Dr. John Meyer, Director
At the helm of MLC’s burgeoning Master of Science in Education program is Dr. John Meyer.
As director of graduate studies, John’s goals are about boosting communication and building community. “I want to get the word out about the benefits this program can bring to ministry,” he says, “and I want to increase the connectedness and collaboration of the online community.”
John has a heart for the teaching ministry. “I have a great appreciation for teachers’ dedication, sacrifice, and zeal for the sake of their students, their schools, and the gospel of Jesus. The Lord has prepared me to relate to our teachers by putting me in a wide variety of ministry joys and challenges. I have walked in their shoes, and my goal is to ensure that the program works for them.”
He also understands and appreciates the value of continuing education, having been enrolled in programs from the day he was first assigned in 1987.
His excitement for MLC’s M.S. Ed. is perhaps best encapsulated with this thought: “I wish this program had been in place when I was working on my master’s.”
Upon assignment to St. John-Wood Lake MN, John Meyer immediately embarked on a 21-credit DMLC certification program for principals, School Administration and Supervision. He completed his M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction at UW-Madison in 2002. He was enrolled in MLC’s post-baccalaureate licensure program when he was called as director of graduate studies. At that time, he entered a Ph.D. program in Educational Administration at UM-Twin Cities, for which he is in the dissertation phase right now.
Dr. Meyer is excited about the way MLC’s program is an ideal fit for WELS teachers, in both course content and delivery. “The program is specifically designed to meet the needs of WELS teachers, no matter how or where they serve,” he says. “We have women and men in the program who are high school teachers, preschool teachers and directors, principals, elementary teachers, stay-at-home moms, and even a pastor teaching at a high school. They all bring their insights and experiences to the classroom and help one another grow.
“And they work under the guidance and direction of seven respected MLC graduate faculty members with experience in ministry and doctorates in their fields as well as 12 adjunct professors who bring their experiences and expertise from beyond the MLC walls.
“What’s so exciting,” he continues, “is getting to see how these educational leaders are impacting the work and future of Lutheran schools. At a time when it is tempting to look at the Lutheran school landscape and feel helpless at the forces that buffet it, this program offers something real that teachers can do to make a positive difference in themselves, their students, their ministries, and, ultimately, the future of the church.
“Teachers tell me it energizes their ministry and gives them ideas to put into practice no matter how or where they serve. I wish this program had been in place when I was working on my master’s program.”
A New Ulm native and DMLC grad, John served as teacher and principal in four Lutheran elementary schools:
• St. John-Wood Lake MN
• Zion-Hartland WI
• Pilgrim-Minneapolis MN
• Salem-Stillwater MN
The variety of settings—small and large; rural, urban, and suburban—gives John a healthy understanding of the different areas of ministry in which (D)MLC grads work.
John and his wife, Heidi Keibel Meyer, have five children, age 12 to 27.
