Gracia Grindal ’83 M.A., professor emerita of rhetoric, published her latest book, “What a Fellowship: Remembering Augsburg Seminary and the Lutheran Free Church,” with Fortress Press last July. The book is, in large part, about a preceding institution of Luther Seminary. Also last year, a volume of her hymn texts for Old Testament Series A of the Revised Common Lectionary, with tunes by Roy Hopp, were published by Wayne Leupold Editions and presented at the Hymn Society’s annual conference in Detroit. In October 2025, she was in Bodo, Norway, to hear a musical setting by
Norwegian jazz trumpeter Tore Johansen of her libretto, “Hymn of Grace,” on the bicentennial of the emigration to America by Norwegians.
Mary Jane Haemig, professor emerita of church history, received an Award of Commendation from the Concordia Historical Institute for her article, “Paul Gerhardt in America, 1743–2007,” in Lutheran Quarterly.
Rahfat Hussain joined Luther Seminary as the new chief financial officer. Prior to joining the seminary in December, he was CFO at the Minnesota Historical Society and held various financial roles at the University of Minnesota. The CFO position is a shared role with Augsburg University.
Grace Pomroy ’12 M.A. presented a workshop, “Faith and Money: Expanding the Conversation,” at the Stewardship Kaleidoscope conference in New Orleans in September; a webinar, “Talking about Finances in Financially Fraught Times,” in October for the American Baptist Home Mission Societies as part of their “Faithful Finances in Fraught Times” Series; a workshop, “Funding Forward,” in November as part of the Mosaix Triannual Conference; and a webinar, “Changes in the Stewardship Landscape,” in December to the ELCA Directors of Evangelical Mission as part of their Collaborative Conversations series.
Cody Sanders, associate professor of congregational and community care leadership, had his 2015 book, “Microaggressions in Ministry,” translated into Japanese and published in Japan, and his 2017 book, “A Brief Guide to Ministry with LGBTQIA Youth,” published in an updated edition by Westminster John Knox Press in 2026. In addition, he published an article in the Journal of Pastoral Theology titled “Ecopneumastalgia: Longing for a Relationality of Spiritual Animacy within the Web of Life,” and was guest co-editor of two special issues of the journal Christian Ethics Today, one on the topic of immigration and the other on ministry in an era of conflict and division. He also preached in The Memorial Church of Harvard University and provided spiritual care training for their staff in October. In November, Sanders traveled with members of the Seminary Relations team to the Chicago area to offer two spiritual care and mental health workshops, one for the public and the other for local clergy. In January, he was the keynote speaker at the annual “Conversations” gathering for UCC senior pastors. Additionally, he gave workshops and sermons in churches across the Twin Cities.
Shamani Shikwambi joined Luther Seminary as interim dean of students and vice president for inclusion and belonging in November. He brings more than 15 years of experience in academic leadership in higher education, including roles as dean of students and dean of academics.