May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. —Romans 15:13

We abound in hope here at Luther Seminary because we see around us the goodness of God’s redeeming love at work in and through our students.

In a changing world, Luther Seminary is relentless in following the Spirit’s prompting to listen closely, trust deeply, and innovate boldly for the sake of our mission. While the breadth and depth of this work in fiscal year 2023–24 cannot be fully captured in a few pages, we hope these stories and data inspire your own curiosity about where God is leading.

In a changing world, Luther Seminary continues to remove financial barriers to theological education. With 100% of student tuition and fees covered by the Jubilee Scholarship, student borrowing continues to decline. Total loan volumes reached their lowest point in 25 years in 2023–24, with 62% of our students graduating free of student loan debt. As the profile of students pursuing graduate theological education shifts from predominantly full-time, in-person study toward a greater percentage of part-time, distance-based learning, the Board of Directors voted to move from a per-credit to a flat-rate tuition structure in February. This change will allow the seminary to fully utilize endowed scholarships and cover even more actual student costs going forward, supported by a strong endowment valuation.

In a changing world, Luther Seminary meets Christian leaders where they are—and accompanies them where they are going. The seminary is adapting the academic program to deliver a rigorous theological education in modalities that serve today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders. In Fall 2023, we implemented a refreshed curriculum with defined full-time and part-time pathways that lower the cost to develop Christian leaders without sacrificing academic rigor, theological depth, or leadership formation—the hallmarks of a Luther Seminary education. In partnership with Region 3 bishops, we began offering eight-course graduate certificate programs for lay leaders—all fully covered by the Jubilee Scholarship. And our digital offerings for disciples and pastors continue to grow, with more than 300 individuals exploring the Faith+Lead membership and 700 learners taking advantage of a growing library of on-demand Faith+Lead Academy courses.

In a changing world, Luther Seminary is a global leader. From our home base in St. Paul, the seminary maintains vital connections to our siblings in Christ throughout the global communion. Our digital offerings—including God Pause, Enter the Bible, Working Preacher, and Faith+Lead—reached 7.8 million users worldwide in the past year, an increase of 37% from the previous year. From the Festival of Homiletics to on-campus lectures with renowned scholars Amy-Jill Levine and Tripp Fuller, Luther Seminary leads faithful conversation on the most pressing theological issues of our time.

In a changing world, your support matters. As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for your generous, faithful support of our students, our mission, and the future of the church. Thanks be to God for the great blessing of your prayers and partnership!

Peace and blessings,

Robin J. Steinke President

View the 2024 Annual Report