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| Anders Nelson - ordination candidate, Luther Seminary. |
It was Luther-Northwestern, and Northwestern was the conservative seminary that merged into Luther. Joseph Stump (catechism) was the first president of Northwestern Seminary.
Luther is the name for all the seminaries merged into that one location. Guess whether the conservatives or liberals won. No, guess! They are selling off land to stay solvent but got a $20 million gift to reduce tuition.
Quick Facts
Luther Seminary at a glance
Enrollment
- 490 students
Enrollment by degree program
- 56% Master of Divinity
- 17% Master of Arts
- 7% Ph.D., Master of Theology
- 14% Doctor of Ministry
- 6% Graduate Certificate, non-degree or special programs
Online Learning
- 124 students are enrolled in the M.Div. DL degree program
- 16 students are enrolled in the M.A. CYF DL degree program
Male/female/undecided enrollment
- 43% male
- 57% female
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http://www.phillytrib.com/religion/women-in-clergy-becoming-a-growing-trend-across-the-u/article_c551c15d-bd2f-5313-ab4f-6c34789c70b3.html
In the report, it said mainline denominations, such as Unitarian Universalist, United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and Assemblies of God, combined to have 32 percent of its clergy be a woman. The denominations of UU and UCC have either more women than men or are even. The clergy is 57 percent women in UU and it’s 50 percent in UCC.
In 1977, that was nowhere near the case.
The denomination with the most women in clergy at that time, according to the report, was Assemblies of God — 11 percent. With other mainline denominations, UU had 6 percent, UCC had 8 percent, Disciples had 9.5 percent. And, on the extreme low end, Episcopal, ELCA, Brethren and Free Methodist were less than 1 percent.
Combined it was 2.8 percent.
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| The Rev. Alina M. Kanaski recently completed her first year as pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Chartiers Valley United Presbyterian Church. |
The Rev. Alina M. Kanaski recently completed her first year as pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Chartiers Valley United Presbyterian Church, both in Scott Township. She is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and served at several churches as an intern before getting the pastor leadership position in September 2017.
Although she is a Presbyterian, she is allowed to serve a Lutheran church because the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been in full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) since 1997, thus pastors of either denomination are free to preach, baptize and serve communion in churches of the other denomination.
Kanaski learned that the worship style between the two churches was slightly different and included different kinds of prayers and music. Other differences included how the church operated; for instance, as pastor in a Lutheran church, she is responsible for keeping membership records whereas in Presbyterian churches, a layperson called the clerk of session takes care of this duty.
Good Shepherd Lutheran, 1700 Bower Hill Road, was founded in 1946 and has about 85 members. Many community organizations use the facilities during the week, including the Boy Scouts, Mary Kay Cosmetics and a tai chi group, as well as the Greater Hope Restoration Ministry. Women of Worship meet twice a month for Bible study and recently coordinated Hug Bags of toiletries for women in shelters and made blankets for cancer patients. They also co-sponsor the Women Helping Women Craft Fair which benefits Family Promise of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Children’s Sunday School is held during worship services at 9:30 a.m.
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| How can this be? |
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| Stan Olson had almost every title in ELCA - professor, pastor, bishop, headquarters staff until his positions were eliminated by budget meltdowns, Wartburg Seminary President. He pioneered the Lutheran-Reformed communion services and also restored the pastors who were kicked out of ELCA, like the one recently arrested. We were in the same New Testament classes at Yale, where he earned a PhD. |
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| ELCA Pastor Steve Sabin was restored to the clergy roster in a ceremony (dabbing tears from my eyes) written by Olson. |
