wfn.org | Duane Larson Named President of Wartburg Theological Seminary

[NEWS <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

May 17, 1999

DUANE LARSON NAMED PRESIDENT OF WARTBURG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
99-130-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Duane H. Larson, 46, was named to
become president of Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, on
July 15.  Wartburg is one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
     The board of Wartburg Seminary announced May 4 that Larson will
succeed the Rev. Roger W. Fjeld, who is expected to retire on July 14,
the day after his 66th birthday.  Fjeld was inaugurated the seminary's
11th president in February 1984.
     "'We knew that finding an individual to succeed this leader in
theological education would be no simple task," said Dr. Janet S.
Philipp, the seminary's board chair.
     "We were blessed with an excellent field of potential candidates,
a strong testament to Wartburg Seminary's heritage and mission," said
Dr. Lynn C. Smith, a board member and chair of the presidential search
committee.  "Dr. Larson has the vision, knowledge, skills and strong
spiritual foundation to lead Wartburg Seminary into the 21st century."
     Larson has been a professor of systematic theology at the Lutheran
Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa., since 1993.  A graduate of
Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash., he earned a master's of
divinity degree from Luther Northwestern Seminary (now Luther Seminary),
St. Paul, Minn., and a doctorate from the Graduate Theological Union,
Berkeley, Calif.
     Ordained in 1979, Larson served as pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran
Church, San Diego, Christ the Victor Lutheran Church, Fairfax, and St.
Andrew Lutheran Church, San Mateo, all in California.  He and his wife,
Kathy Lane Larson, are the parents of two adult sons.
     Wartburg Seminary was founded in 1854.  Currently 2,200 graduates
serve across the United States and in 40 foreign countries.

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