Seattle University (SU), Oct. 31

Because the closest ELCA seminary to Seattle is either Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in Berkeley, CA or Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN many students choose to study at Seattle University, especially those students who need to remain in the Seattle area for family or career reasons.

Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry offers a variety of degrees in Christian ministry including a Master of Divinity. My colleagues (Heather McClintock, Wartburg Seminary and Greg Schaefer, PLTS) and I met with ELCA students studying at SU in the Master of Divinity degree program and prospective students wishing to do the same thing at Faith Lutheran Church in Seattle. Pastor Nancy Winder, a pastor at Faith, is working with these students and with the candidacy committees of SW and NW Washington synods to help facilitate these students' progress toward ordination. (See photo of my colleagues and me with Pastor Nancy and one of nine students we met, Gretchen, outside of Faith.)

ELCA policy states that students who obtain their Master of Divinity degree at an institution that is not an ELCA seminary must do one year of study, their “Lutheran year,” at an ELCA seminary. So my colleagues and I met with these students to discuss the option of doing their “Lutheran year” at ours or any of the ELCA seminaries.

I am grateful for the educational option that Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry provides for these students and the commitment of these institutions to train ministry leaders of all Christian denominations. My colleagues and I had the opportunity to meet with Mark Taylor, the Acting Dean of the School of Theology and Ministry, and also Jack Olive, the Interim Associate Dean for Ecumenical Relations and to speak with them about this important partnership.

My hat goes off to the students we met and their desire to heed God’s call to ministry. They often have to seek more creative ways to answer that call than many students who live closer to, or are able to relocate to one of the ELCA seminaries. As one student put it, “It is hard to keep momentum sometimes.” And I pray that the ELCA, candidacy committees and the seminaries work as hard as they can to assist them in this process.