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In addition to new students, we welcome several new faces to our campus as classes resume. Tutor Nathan Wordell begins his service as a tutor in Concord Hall and will teach Latin. Prof. Craig Hirschmann will teach music; Prof. Greg Holzhueter will teach mathematics, physical education and coach; Prof. David Scharf will teach theology; Adjunct Instructor Ramona Czer will teach English; Erin Meissner will cover Wind Symphony and teach music during Prof. Miles Wurster’s sabbatical; and Instructor Julius Buelow will teach Hebrew during Prof. Thomas Nass’ sabbatical. Student Matthew Swanson will be teaching mathematics.
Faculty Installation
Back row: Tutor Nate Wordell, Prof. Greg Holzhueter, Prof. David Scharf, Prof. Craig Hirschmann, Instructor Julius Buelow
Front Row: Tarah (Steinbrenner) Beduze, Elizabeth Klugherz
At the Early Childhood Learning Center, Elizabeth Klugherz moves to the director’s role; Tarah (Steinbrenner) Beduze was assigned as a lead teacher; and Kristin Haun, Katie (Anderson) Wenner and Grace Welch are full time assistant teachers at the center.
New ECLC teachers Grace Welch, Tarah (Steinbrenner) Beduze, Elizabeth Klugherz, Kristin Haun, Katherine (Anderson) Wenner
Our staff has also been blessed with several new additions. Galen Holzhueter serves as a part time admissions counselor; Leah Matzke, as web content manager in the Mission Advancement Office; Tamara Lott, as administrative assistant in the Human Resources Office in addition to the Staff Ministry and Congregational Assistance Program Office; LaShawn Smith, as administrative assistant for the Field Experience Office.
New Staff Members Tami Lott, Deborah Witte, Jodie Braulick, and Leah Matzke (not pictured: LaShawn Smith)
New admissions counselor Galen Holzhueter
We pray that God would bless each of these individuals as they serve the college in the coming year!
Learn more about MLC’s Study Abroad program through Crystal Carmichael’s blog! Crystal will be studying at the University of Limerick in Ireland for a semester and will give us a glimpse of her experiences. May the Lord bless your studies Crystal!
To view her first entry and sign up for email notifications when new posts come in, click here.
The WELS Congregational Assistant Program (CAP) assists pastors and staff ministers in training qualified leaders in their congregations.
2016 Winner: White Robes
Johannah Crass MLC ’14
The gospel ministry is a global ministry—instituted by our Lord when he commissioned his followers to “make disciples of all nations.” The mission statement of Martin Luther College recognizes this as well, stating that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we encourage students in “developing and demonstrating a heart for service in the church, community, and world.”
The Thalassa competition, established in 2007, is a tribute to our students’ hearts for global service.
In this competition MLC students and graduates who have served abroad submit photographs and written reflections that share the beauties, the joys, the challenges of their ministries. A panel of judges chooses the winner and awards $1000, half of which the student designates to a mission of their choice.
We’ve seen entries from North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Tiny villages in the Peruvian Andes. Teeming cities in Southeast Asia. A Siberian college town. A Brazilian fazenda. A Malawian orphanage.
Each reflection and photo is rich in particulars, yet each tells the same story—a story of human needs and the Savior who meets those needs.
We are humbled and honored to have had a hand in the shaping and training of these gospel heralds. And we are grateful to the Lord of the Church and to his Spirit for allowing Martin Luther College to be the threshold from which these students carry the gospel into the world.
(From left)
Daniel Schmidt (St. Matthew-Oconomowoc WI) – John A. Braun Grant for Leadership
Carl Boeder (St. John-New Ulm MN) – Lewis O. Thompson Grant for Worship and Music
Tyler Zeamer (Zion-Greenleaf WI) – E.E. Kowalke Grant for Biblical Languages
Mark Zondag (Peace-Sun Prairie WI) – John A. Braun Grant for English
Jonathan Lehmann (Peace-Janesville WI) – John A. Braun Grant for Leadership
Isaac Hayes (Emmanuel-Tempe AZ) – Carleton Toppe Grant for GPA and Religion
Martin Loescher (David’s Star-Jackson WI) – Adam Martin Grant for Living Languages (Spanish)
Adam Marley (Living Hope-Midlothian VA) – Robert J. Voss Grant for Student Life
Jason Lindemann (Zion-Egg Harbor WI) – Robert J. Voss Grant for Student Life
Not pictured:
Joseph Neuberger (Eternal Love-Appleton WI) August F. Ernst Grant for Confessional Languages (Latin)
Two awards were not given in 2016: the August F. Ernst Grant for Confessional Languages (Latin & German) and the
Robert J. Voss Grant for Student Government.
