Luther Seminary! Merged Long with Northwestern Seminary.Another One Bites the Dust - Oomph - Another One Bites the Dust - Oomph!

One Luther Seminary president was losing money in the millions.

They have been shedding property faster than a California fire.

 

Someone spontaneously danced at a New York ELCA meeting.

This male dancer at the Luther Seminary chapel was ordained, after he boasted about his chapel dance on Facebook. His buddies in the pews loved it.

Watch each ELCA seminary, the product of mergers upon mergers, will end up on the second floor of a cheap boarding house.

"We are not done shrinking yet. We turned seven Lutheran seminaries into one porta-seminary, lodged at a Catholic merger site of similar mergers."

The Gettysburg-Philadelphia seminaries could not bare the thought of a woman president with heterosexual urges (though deep in the past), so they brought in a real prize - an Osage Indian chief and his wife.

Luther/Northwestern Seminary Sinking Fast

After more than a century in St. Paul, Luther Seminary plans to sell its remaining upper campus and look for property elsewhere in the Twin Cities as it cuts staffing and rethinks the way it delivers education to its students, officials announced Tuesday.

The St. Anthony Park neighborhood has housed the school ― the largest Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) seminary in the country ― for more than 100 years. Officials don’t yet have a buyer in mind for the property.

The seminary’s lower campus is already under a purchase agreement with Lifestyle Communities, a residential developer, and the sale is expected to close in early 2026, said the Rev. Robin Steinke, the president of the seminary, which was founded in 1869 by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants.

The school will also cut 11 staff positions as it reorganizes its structure and educational strategy, she said. The upper campus, which has three buildings, a chapel and nine houses on 10 acres, also has aging buildings in need of significant capital investment, she said.

Some of the school’s 370 graduate students are local and take classes on campus while others attend online and visit a few times a year. In 2012, the school enrolled nearly 800 students.

The mission of Luther Seminary “remains as vital and necessary as ever,” Steinke said. The seminary has about 8.3 million users around the world who access its website and online resources, including podcasts, journals, classes and daily devotional materials.

Related video: Luther Seminary to leave St. Paul campus (KARE-TV Minneapolis St. Paul)

Paul campus after more than 120 years in its current

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KARE-TV Minneapolis St. Paul

Luther Seminary to leave St. Paul campus

“The ‘what we do’ and ‘why we do it’ is remaining the same,” she said. “But how and where is changing.”

Last month, the board voted unanimously to prepare the upper campus for sale and to begin the sales process, she said, in part because they have more space than needed.

Steinke added that the seminary wants to remain in the Twin Cities on a residential campus and is looking at properties.

Current students will still be able to finish their academic work on campus, which won’t change hands for another two years. It’s hard to give up beloved, shared spaces, Steinke said.

“We’ll have time to mourn the space,” she said. “That’s not an easy thing.”

Partner churches in countries where Christianity is growing regularly send students to Luther Seminary for online and in-person classes, she said.

The seminary committed to fully funding tuition for all qualified students seven years ago to reduce student loan debt, Steinke said.

“We need to reimagine the campus footprint so we can continue to provide [that] support,” she said.

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Statistics From a Few Home-Made Blogs

 

Moline Memories - 7,048 last month, over 576,000 views total.

Reformation Seminary (Luther, Melanchthon, Chemnitz) - 66,000 views already.

Bethany Lutheran Worship has been a back-up for many years - 259,000 views now.

Bethany Hymnal - is designed for Norma Boeckler's prize-winning art, the melodies and texts of The Lutheran Hymnal - very handy for the literate - almost 100,000 views.

Ichabod, The Glory Has Departed - claims 12.3 million views. Daily views are often in the thousands and sometimes not.

Reformation Seminary Lecture - KJV Acts 15 Part 2

 

KJV Acts 15:22-41

22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.

24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:

31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.

34 Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.

35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.

38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.

39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.

41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity Sunday - "This word signifies that there are three persons in God. It is a heavenly mystery which the world cannot understand. I have often told you that this, as well as every other article of faith, must not be based upon reason or comparisons, but must be understood and established by means of passages from the Scriptures, for God has the only perfect knowledge and knows how to speak concerning himself."

 

SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, OR TRINITY SUNDAY.


 
Text: John 3:1-15 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

I. THE HOLY TRINITY.

1. Today we celebrate the festival of the Holy Trinity, to which we must briefly allude, so that we may not celebrate it in vain. It is indeed true that the name “Trinity” is nowhere to be found in the Holy Scriptures, but has been conceived and invented by man. For this reason it sounds somewhat cold and we had better speak of “God” than of the “Trinity.”

2. This word signifies that there are three persons in God. It is a heavenly mystery which the world cannot understand. I have often told you that this, as well as every other article of faith, must not be based upon reason or comparisons, but must be understood and established by means of passages from the Scriptures, for God has the only perfect knowledge and knows how to speak concerning himself.

3. The great universities have invented manifold distinctions, dreams and fictions by means of which they would explain the Holy Trinity, and have made fools of themselves. We shall therefore quote only passages from the Scriptures in order to determine and establish the divinity of Christ. In the first place, we quote from the New Testament, where we find many proof texts; for instance, John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.” Now if he is not made, but is himself the Maker, he must indeed be God. John also says afterwards: “And the Word became flesh.”

4. Again, we quote from the Old Testament, where David says, in Psalm 110:1: “Jehovah saith unto my lord, Sit thou at my right hand,” that is, sit upon the royal throne and be a lord and king over all creatures, all which must be subject to thee — “until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” In Psalm 8:4-8, we read: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him but little lower than God, and crownest him with glory and honor. Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” That means: Thou hast made him Lord of the whole world. Paul explains this passage, in Ephesians 1:20 and Colossians 2:9-10, in a masterly way. Now, if God has set him at his right hand and made him lord of all in heaven and on earth, he must indeed be God; for it would not be fitting that he should set him at his right hand and give him as much power over all creatures as he himself possesses, if he were not God. God will not give his glory to another, as he says in Isaiah 48:11. Thus, we have here two persons, the Father, and the Son to whom the Father has given all that is subject to him.

To “sit at the right hand of God” means to be over all God’s creatures; he must therefore be God to whom is given all this.

5. God has also commanded us not to worship strange gods. Now, we read in John that, according to the will of God, we should honor the Son even as we honor the Father. These are the words of John 5:19-23, where Christ says to the Jews: “Verily, Verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will. For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son; that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him.” These are, to my mind, truly clear and distinct words concerning the divinity of Christ. Now, as God commands that we should have only one God, and should not render to any other creature the glory which belongs to God and is due him, and yet he gives this glory to Christ, Christ must indeed be God.