Campus ministry leaders gather in Irvine

The Rev. Eric Andrae (left), associate pastor for campus ministry at First Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, Penn., enjoys fellowship during the LCMS U Campus Ministry Conference at Concordia University Irvine, Irvine, Calif., on May 28. Also pictured is Dr. Jake Bennett, campus ministry leader at Peace Lutheran Church, Oxford, Miss. (LCMS/Sarah Hjulberg)

By Sarah Hjulberg

More than 50 church workers and lay leaders from across The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) gathered May 28–30 at Concordia University, Irvine (CUI), Irvine, Calif., for the LCMS U Campus Ministry Staff Conference.

Under the theme, “Baptized: Identity and Vocation in Campus Life,” the conference provided theological education for campus ministry leaders and facilitated networking and exchange of ideas about campus ministry.

The conference also provided time for prayer and hearing God’s Word: Each day began with Matins and closed with Vespers in CUI’s Good Shepherd Chapel. Ministry leaders came from a variety of locations, ranging from San Diego to Spokane to Pittsburgh, and numerous contexts — big state schools, small colleges, well-established campus ministries and those that are just getting started or trying to re-establish themselves.

The conference schedule was designed to provide a balance between practically oriented breakout sessions and plenary presentations on theological education.

Practical advice

Topics for the practical sessions included raising awareness and funds, organizing campus ministry among a “revolving door” community (as students graduate and new students arrive each year), raising up student leaders, and ministering to international students.

The Rev. Eric Andrae, associate pastor for campus ministry at First Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, and the Rev. David Kind, campus pastor of University Lutheran Chapel, Minneapolis, co-led a session on starting a new campus ministry.

First, they addressed common, perennial challenges that all campus ministries face, no matter the context. Getting in touch with Lutheran students on campus, or even knowing who they are in the first place, is one challenge. Furthermore, many congregations in “town and gown” situations are made up mostly of local residents and struggle to reach the “gown,” or student population. Additionally, colleges and universities can sometimes vary widely in the kind of support they give to campus ministries.

Despite these challenges, Andrae and Kind — both longtime campus ministry leaders — emphasized straightforward ways to get a campus ministry going.

First, getting on the university’s campus ministry council is an effective place to start when it comes to having a presence on campus.

They also encouraged new campus ministries to focus on getting just one or two Lutheran students, and one or two adult leaders, excited to be involved. They also pointed out that the goal of Lutheran campus ministry is simple: to involve students in the life of the local church, attending the Divine Service and Bible study regularly.

Andrae and Kind concluded with some encouragement for campus ministries to lean into their Lutheran identity. They said that, in their experience, students have been drawn to the liturgical and sacramental life of the church, which anchors them in Christ.

Other campus ministry leaders in attendance have also noticed this trend.

“Something that we’ve seen recently is that we get students who are from these big box non-denominational churches, and they say … they’re looking for something that has more beauty, more reverence, more depth,” said Dr. Jake Bennett, professor of physics at the University of Mississippi and campus ministry leader for Peace Lutheran Church in Oxford, Miss. He is also studying to become a Specific Ministry Pastor.

‘Fruitful conversations’

The conference also offered five plenary sessions, which provided theological education for campus ministry leaders so that they might better engage with topics that students are grappling with.

In his presentation, “Filling the Void of Secular Education,” the Rev. Dr. David Loy, dean of Christ College at CUI, talked through ways to help students apply a Lutheran lens to their secular education. “What difference does the incarnation of the Son of God make?” is the chief question students should ask, Loy argued. Ignoring it is the whole reason for the void in education in the first place.

In his presentation, “Theological Anthropology and Transgenderism,” the Rev. Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, CUI associate professor of theology and bioethics, focused on how to have fruitful conversations with others despite deep disagreements over issues like transgenderism.

In these conversations with people who disagree with you, Stiegemeyer advised leading with beauty: What is beautiful, and what is not? He also emphasized the importance of praying for the people you disagree with, as well as sharing meals with them, listening well, and speaking with integrity and charity.

Stiegemeyer ended his presentation with a reminder to avoid pessimism, instead maintaining a spirit of hopefulness amidst thorny issues in the culture. Referencing an account of the martyrdom of Perpetua of Carthage, who faced death so joyfully and calmly, Stiegemeyer closed by saying, “Let’s show the people of our ministries how to walk into the amphitheater … joyfully, like we’re going to heaven, with a face shining, and a calm step. Why? Because we are God’s beloved.”

Other plenary topics included:

“Natural Law in the Confessions,” by the Rev. Dr. Jason Lane, associate professor of historical theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis;

“Teaching Jesus in the Age of Excarnation,” by the Rev. Dr. Joel Oesch, professor of theology at CUI; and

“Discipleship as Catechesis,” by the Rev. Dr. Heath Trampe, director of LCMS Discipleship Ministry.

LCMS U in 2026

This was the third LCMS U staff conference to be held in recent years after a long hiatus. The plan is to continue holding them regularly, so keep a lookout for the next one in 2026.

Students headed to colleges and universities this fall are encouraged to use the LCMS U website to locate and connect with the nearest campus ministry. A map of all LCMS U chapters is available here.

Learn more at lcms.org/campus-ministry.

Posted July 9, 2025