Mark Granquist, Lloyd and Annelotte Svendsbye Professor of the History of Christianity, participated in a conference at the VID Specialized University in Stavanger, Norway, this June. His presentation focused on American Lutheran missionaries and their understandings of good and evil in their work. His most recent publications include “American Lutherans and their Hymnals” in Word & World, Spring 2024; “Chasing Muhlenberg’s Dream: From the Service Book and Hymnal to the Lutheran Book of Worship” in “A New Song We Now Begin: Celebrating Half a Millennium of Lutheran Hymnals, 1524–2024,” edited by Robin Leaver; and “Lutherans in Canada” in the Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference, vol. 13, 2023.

---

Working Preacher’s Sermon Brainwave cohosts Karoline Lewis, Marbury E. Anderson Chair of Biblical Preaching; Joy J. Moore, professor of biblical preaching; and Matthew Skinner, Asher O. and Carrie Nasby Professor of New Testament, led the first five-day Preachers Retreat at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, in July. About 90 preachers from a range of traditions attended. The retreat will be offered again in August 2025. For registration, find the Preachers Retreat link on workingpreacher.org.

---

Dwight Zscheile ‘08 Ph.D., vice president of innovation and professor of congregational mission and leadership, taught in the Leader’s Way program at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in June; led the clergy retreat for the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa in March; and directed a leadership retreat for First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, Virginia, in January. He was theologian in residence for the Gathering of Leaders in Michigan this August. His latest book, “Embracing the Mixed Ecology” (co-authored with Blair Pogue), will be published by Church Publishing in spring 2025.

---

Cody Sanders, associate professor of congregational and community care leadership, contributed a chapter titled “Spiritual Care, LGBTQ+ Sexualities, and the Bible” to the forthcoming “T&T Clark Handbook of Sexualities in the Bible and Its Reception,” and a coauthored chapter for the forthcoming book, “Reframing Trauma: A Psychospiritual Theory and Theology” (Fortress Press). He gave the keynote address at the 2024 Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Research Conference at Loma Linda University and lectured at the Festival of Homiletics. Sanders and a colleague presented a workshop on LGBTQ+ spiritual care at the Society for Pastoral Theology. He has recently joined the editorial boards of the Journal of Pastoral Theology, the flagship journal in the field, as well as Perspectives in Religious Studies, the journal of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion. Sanders also gave sermons and forums at churches across the Twin Cities and facilitated the annual renewal retreat for the chaplains of the Allina Health Care System.

---

Kathryn Schifferdecker, Elva B. Lovell Chair of Old Testament, was the keynote speaker at the North Carolina Synod Convocation, a theological conference for pastors of the synod, in October. The theme of the conference was “The Calm in the Chaos.” She was an invited speaker at the Summit Conference for pastors at Abilene Christian University in Texas, also in October, where she spoke on Old Testament preaching.

---

In Memoriam

Judith (Judy) Stone died on June 16. She attended college at the University of Minnesota and served as a librarian in Grand Marais, Minnesota, where she loved participating in children’s programming such as the summer reading program. When she and her family moved to Roseville, Judy continued her calling as a librarian at Luther Seminary.

---

Lydia Anna Volz died on February 11. The daughter of missionaries in India, Lydia dedicated her life to serving others as a member of Jehovah Lutheran Church; a geriatric nurse at Lyngblomsten, Trevilla, and Bethesda care centers; a stalwart supporter of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League; and a parish nurse for Roseville Lutheran Church and Luther Seminary.