LTSS Video Update from Rev. Dr. Chad Rimmer

Video Transcript

Summary: An update for alumni on Alumni Day success, dates for the next LTSS alumni forums, Hickory campus visit and Columbia commencement. 

Greetings friends of LTSS.

Since our last video, we have been busy with many developments.

I want to recall the wisdom from Hebrews chapter 10, verse 23-25...where in times of great change the author calls the faithful “to consider how to provoke one another to works of love and good deeds”, and to not neglect meeting together to encourage one another.

Well, on April 18th, we hosted our annual Alumni Day with close to 200 attendees between alumni, current students, faculty and staff.  

It was a wonderful day to see people come together to celebrate the seminary. We displayed all of our composite class pictures in the Student Union, and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the class of 1974.

The annual Yost lecture is our contribution to theological discourse, and this year we overflowed capacity in Stavros hall for Dr. Jacquelyn Grant’s lecture on womanism, which was part of our Lifelong Learning Program, and the ELCA Womanist Initiative that is housed in LTSS.

After a great barbecue on the quad, we held our first alumni discussion about the transition  with President Whitt. We fielded so many good questions, held the emotion about our memories embedded in this place, and expressed optimism about what this move means for the future of the seminary.

I want to share also that Committed to two additional ones via Zoom

One will be on June 4 at 5 pm, and one on June 6 at 10 am.

Joining information and details will be shared at lr.edu/ltss-future and via email to alumni.

Days later, most of our faculty, staff and I visited the Hickory campus to tour the facilities and discuss our move.  

We left excited for the possibilities, seeing the spaces where the seminary will be housed. And detailed conversations with colleagues about the good work to be done are underway.  

To that end, we have begun to organize our transition tables, which are the working groups for various aspects of the move that relate to people, property, artifacts and the liturgy of this pilgrimage. We will be inviting representation from Columbia and Hickory faculty and staff, Advisory Council, Alumni Board, students and representatives of other stakeholders that relate to those topics.  

Finally, we turn our attention to commencement and the celebration of our Class of 2024 seminarians who will receive their degrees this week. After a great Feast of Fools and lots of fellowship to end the semester, we finish with these solemn occasions that mark the hard work and faithful discernment of our faculty and those students who will carry on the legacy of Southern as the next generation of leaders in public ministry. 

So, please continue to check back for our next updates, and in the meantime, peace, friends.