Campus clips: Milestones and more

(From left) The Rev. Michael Salemink, Susan Habegger, Deaconess Susan Knowles and the Rev. Christian Schultz sing during a worship service to open the 180th academic year at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW). All four recently joined the staff of CTSFW. (CTSFW/Steve Blakey)

This monthly column includes brief reports submitted by schools, campus ministries, universities and/or seminaries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

100 years of ULC

On Sept. 15, college students, alumni and members gathered at University Lutheran Chapel (ULC), Minneapolis, to celebrate 100 years of campus ministry at the University of Minnesota with a special Vespers service, followed by dinner. The Rev. Dr. John Pless, assistant professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, and former campus pastor at ULC, preached for the occasion. The opening procession also included eight current LCMS pastors who had spent time at ULC as college or graduate students.

“We do well to mark with thanksgiving the hundred years that God has given to His little flock here at the U of M,” said Pless in his sermon. “Over the last hundred years people have been brought together here by the Good Shepherd, and that Good Shepherd has also dispersed people to go out from this place to live fruitful lives of faith and love in locations far and near.”

Watch for a longer article about this milestone in a future issue of Lutherans Engage the World.

Goal-oriented

A recent article at gmtoday.com (a news site that reports on the greater Milwaukee area) featured Trinity Lutheran School, Freistadt, Wis., where enrollment has increased by 233% since 2019. The article noted Trinity’s celebration last year of “a milestone in its 185-plus year history” with the opening of “14 new classrooms totaling 22,000 square feet … to accommodate these rising numbers.”

The article also highlighted Trinity’s GOAL (Growth Opportunities for All Learners) program, which serves students with special needs — currently “470 children from nearly 40 different zip codes across southeastern Wisconsin.” Learn more about Trinity Lutheran School at trinitymequon.org/school.

Teaching the teachers

On Aug. 8, Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor (CUWAA) hosted more than 450 educators and leaders from Lutheran and Christian schools for the second Concordia Summit for Educators and Leaders. The one-day event, held on CUWAA’s Mequon, Wis., campus, began with worship in the Chapel of Christ Triumphant followed by sessions led by CUW School of Education faculty and guest presenters. Sponsored by CUW’s School of Education and the LCMS South Wisconsin District, the summit included such topics as leadership development, student engagement, curriculum innovation and global awareness. More than 20 CUW professors shared expertise in areas such as assessment, differentiation and faith-based teaching practices. Learn more at blog.cuw.edu.

Faith through literacy

On Sept. 25, Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), Seward, Neb., hosted “The Power of Story: Strengthening Faith Through Literacy,” presented by CUNE’s Institute for Literacy. Special guests Peggy Kuethe and Lisa Clark, both from Concordia Publishing House, joined K–5 students, faculty and staff from select Seward-area Christian schools for interactive activities and stories focused on drawing children closer to Jesus. Learn more about CUNE’s institutes at cune.edu/institutes.

Forming future church workers

For the second consecutive year, church work enrollment at Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP), St. Paul, Minn., stands at more than 100 students. In early September, these students gathered for a full-day kickoff to begin the academic year. The day focused on team building, program expectations and a field trip to Trinity First Lutheran Church and School in Minneapolis.

“What excites us most at Concordia, St. Paul,” said the Rev. Dr. Mark Koschmann, CSP chief mission officer, “is not only the number of church work students, but their eagerness to engage deeply with one another and with the mission of Christ’s church. … The future of the church is in the hands of faithful, thoughtful and Christ-centered leaders who are being formed here and now.”

For all the saints

Concordia University Chicago (CUC), River Forest, Ill., is hosting the annual Vi Messerli Memorial Lectures in Church Music Oct. 19–21 under the theme “For All the Saints.” The event celebrates the sacred music tradition through concerts, workshops and choral reading sessions.

Highlights include a plenary presented by Dr. John D. Witvliet, founding director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich.; a hymn festival featuring the hymns of CUC Professor of English Dr. David Rogner and the singing of CUC’s Kapelle; and a concert by organist and composer Brenda Portman. Workshop leaders include Rogner, Witvliet and Concordia University Wisconsin Emeritus Professor of Music Dr. John Behnke. Attendees will also be able to enjoy a liturgical art exhibit by Kathryn Hillert Brewer.

For more information, visit cuchicago.edu/lcm25.

Christ alone

Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW) opened its 180th academic year Sept. 8 with a worship service in Kramer Chapel. CTSFW President Rev. Dr. Jon S. Bruss preached on Deuteronomy 30 and 1 Timothy 3 and 4, urging hearers, including the first-year class in the front pews, to hold fast to Christ.

“What makes a real Christian a real Christian is Christ alone,” Bruss preached. “What makes a man holy isn’t what he does, but whom he holds in the heart. And what makes a man pious and righteous and a Lutheran is grasping Christ where he may be found, in His holy Word and blessed Sacraments, and nothing else, nothing at all.”

After the sermon, Bruss installed four new faculty and staff, all of whom are rostered LCMS church workers: the Rev. Michael Salemink, the Rev. Christian Schultz, Deaconess Susan Knowles and Susan Habegger.

Theological symposium

The 35th Annual Theological Symposium, “Nicaea 1700,” was held Sept. 16–17 at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. A full-capacity crowd of pastors and other church leaders, academics, students and laypeople gathered on campus to explore how the Council of Nicaea continues to shape the church’s confession and ministry. The two-day event featured plenary sessions, worship, discussion and the 10th Annual Dr. Jack Dean Kingsbury Lecture in New Testament Theology. The gathering reflected the seminary’s mission of fostering learning, fellowship and service to the church.

For more information, visit csl.edu/theological-symposium.

Posted Oct. 20, 2025