thompsen, Ph.D.

Luther Seminary is in the leadership business, and that is exactly what attracted Dr. Joyce Thompsen.  Joyce’s professional vocation has been all about developing leaders so they can manage organizations and make decisions well.

Active in her church, she had been investing in Luther’s mission for some years when she met John. She says, “I was actively asking the Holy Spirit for a personal companion who shared my faith…and also my strong passion for wanting to do something meaningful to help spread the Gospel. I was looking for the most efficient and effective way to do that…and it became very clear that Luther Seminary was in the best position to be able to provide that point of leverage.” John agreed!

In their support of Luther Seminary, Joyce and John combine their professional and personal passions.  Because of Joyce’s years on Luther’s Board, including a term as Chair, they have seen the mission from the inside, “under the hood,” as Joyce says. That has only inspired them more.

Joyce and John have been listening and they have heard God’s call. They intend to extend their commitment to Luther’s mission well into the future.

Their gift is a personal stretch, a stretch that matches their commitment to a healthy church, both near- and long-term. They say, “We’re looking for a Return on Holy Investment (ROHI) and we continue to be very convinced that Luther is the right place to invest for the future of the church.”

Paul and Ruth Hauge

Paul and Ruth Hauge care deeply about good pastoring. They have long been blessed by skilled and compassionate pastors in their home congregation. They watched their urban congregation double in size over the years, clearly thriving. “[Our visionary pastor] had a great deal of help with the other pastors, and I think the congregation really stepped up too,” said Paul.

They watch for young congregational members who might have the gifts and instincts for pastoral ministry and they encourage them, for the sake of the church’s future. Ruth said, “There’s a young adult at church that I’ve been talking with. I’ve been telling him he needs to become a pastor, and I think he is thinking about it.” They understand how important good leadership is, and that it doesn’t just happen!

The Hauges not only encourage future leaders, they have long supported Luther Seminary, where many of the church’s future leaders are formed. They grew up in families that talked about the importance of seminaries for the health of the church and took that to heart and to their finances.

They are impressed with Luther Seminary’s leadership, even more so after witnessing Luther’s nimble response to the pandemic. They celebrate that students continue to make their way through the degree process and move on to serve faith communities for years to come. They are grateful to have the opportunity to give to this mission. It’s God’s call to them, and they are following!

Ladd Bjorneby '85 M.Div.

In 30 years of parish ministry, Ladd Bjorneby watched change happen right before his eyes, in the world and in the church. Where once the church’s focus was rightly on those in the pews, he sees a changed calling now. “I think we all realize now we can’t take any of [the church’s] existing structure for granted, and if we’re going to have a future, we have to broaden our understanding of who we’re bringing the gospel to…we need to ask, ‘Do we have good news for everyone around us?’”

Rev. Bjorneby is a Luther Seminary alumnus, and has served on Luther Seminary’s board now for a number of years. He is seeing Luther Seminary from another perspective, different from his student days. This lens has a long view focused on the vitality of faith communities called to speak the gospel into a world that needs it. From here, he sees how all the layers of Luther’s community—students, staff, faculty, administration, and board—are pulling together to innovate into that future, so the gospel can be heard in a world that has changed.

How? By preparing and educating leaders who can nurture and inspire others to bring good news into their own contexts. Rev. Bjorneby supports Luther Seminary’s mission because he believes that Luther Seminary is willing to ask hard questions, experiment, and learn.

He is inspired by the teaching and the learning that happens at Luther. This was true when he was a student, and it’s true today. Because of this, he trusts seminary leadership to steward his financial support toward that end. “I want my giving to support the mission,” he said. “I trust the leadership to say, ‘This is what we need to be doing,’ and I want to fund that. My personal preferences are less important. I give to the Sustaining Fund.”

Ladd reflects, “Luther Seminary has always been about the gospel, all about getting the gospel to the ears of people who need to hear it. Throughout all the years and all the changes, that’s remained. So, through my giving, I’m participating in that. I am a part of that mission.”