Gifts of the Spirit

Every two years, the graduates of the Luther Seminary class of 1969 reunite. Over four days, they learn from one other, worship together and share their lives with each other. Then they leave something behind for those following in their footsteps. Since 2009, when their reunions began, the classmates take up a donation. In five years, at their 50th reunion, they will have amassed enough to endow a scholarship for current seminarians. Here are just a few of those committed to leaving a legacy for future leaders.

“We paid very little tuition then, besides room and board. Around $200. It’s no longer that way. That is really motivational for me.”
—Lyndy West

“At our first reunion, many of us had not seen one another in 35 years. Because of our seminary friendships, we picked up where we left off. The sense of humor that comes out of us when we’re away from the parish is fantastic.”
—Will Olsen

“We’re working together on this because we need new people to come behind us. The challenges of the church are different now. We need new leadership and they need seminary training.”
—Andy Boe

“Rather than bring in an expert for our gatherings, we decided we have plenty of wisdom and knowledge to stimulate rich conservation. The internal leadership model has worked really well.”
—Tom von Fischer