As Christians, we share the conviction that the gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. We believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit, God is still calling leaders today, both from within and from outside the church.<\/p>\n
Our mission at Luther Seminary to educate leaders for Christian communities flows from these convictions. Every day, we witness how God is raising up leaders to share the good news which transforms lives and communities, especially in the midst of challenging times. Our call to serve and equip these leaders, and to accompany them in discernment, endures as we step into our next chapter.<\/p>\n
As we look to the future, we are orienting our work, systems, and programs toward an expansive view of theological education that makes space for all learners. Together with our partners across the church, we are committed to clearing the way for future pastors, deacons, and leaders to respond to the Holy Spirit\u2019s call. This requires that we create welcoming pathways for learners at any point of entry, from our digital ministries to our Ph.D. program. We believe God is inviting us to make every learner\u2019s educational journey rich and abundant.<\/p>\n
We also know that Luther Seminary\u2019s future involves working with congregations, global partners, and learners of all types in their local contexts. The success of our distributed learning options, along with the accelerated MDivX experiment, demonstrate the power of theological education that primarily takes place where students are already leading and serving. The global reach of our digital ministries speaks to the need for trustworthy education and theological resources among Christian communities everywhere.<\/p>\n
As we develop new journeys through all that Luther offers to Christian leaders, we are also building out the underlying infrastructure to support new ways of collaborative teaching and learning. From a physical perspective, this means a reimagined, sustainable footprint in a new location that includes the flexibility to support our periodic need for large gathering spaces for worship, classes, and public events\u2014yet is small enough that we can easily collaborate with each other and guests during times when there are far fewer people on campus. We also need spaces that have reliable technology and infrastructure to free us all to focus on amplifying our mission. Organizationally, it means thoughtfully stewarding our resources to meet the diverse needs of many different kinds of leaders, whether they engage with our free resources, degree programs, lifelong learning, or all of the above.<\/p>\n
Transformation always involves risk. But as we journey through this Lenten season\u2014toward the cross, the empty tomb, and the ultimate promise of new life\u2014we know that we never journey alone. We can move forward in confidence, knowing that we belong to God because God has made it so. Amen!<\/p>\n
Peace,<\/p>\n
Robin Steinke
\nPresident<\/p>\n