Drawn in by opportunity and openness<\/h2>\n
The two considered other seminaries but landed on Luther after hearing about the Jubilee Scholarship.<\/p>\n
\u201cGraduating without debt is such a gift,\u201d Josh said. \u201cAnd the fact that Luther gives the scholarship to all students, not just Lutherans, is amazing and reflects the seminary\u2019s deep commitment to a loving God.\u201d<\/p>\n
The brothers are \u201coverwhelmed with gratitude\u201d that faculty and peers invite them to express their distinct denominational and theological frameworks\u2014Josh, as pastor of Court Street Christian Church in Salem, Oregon, and Lennox, as senior minister of North Congregational Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to hear our perspective and encourage us to engage in projects within our expressions of faith,\u201d Josh said. \u201cLuther is so diverse, and that deepens and sharpens us, as we understand the Bible and faith more holistically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brothers in the classroom<\/h2>\n
Their presence equally enriches the seminary, said Lois Malcolm \u201989 M.A.<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir affable personalities\u2014paired with their theological insight\u2014were invaluable, as they shared candidly about their congregational experiences, particularly regarding having to navigate political conflict within the church,\u201d Malcolm said. \u201cAlthough the Fishers are not Lutheran, they truly appreciate Luther\u2019s theological substance and value our denominational, racial, socioeconomic, and political diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n In an era of \u201cculture wars,\u201d Malcolm added, such differences can be explosive. Modeling emotional and social intelligence, the Fishers and students like them \u201ctransform potential volatility into a constructive and hospitable learning environment.\u201d<\/p>\n The brothers have practice finding common ground as two of 12 children\u2014five 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t agree on everything, Lennox said, but they love each other more.<\/p>\n Lennox said embracing the call has been his \u201cgreatest joy and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n That peace has been a long time coming for Lennox, who earned a bachelor\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cMy 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,\u201d Lennox said.<\/p>\n \u201cMom\u2019s passing was just one of many tragedies to hit our family in rapid succession. Two years before her death, our historic farmhouse\u2014that we had spent years restoring\u2014 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.\u201d<\/p>\n After his mother\u2019s death, Lennox entered seminary at Westminster in Philadelphia to try to find God and himself. But he quickly realized it wasn\u2019t the right time or place. He returned to politics in the nation\u2019s capital, while teaching literature and writing and directing stage plays.<\/p>\n In 2007, he traveled across Scotland and Western Europe before moving to Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Thailand, I taught English in the public schools of Bangkok while performing in an indie folk fusion band at night,\u201d Lennox said. \u201cI was definitely both seeking and escaping\u2014and certainly on a journey of self-discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n After nearly six years at Luvability, Lennox became senior pastor of North Congregational Church, a historic congregation in metro Detroit.<\/p>\n \u201cThis 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\u2019s world,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a rewarding opportunity for growth and reimagining.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI entered seminary single, and I will graduate with a wonderful partner and a beautiful blended family that I never imagined starting at age 50,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve 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\u2019s maiden name and an ancient Scottish Gaelic word that means \u2018place of the elm trees\u2019 and \u2018smooth stream.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u201915 Ph.D.<\/strong>, dean of the chapel and associate professor of spiritual formation and discipleship. The two met in 2022, during Josh\u2019s first semester as a student and Thomason\u2019s first semester as a full-time faculty member.<\/p>\n It can be difficult, Thomason said, to be an evangelical Christian these days. \u201cThe faith has been co-opted by something that has nothing to do with God,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s almost easier to abandon the space rather than stay in it and welcome alternative interpretations, as Josh is doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomason said Josh is good for the seminary, too. His interactions with \u201cCradle Lutherans\u201d and other mainline peers help break down stereotypes that evangelicals are \u201cnarrow-minded, bigoted haters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChristians on all sides, we so easily \u2018other\u2019 people,\u201d Thomason said. \u201cCross-pollination is increasingly important for the health of Christianity and the future of the church, and really, our world.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u201cfell into Christian non-denominational churches for 20 years. \u201cWhen church started back up in 2022, we had 98 people in the seats.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019t go.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d said Josh, an avid guitarist and singer. \u201cMy relationships and study at Luther have guided me so much these past few years.\u201d<\/p>\n The experience has also allowed him to continue to explore the \u201cdeconstruction\u201d he began when his mom died and continued through the death of his wife, Amy, in 2010.<\/p>\n \u201cCritical 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\u2014even Christians\u2014are wrong, or even the enemy,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople had told me what to think about the Bible and social or cultural issues, and I hadn\u2019t really explored various interpretations of the Bible on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cfall deeper in love\u201d with the Bible.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m no longer a young idealist trying to change the world. I don\u2019t pretend I can do that,\u201d he said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Their father, Garry, who wanted to be a minister since third grade, said he couldn\u2019t be prouder of his sons: \u201cI\u2019m glad they have each other and such an openness to the world,\u201d Garry said. \u201cBeing a preacher\u2019s kid, they may have grown up in lots of churches, but they had the same pastor, so I\u2019m glad they are taking the time to learn from others and to listen to their inner voice.\u201d<\/p>\n He is equally proud of how they\u2014and the rest of his family\u2014have navigated hardship, together. \u201cBad things tend to either make people bitter or they make people better,\u201d he said, \u201cand my children have grown through the ashes of tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u201cpouring his heart out to friends and fellow pastors,\u201d when one of them said: \u201cYou can\u2019t have those questions. You must focus on what God is teaching you in this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did not punch him, as I wanted to, but I knew right then and there that I didn\u2019t want to believe those truths. I can guarantee God wasn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Garry said it\u2019s been a gift to witness Josh and Lennox on their journey with faith and in life, and he \u201claughed out loud\u201d when they called to tell him they were entering a Lutheran seminary, as he did decades prior.<\/p>\n \u201cJosh is more like me, rooted and steady. Lennox is more like Marlene, with passion, compassion, and vision,\u201d Gary explained. \u201cTogether, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Different men, walking an unlikely path together\u2014and like any good fellowship, becoming better for the journey.<\/p>\nA family shaped by faith and hardship<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/story\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/RFS_MountOlivet_106.jpg\")
Lennox: The creative visionary<\/h2>\n
![\"Four](\"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/story\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/unnamed-4.jpg\")
Josh: The grounded musician<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/story\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/05\/unnamed.jpg\")
A father\u2019s pride, a shared journey<\/h2>\n
\n