wfn.org | Fjeld to Retire as Lutheran Seminary President

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

June 2, 1998

FJELD TO RETIRE AS LUTHERAN SEMINARY PRESIDENT
98-20-127-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Roger W. Fjeld, 64, president of Wartburg
Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, has announced his intention to retire
as president and professor of church history at the end of 1998.  Wartburg
is one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA).
     Fjeld said his retirement comes at a good time for his family and for
the seminary.  "My wife had a light stroke last August," he said.  "She's
fairly well recovered, but it's time for me to get off the road and pay
attention to family issues."
     During Fjeld's more than 14 years as seminary president, the ELCA was
formed and conducted a study of theological education.  "That whole process
is complete now," he said.  "It's clear what the church expects of its
seminaries, and some of the uncertainties of past years are gone."
     One of those expectations is to form partnerships among seminaries.
"The Covenant Cluster has now been properly formed," Fjeld said, with the
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Trinity Lutheran Seminary,
Columbus, Ohio.
     Another expectation is that the seminaries raise much of their own
funding, said Fjeld.  Wartburg's capital fund drive, "Foundation for the
Future," has reached more than half of its $16,650,000 goal.
     Fjeld intends to work with Foundation for the Future on a part-time
basis and to teach each spring semester at Wartburg as an emeritus faculty
member.  Most of each year will be spent in Colorado, "but it's nice not to
have to leave the seminary all together.  Being back for three months each
year feels good to us," he said.
     "Obviously Roger Fjeld was the right individual to lead Wartburg
Seminary through this period of its history," said Dr. M.L. Christenson,
Lincoln, Neb., chair of the seminary's board.  Christenson praised Fjeld's
"commitment to the church and his keen sense of its leadership
requirements," his sense of history, his organizational skills and "his
ability to lead through a maze of details and to summarize with accuracy."
     A search committee will collect the names of candidates to succeed
Fjeld until Aug. 15.  The board plans to elect a new president during its
Nov. 5-7 meeting.
     Born in Primghar, Iowa, Fjeld graduated from the University of Iowa
in Iowa City and from Wartburg Seminary.  He earned a master's degree and
doctorate from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
     Ordained in 1959, Fjeld was pastor of Christ Lutheran Church,
Sedalia, Mo., and Atonement Lutheran Church, Denver.  He served as
assistant to the bishop for the Central District of the former American
Lutheran Church (ALC), as coordinator of internships and pastor to the
seminary community at Wartburg, and as director of the ALC's Office of
Support to Ministries.
     Before his inauguration in 1984 as Wartburg's 11th president, Fjeld
was assistant to the president of the ALC with particular responsibilities
toward development of the ELCA which was formed in 1988.
     Fjeld married Marilyn Burrack in 1955.  They are the parents of two
sons and a daughter.

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