Some journeys begin alone. Others begin with a best friend, even a sibling. This is that story: two brothers, who enrolled at Luther Seminary in their 50s, on a quest to better understand God and their role in the world they are called to serve.
Joshua Fisher ’27 M.Div. (right) and Lennox Fisher ’27 M.Div. (left) are from different denominations and different states. Josh, a pastor of 28 years, has four children, while Lennox welcomed his first child last year and once led a band in Thailand. Yet the two M.Div. candidates share a deep love for their Scottish heritage—often wearing kilts to class (even in Minnesota winters)—and exude a peaceful clarity forged by profound loss. They move through difficult conversations with thoughtfulness and aren’t afraid to challenge opinions, even (or especially) their own.
Drawn in by opportunity and openness
The two considered other seminaries but landed on Luther after hearing about the Jubilee Scholarship.
“Graduating without debt is such a gift,” Josh said. “And the fact that Luther gives the scholarship to all students, not just Lutherans, is amazing and reflects the seminary’s deep commitment to a loving God.”
The brothers are “overwhelmed with gratitude” that faculty and peers invite them to express their distinct denominational and theological frameworks—Josh, as pastor of Court Street Christian Church in Salem, Oregon, and Lennox, as senior minister of North Congregational Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
“They want to hear our perspective and encourage us to engage in projects within our expressions of faith,” Josh said. “Luther is so diverse, and that deepens and sharpens us, as we understand the Bible and faith more holistically.”
Brothers in the classroom
Their presence equally enriches the seminary, said Lois Malcolm ’89 M.A., the Olin and Amanda Fjelstad Reigstad Chair for Systematic Theology. During her 32 years at Luther, Malcolm has taught siblings across different years and classes, but never in the same class at the same time. Until this year, when Josh and Lennox enrolled in her Justice and Reconciliation class.
“Their affable personalities—paired with their theological insight—were invaluable, as they shared candidly about their congregational experiences, particularly regarding having to navigate political conflict within the church,” Malcolm said. “Although the Fishers are not Lutheran, they truly appreciate Luther’s theological substance and value our denominational, racial, socioeconomic, and political diversity.”
In an era of “culture wars,” Malcolm added, such differences can be explosive. Modeling emotional and social intelligence, the Fishers and students like them “transform potential volatility into a constructive and hospitable learning environment.”
A family shaped by faith and hardship
The brothers have practice finding common ground as two of 12 children—five biological and seven adopted, several of whom were born with developmental and physical disabilities. The brothers are faith-filled seekers, a trait they inherited from their father, Garry Fisher, who graduated from a Lutheran seminary before exploring several denominations across the United States.
Their younger brother, Jonathan Fisher, retired this year after 21 years as a chaplain in the U.S. Army, and his wife, Sara Nave Fisher, is a Disciples of Christ minister. Conversations and text threads among the Fishers often dive deep into spiritual and philosophical concepts. They don’t agree on everything, Lennox said, but they love each other more.
Lennox: The creative visionary
Lennox said embracing the call has been his “greatest joy and peace.”
That peace has been a long time coming for Lennox, who earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies at Hillsdale College in Michigan. He was working in politics in Washington, D.C., when he learned his mother, Marlene Lennox Fisher, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive, malignant brain tumor. Lennox left his job and moved back to Michigan.
“My mother was my inspiration and artistic mentor, a guiding light for us. In 2000, at 46, Mom was a dynamic and inspiring educator, musician and mother. That spring, she was diagnosed with brain cancer and on June 1, she died,” Lennox said.
“Mom’s passing was just one of many tragedies to hit our family in rapid succession. Two years before her death, our historic farmhouse—that we had spent years restoring— was almost completely lost to fire. And just 25 days after we buried Mom, Josh and his wife, Amy, lost their daughter, Sunshine, at birth. Three years later, in 2003, our sister, Emily, was in a car accident that paralyzed her, and in 2010, Amy died of breast cancer. In 12 years, it felt like everything that could go wrong, did. I, for one, was angry, devastated, and lost.”
After his mother’s death, Lennox entered seminary at Westminster in Philadelphia to try to find God and himself. But he quickly realized it wasn’t the right time or place. He returned to politics in the nation’s capital, while teaching literature and writing and directing stage plays.
In 2007, he traveled across Scotland and Western Europe before moving to Southeast Asia.
“In Thailand, I taught English in the public schools of Bangkok while performing in an indie folk fusion band at night,” Lennox said. “I was definitely both seeking and escaping—and certainly on a journey of self-discovery.”
But the farther Lennox roamed, the more he longed for home. In 2012, he returned to Michigan to help his dad build a new family home and to care for his siblings with disabilities. During that time, Lennox found reconciliation with God through a loving community of faith, and there began to feel the call to ministry.
After several years of mentorship and congregational training, he was ordained in 2018 at Community Congregational Church in South Bend, Indiana. His first ministerial call came as executive director of Luvability Ministries, a nonprofit that provides religious and community services for individuals with disabilities, as well as their families and caregivers.
After nearly six years at Luvability, Lennox became senior pastor of North Congregational Church, a historic congregation in metro Detroit.
“This role is allowing me to connect with people where they are at in their faith journey, grow together in faith and service, and partner with one another for justice, reconciliation, and peace in God’s world,” he said. “It’s been a rewarding opportunity for growth and reimagining.”
