Higher education Buuck agrees: “We share a wealth
of partnerships among people who worship Christ. At the same time, Trinity is never not ELCA. Our core curriculum is Lutheran, but having others in class results in the richest conversations.” A year ago ELCA members
comprised about 66 percent of the enrollment at Trinity, and the highest proportion of master of divinity stu- dents preparing for pastoral ministry. Non-ELCA students made up the highest proportion of those pursuing master of arts/master of theological studies degrees. Te non-ELCA members were
from Apostolic, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, Episcopal, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and other Lutheran, African Meth-
odist Episcopal, United Method- ist, Greek Orthodox, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Quaker and nonde- nominational traditions. (No figures available for 2014.) “I anticipate that five years from
now Trinity will have a student body that is 50 percent non-ELCA as the number of students seeking a [master of divinity] degree decreases and other enrollment increases,” Barger said.
Tat “other enrollment” is where
Barger sees the growing edge for seminary education. Trinity is developing degrees in “leadership formation,” he said, “such as [master of theological studies] and law, MTS and nursing, MTS and business, and possibly something similar for physicians.” Buuck said, “Trinity is much
smaller than other seminaries, and to me that is a strength. So is its ecumenical character, which added “richness to our efforts” when stu- dents advocated for Medicaid expan- sion, she added. “Te world is changing, and
people are trying to figure out where the church is in that change,” Buuck said. “My seminary experience has given me opportunities to revisit my Lutheran identity and to examine what I hold dear and what means the most to me.”
Author bio: Hafften is a writer and edi- tor in Weatherford, Texas, where she is a member of Messiah Lutheran Church.
What does it mean to be a Lutheran college in the 21st century?
Virginia’s Lutheran College
At Augustana, it means we are as serious about being “rooted in the liberal arts and sciences and a Lutheran expression of the Christian faith” as we are about educating students for “a diverse and changing world.”
Augustana embraces diversity and difference—difference of disciplines, faiths, cultures, questions and answers.
Difference leads to understanding the many voices of the greater good. Difference creates leaders for a diverse and changing world.
www.roanoke.edu 800.388.2276
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www.thelutheran.org augustana.edu
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