(Back)
Matthew Hatzung (Christ-North St. Paul MN) – MLC Leading Preseminary Scholar
Orie Thomford (Zion-Chesaning MI) – Brooks Scholarship and Student Body President Recognition
Matthew Olson (Christ-North St. Paul MN) – Jerome Kruse Knight Award
Micah Koelpin (Calvary-Dallas) – UMAC Knight Scholar-Athlete Award
(Front)
Rachel Brokmeier (Our Savior-Brookings SD) – MLC Fine Arts Award
Julie Kent (Atonement-Milwaukee) – UMAC Knight Scholar-Athlete Award
Kristi Koelpin (St. John-New Ulm MN) – MLC Service Award
Sarah Frost (Mt. Olive-Appleton WI) – MLC Leading Education Scholar & Via Veritas Vita Award
Sara Willems (Epiphany-Racine WI) – Jerome Kruse Knight Award
Haley Roske (St. John-New Ulm MN) – MLC Leading Education Scholar
By Vice President for Administration Steven Thiesfeldt ’74
A CLOSER LOOK: Master Site Plan
Compelled to Speak, the college’s strategic plan, suggested a need to “develop a plan for on-going maintenance, renovation, and expansion of facilities.” In cooperation with the WELS Capital Projects Committee, the college prepared an updated site plan and a prioritized project list that outlines major campus facility needs.
The plan addresses
• student housing,
• athletics (including property acquisition),
• music, and
• HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) needs.Now that the board has approved this plan, the Mission
Advancement Office will develop a proposal for a capital
campaign to address the new construction (subject to the
approval of the Synodical Council and in cooperation with
the WELS Ministry of Christian Giving).
A CLOSER LOOK: Master Staffing Plan
At its February 2015 meeting, the governing board asked the administration to develop a comprehensive master staffing plan. Led by Human Resources Manager Andrea Wendland and assisted by Director of Finance Carla Hulke, every college department was invited to propose its staffing needs for the next five to six years.
The data from this study was used to analyze opportunities for improved efficiency and create a list of prioritized needs for both faculty and staff in the 2017-19 biennium.The plan calls for . . .
• two additional professors (history-social science and mathematics-science)
• three additional administrative assistants (Education, Admissions, and Mission Advancement Offices).
Wendland and Hulke also conducted a staff compensation analysis.
Our Lord Jesus’ words in Luke 10:2 ring especially true today: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Although enrollment at the WELS College of Ministry is stable, and rising applications seem to signal larger classes in the future, the need for pastors and teachers is still very great. Cumulatively, in 2014 and 2015, 85 teacher requests went unfilled and 35 pastor requests went unfilled. Again this year, we did not have enough candidates to fill all the requests submitted. Administrator for Ministerial Education Paul Prange WLS ’88 notes that at the seminary, all 35 candidates received assignments, but 58 requests had been received, meaning 23 remained unfilled. At MLC, 110 candidates were assigned (including 47 from the last few years), but 138 requests had been received, meaning 28 remained unfilled. “There is a critical need for both pastors and teachers,” President Mark Zarling WLS ’80 says. “As pastors of the Boomer Generation retire, we will not have enough young men trained to take their places. During the 1975-85 decade, 550-600 candidates graduated from WLS; 40 years later, in 2005-15, only 367 have graduated from the MLC preseminary track, having four more years of training ahead of them.
“The need for teachers is also critical,” Zarling continues. “We have many vacancies right now, and expansions are being planned that will require even more. In addition, we are prayerfully evaluating more opportunities for teachers in other countries. It is indeed true that there is ‘One Mission, Endless Opportunities’ for young people to be used by the Lord Jesus.”
For example, Principal Ben Troge MLC ’02 at Divine Savior- Doral FL writes: “The Lord has presented us with growing opportunities for Christian education in Florida. And we rely on MLC-trained teachers to seize these opportunities. In the next year Divine Savior will need an additional 6-9 teachers. In the next four years, we’ll need 40-60 additional teachers. If God continues to bless our future outreach and expansion efforts as he has in the past, those 40-60 new teaching positions may very well increase significantly.” President Zarling urges: “Encourage your young people to consider serving their Lord in the public ministry of the gospel. Support current MLC and WLS students with a note or a gift. And continue to pray to our Lord, who gifts us with pastors, teachers, and staff ministers.”
