LSTC Stories from Alums & Friends

Here we will feature testimonials and updates received from alums and friends of LSTC.

How LSTC worked and what I learned

by Richard Mannel
M.Div. Class of 1972

There is the factual history of how LSTC came into existence which you can read on the web site. Then there is the history of what was actually involved in making LSTC work. I sometimes wonder if the administration and staff of LSTC during those early years get the credit they deserve for literally holding LSTC together during those difficult times.

When I arrived at LSTC in the fall of 1968 the administration, faculty, staff and Middlers had had one year of experience in Hyde Park. The Juniors were there for the first time as were the Seniors who were returning from internships and had left campuses that were now closed. Besides just getting to know their colleagues, the faculty, students, and staff and their families were getting used to new homes, new neighborhoods and new schools. Not only was everyone out of their comfort zone - there seemed to be no comfort zone to get into.

On top of that, in the winter and spring of 1968 came the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy.

The Chicago Democratic Convention of 1968 took place during the pre-sem Greek class. Dr. LeRoy Norquist led the class I was in. In the evening we watched news reports of police beating demonstrators in downtown Chicago. We began our class the next morning listening to firsthand reports of students who had gone downtown during the demonstrations to serve as "medics" and then we studied Greek. (Now that was a surreal experience!)

By the end of the first term, my class went "on strike" because we didn't like the curriculum (it did leave a lot to be desired).

The Viet Nam War cast a shadow on everything.

In the spring of my senior year we experienced the killing of students at Kent State and Jackson State Universities.

The class of '72 started with about 80 students in the fall of 1968. There were 35 in the class when we graduated. Many of those were not a part of the class when we started.
By the time I graduated I wondered if I had learned anything worthwhile at LSTC. After a few years in the parish, however, I realized that all the money in the world could not have bought what I learned about conflict management from my experiences at LSTC. For that I credit the faculty and administration of LSTC. What I learned about listening, applying theological and Biblical principals to real situations and trusting other members of the community and the Holy Spirit served me well throughout my ministry.

By the way...even Free B was a product of the strangeness of those years. Because any kind of "government" seemed to be an anathema during those years, the students did not manage to form a student government until the fall of 1970. They formed the Core Committee with three representatives from each class. When I returned from internship in fall 1971 I was one of the senior representatives. Others on the Core Committee included Tom Church and Henry Steinhilber, Don Borling and Glen Johnson.*

During that year the administration informed us that we had a lot of money to spend. It seems that LSTC had been collecting student activity fees since it opened in the fall of 1967. The by-laws of LSTC allowed that money to be spent only by a student government. Since a student government was not formed until the fall of 1970 none of that money had been spent. There was a lot of it.

I don't remember how we arrived at the decision, but we decided to open a bar. (Called the Student Center in Core Committee minutes.) I do remember the name was chosen from suggestions from students. "Free Barabbas" won. That was soon changed by popular usage to Free B. I think Free B became immediately so popular because it was the first time all students and spouses had a place to gather that was ours. We had a place to come together as a community.

*Not all of the members from that year are listed on the Core Committee minutes found in the LSTC archives. Your memories of that time are welcome. Please send them to jboden@lstc.edu

| Read more about LSTC's first year... |

Why I love LSTC

by Karl Nelson
M.Div. Class of 1968

I love LSTC because it has faithfully and creatively trained persons for theological education and pastoral ministry. It has taken the best of the five predecessor seminaries and balanced their mission into a dynamic laboratory of cutting edge theology and ministry. The faculty has always been open and willing to be available to the students while challenging them to excel in their pursuit of theological education and ordained ministry. There is a vital spirit of community fostered by faculty, administration and students.

In August 2006, I retired from First United Lutheran Church, Sheboygan, Wisc., which I served for 26 years. In my 40 years of ordained active ministry, I also served nine years at St. Paul, Clinton, Iowa, and four years at Trinity, Estherville, Iowa. I have been Secretary of the Iowa Synod, and have served three terms as Secretary of the Great Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA. I continue to serve on six community boards of directors, the Augustana Alumni Board and the LSTC Alumni Board. I continue to do some supply preaching and also play the organ for various church's services.

My time at LSTC was a very important factor in how my pastoral ministry was conducted through the years. I gained confidence and certainty while at seminary that allowed me to venture forth into parish ministry with the tools necessary to lead and serve congregations. I explored and acquired tremendous theological insight and understanding which have been the basis of my ministry as an ordained pastor. The relationships I developed while at seminary have continued over all these years and many of these people remain valued friends and colleagues today.

LSTC gave me a vital link between education and practice in ministry. During my 40 years of ministry LSTC has provided exceptional continuing education and advanced study opportunities to help keep ministry in the parish relevant and fresh. It has been a great source of security, knowing that faculty and administration were available to counsel, guide and reflect on issues that I faced as a pastor in the course of everyday ministry. LSTC is an excellent place of preparation for students today seeking to respond to the call to ministry.

To submit your own story, email jnipp@lstc.edu

This webpage was last updated May 7, 2008.

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