Funeral director blogs
Caleb Wilde is funeral director of a family business in Parkesburg, Pa., that goes back to the 1840s. But he has a more contemporary sideline: his blog “Confessions of a Funeral Director” (
www.calebwilde.com) has more than 80,000 monthly read- ers, a Twitter following of more than 16,000 and a Facebook page that attracts well over half a million visitors a week. He shares candid observations (“Should we medicate grief?” and “Is it ever appropriate to take funeral ‘selfies’?”) tailor-made for this modern age of disclosure. The 32-year-old’s mission is to pres- ent death in ways that are palatable enough for people to take in the mes- sage along with the wit.
Gunmen storm church Six worshipers died during Sun- day worship services at Joy Jesus Church in the Likoni area of Mom- basa, Kenya, after gunmen stormed its building March 23. Fifteen oth- ers were injured. At presstime, no one had claimed responsibility and police were still questioning dozens of suspects.
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Safety measures in South Sudan
Members of an ACT Alliance team search for unexploded ordnance near Bor,
South
Sudan. Team members also help villagers identify and understand the dangers of unexploded ordnance and land mines from the current conflict and those leftover from decades of civil war. The disposal team is part of Dan Church Aid, a partner with the ELCA and other churches in ACT Alliance.
ACT ALLIANCE/PAUL JEFFREY May 2014 9
Steinke named Luther president R
obin J. Steinke was named president of Luther Seminary,
St. Paul, Minn., effective June 1. The first woman to be named president of the 145-year-old seminary succeeds interim Rick Foss. Steinke, an ELCA pas-
“forward-looking leader- ship skills, ability to build strong, productive rela- tionships, financial acu- men and commitment to academic quality, minis- try and mission make her a marvelous fit.” Af ter a $4 million
Steinke
tor and former financial planner, currently is dean and professor of theological ethics and public life at the Lutheran Theo- logical Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.). She serves on the ELCA Theological Education Advisory Council (co-chair), the Lutheran World Federation Council’s Endowment Fund (chair), and the ELCA Ecclesiology Task Force. In June she concludes a six-year
term as a member of the Asso- ciation of Theological Schools’ Commission on Accrediting. Luther Seminary board mem- ber Gus Blanchard said Steinke’s
funding shortfall in its 2012 financial year, Luther
replaced top administrators and reduced staffing and programs to cut annual operating expenses by $4 million. Steinke said she is “mindful” of
Luther’s strong legacy. “As we look forward, I believe we must work in new and nimble ways to imagine a sustainable future,” she said. “I can’t imagine a more exciting time to be doing this creative work.” She is a graduate of Augustana
College, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Trin- ity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio; and the University of Cam- bridge in England.
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