Lennox has also reimagined his personal life since moving back to Michigan. While working at Luvability, he connected with Clare, a longtime family friend who had cared for Lennox’s brothers, Andrew and Zachary, who have Down Syndrome. Clare is Indigenous Odawa, one of the three Anishinaabe nations in Michigan, and the two have formed a lasting bond.
“I entered seminary single, and I will graduate with a wonderful partner and a beautiful blended family that I never imagined starting at age 50,” he said. “I’ve been surprised by joy with Clare and her two children, whom we raise together. In September 2025, we welcomed our son, Lennox, which is my mother’s maiden name and an ancient Scottish Gaelic word that means ‘place of the elm trees’ and ‘smooth stream.’”
Josh: The grounded musician
When they are in person at Luther, Lennox relishes the time with his brother, Josh, who lives in Salem, Oregon. Josh also makes time to connect with Steve Thomason ’15 Ph.D., dean of the chapel and associate professor of spiritual formation and discipleship. The two met in 2022, during Josh’s first semester as a student and Thomason’s first semester as a full-time faculty member.
It can be difficult, Thomason said, to be an evangelical Christian these days. “The faith has been co-opted by something that has nothing to do with God,” he said. “It’s almost easier to abandon the space rather than stay in it and welcome alternative interpretations, as Josh is doing.”
Thomason said Josh is good for the seminary, too. His interactions with “Cradle Lutherans” and other mainline peers help break down stereotypes that evangelicals are “narrow-minded, bigoted haters.”
“Christians on all sides, we so easily ‘other’ people,” Thomason said. “Cross-pollination is increasingly important for the health of Christianity and the future of the church, and really, our world.”
Josh has navigated many difficult conversations the last few years. When he began attending Court Street Christian Church in 2016, about 700 people filled the pews. A year later, its pastor of 26 years stepped down as Josh was named minister of pastoral care to provide emotional, spiritual, and relational support to congregants during crises, illness, grief, or life transitions. COVID-19 hit, and the church “fell into Christian non-denominational churches for 20 years. “When church started back up in 2022, we had 98 people in the seats.”
The then-pastor retired, leaving Josh and his fellow associate pastors to rebuild the church. Josh assumed the role of interim pastor in June 2022, and he has thrived as a grounded leader who has brought stability and hope back to Court Street. As much as he knew seminary would help his transition to leadership, Josh almost didn’t go.
“I was supposed to start classes right as all this was going down at my church. But everyone in my congregation was so supportive, knowing that this was my dream for so long. They urged me to go, and I am so glad I did,” said Josh, an avid guitarist and singer. “My relationships and study at Luther have guided me so much these past few years.”
The experience has also allowed him to continue to explore the “deconstruction” he began when his mom died and continued through the death of his wife, Amy, in 2010.
“Critical analysis of my faith was a slow build that heightened during moments of tragedy. I was trained in the evangelical world that the Bible is inerrant and infallible, almost like a book of rules, and that people who disagree with that view—even Christians—are wrong, or even the enemy,” he said. “People had told me what to think about the Bible and social or cultural issues, and I hadn’t really explored various interpretations of the Bible on my own.”
In 2016, Josh and his two teenage daughters, Katelyn and Emma, drove west. They needed an adventure, a fresh start. Josh spent the next year taking his kids to and from school, cooking hearty meals, visiting area churches, and listening to podcasts on long runs. He also began dating Elizabeth, now his wife, and blending their families, including her kids, Jacob and Chloe.
These experiences, paired with his formal education at Luther, have given him the language and confidence to better express his textured, intricate views on faith and God. In particular, Josh said, his studies have helped him “fall deeper in love” with the Bible.
“I’m no longer a young idealist trying to change the world. I don’t pretend I can do that,” he said. “I am here because I am curious and longing to bring peace, hope, and understanding in my own life and to the lives of those around me.”
A father’s pride, a shared journey
Their father, Garry, who wanted to be a minister since third grade, said he couldn’t be prouder of his sons: “I’m glad they have each other and such an openness to the world,” Garry said. “Being a preacher’s kid, they may have grown up in lots of churches, but they had the same pastor, so I’m glad they are taking the time to learn from others and to listen to their inner voice.”
He is equally proud of how they—and the rest of his family—have navigated hardship, together. “Bad things tend to either make people bitter or they make people better,” he said, “and my children have grown through the ashes of tragedy.”
Garry can tell you the day, hour, and minute he made a key choice in his faith journey. It was in the hospital after Marlene died. He was “pouring his heart out to friends and fellow pastors,” when one of them said: “You can’t have those questions. You must focus on what God is teaching you in this moment.”
“I did not punch him, as I wanted to, but I knew right then and there that I didn’t want to believe those truths. I can guarantee God wasn’t teaching me anything by taking the love of my life, leaving me with seven kids at home, or by causing her tremendous pain and suffering during the previous six months. So, I left fundamentalism.”
Garry said it’s been a gift to witness Josh and Lennox on their journey with faith and in life, and he “laughed out loud” when they called to tell him they were entering a Lutheran seminary, as he did decades prior.
“Josh is more like me, rooted and steady. Lennox is more like Marlene, with passion, compassion, and vision,” Gary explained. “Together, they are a powerful pair and are making such a difference in the congregations and communities they have and will serve. Marlene would be so proud.”
Different men, walking an unlikely path together—and like any good fellowship, becoming better for the journey.