#109: Ministry Education in Crisis? Why Seminary Leaders Are Actually Hopeful

In this episode of the Pivot Podcast, Luther Seminary President, the Rev. Dr. Robin Steinke, shares how theological education is evolving.

The landscape of ministry education is undergoing dramatic change. Traditional seminary enrollment is declining, fewer churches can afford full-time pastors, and leaders are questioning how to adapt. But in this insightful conversation with Luther Seminary President the Rev. Dr. Robin Steinke, we discover how these challenges are opening up exciting new possibilities for forming Christian leaders. From reaching 8 million people through digital platforms to reimagining formation through communities of practice, Dr. Steinke shares how theological education is evolving to meet the needs of today’s church.

Using vivid metaphors like “water skiing and scuba diving,” Dr. Steinke explores how ministry education can serve both those who need an introduction to faith and those diving deep into theological study. She challenges us to move beyond quick fixes to listen deeply for where God is leading, while sharing concrete examples of how Luther Seminary is embracing both traditional and innovative approaches to forming leaders for Christian communities. This conversation offers hope and practical insights for anyone interested in the future of ministry education and leadership formation.

Resources Mentioned:

Featuring

Headshot of Luther Seminary president Robin Steinke

Robin Steinke

The Rev. Dr. Robin Steinke joined Luther Seminary as president in June 2014. She is the first woman in the seminary’s more than 150-year history to be named to the position.

Prior to joining Luther Seminary, Steinke was the dean of the seminary and professor of theological ethics and public life at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now United Lutheran Seminary). She is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; previously served as a training manager and financial planner at American Express Financial Advisors; and was a middle school band director in Marietta, Georgia. Steinke is a graduate of Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She holds a Master of Divinity degree and a Master of Sacred Theology degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in England.

Steinke is known for her strategic leadership and passion for sharing the gospel. She is involved in important church and academic initiatives and has served on a number of church and academic committees. She recently completed 10 years of service as the ELCA representative to the Lutheran World Federation as chair of the endowment fund. Steinke serves on the executive committee and is chair of the committee on ecumenical relations. She also recently served as a member of the ELCA Ecclesiology Task Force and co-chaired the national ELCA Theological Education Advisory Council that presented recommendations for the future of theological education. She previously served a six-year term as a commissioner for the Association of Theological Schools’ Commission on Accrediting.

Meet Your Hosts

  • Dr. Dwight Zscheile

    Dr. Dwight Zscheile is vice president of innovation and professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary. His latest book is Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press, 2023).

  • Dr. Alicia Granholm

    Alicia Granholm is senior director of Faith+Lead and a leadership and church consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She helps pastors and leaders engage culture to make a lasting impact. For nearly two decades, she has trained, equipped, and empowered followers of Jesus to engage their local communities by contextualizing the Gospel and its application. Alicia compassionately crosses cultural boundaries having lived, studied, traveled, and served in 25 countries on six continents. Alicia has a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Global Consulting (Regent University), MDiv (Bethel Seminary), and MA in Teaching (University of St. Thomas).

  • Terri Elton

    Terri Martinson Elton began teaching at Luther Seminary as an adjunct instructor in 2004 before becoming the director of the Center for Children, Youth and Family Ministry in 2008. In addition to her continued work with the Center, Elton accepted the position of associate professor of Children, Youth and Family Ministry in 2010 and associate professor of Leadership in 2014.

    Prior to her call to Luther Seminary, Elton served as an associate to the bishop in the Saint Paul Area Synod where her responsibilities included working with congregations, leadership development, First Call theological education and youth and family ministry.

    Before her work in the synod, she served at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minn. for 16 years. While at Prince of Peace she worked in various roles within children, youth and family ministries, as well as served as the director of Changing Church Forum, an outreach ministry of Prince of Peace. She also authored To Know, To Live, To Grow, a confirmation curriculum, and co-authored What Really Matters, a book for congregational leaders, with the Rev. Mike Foss.

    Elton holds a B.A. degree in communications from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. (1986). She earned both her M.A. (1998) and Ph.D. (2007) degrees in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary.

    Elton’s research and teaching interests include: congregational leadership, leading in the midst of change and conflict, helping ministry leaders craft a missional ecclesiology with an eye toward the First Third of Life, awakening a vibrant theology of baptism and vocation and reimagining faith and mission practices for children, youth, young adults and their families.

    Elton is a member of the Academy of Religious Leadership, the Association of Youth Ministry Educators, the ELCA Youth Ministry Network and the American Society of Missiology and is on the board for Real Resources. Elton spends much of her time working with congregations and congregational leaders and seeks out opportunities for enhancing ministry with those in the First Third of Life within the ELCA.

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