Unleashing New Leaders at Lutheran Brethren Seminary
In the world of education, there are things that change and there are things that stay the same. We certainly reflect this truism at Lutheran Brethren Seminary.
That which has changed at LBS is the way we carry out our mission. Not too many years ago, the only way to be trained at our seminary was to be on campus. This meant that each student packed up his/her belongings and left their home, their home church, and their extended family to move to Fergus Falls, Minnesota. After spending anywhere from one to three years in Fergus Falls, students would then move again to the ministry setting to which they were called.
Today, three-fourths of our students are receiving their training and education at LBS from off-site via our distance education option. Although distance education is not without its challenges―some thrive in it; others struggle with it―it is certainly here to stay. It is an option that has made it possible for many students to receive training while also serving in vital ministries in their local congregations. In many respects, distance education represents the most substantial change LBS has experienced in the current century.
That being said, there is also something that has not changed at LBS. Since our inception in 1903, LBS has unreservedly and consistently made the Word of God the foundation of our education and a priority in every one of our courses. From Old Testament to New Testament, Systematic Theology to Preaching, Missions to Spiritual Care―the Bible serves as the focus and primary teaching source for our faculty. When you read the student testimonies that follow, I trust you’ll see this conviction clearly exhibited―and that, with me, you’ll give thanks to God for these current students and for the local churches who support them in their ministry formation.
By his grace, God is raising up new leaders, equipping them in his Word, and blessing the partnerships we have with students, synodical ministries, and local CLB congregations. As you read these student testimonies, join me in giving thanks to God for his provision, and in praying that LBS can continue to carry out its mission to the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom.
Dr. Brad Pribbenow is the Dean of Lutheran Brethren Seminary and the Professor of Old Testament.
The following testimonies are by current seminary students who are also serving a local congregation or ministry. As Dr. Pribbenow wrote, distance education has made it more possible for pastors to continue to serve their congregations or ministries while earning a seminary degree from Lutheran Brethren Seminary.
It is funny to think of our little seminary, especially as one who came from outside the CLB, as an important institution standing fast for biblical truth and solid biblical proclamation. I have mostly been exposed to good preaching, that is, preaching that has sought to be faithful to God’s Word, and not simply chasing after man’s thoughts with some Scripture sprinkled on top. Yet more and more I have encountered a reality that lots of preaching wanders far from the text and spends more time quoting celebrity authors than wrestling with that central question: “What saith the Lord?” Lots of preaching fails to see the gravity of the act of stepping up to the pulpit and proclaiming, “This is what God says.” Yet this is not the ethos and training we receive at LBS. Our professors and curriculum are especially concerned to teach us to ask, “What does the Word actually say?” We learn the original languages so that we might indeed wrestle with the text and slow down to really consider it as it was written, not as someone else interpreted it. We study exegesis and the Bible in general so that we might be properly equipped to ask the right questions of the Word and be drawn into God’s narrative of salvation. We study systematics so that we might properly interpret that Word in light of the rest of Scripture. In all this, there is a pervading respect for the Word at LBS, which has wonderfully equipped me for ministry.
I have the privilege of serving my church (Good Shepherd LBC, Fergus Falls, MN) as the Middle School Youth Director, while studying full-time at LBS. My studies have shaped how I think about ministry, especially when it comes to pushing students to go to the Bible first. LBS has continued to ground me in the conviction that God’s Word is more than just something we pursue when it’s convenient, but rather, it is foundational to our faith and teaching. A joy I then have is to come alongside my students and come to the Word together as questions and doubts arise.
Just like my experiences in classes at LBS, my middle school students ask real and honest questions about faith and life. LBS has taught me to slow down and resist the urge to just give a quick answer, but instead, to point them to the Bible and ask, “Where do we see this in Scripture?” Watching students learn how to engage God’s Word for themselves has been one of the most rewarding parts of ministry.
I am incredibly grateful for all the ways LBS has come alongside me in my education by modeling and demonstrating what it means to study and teach the Word faithfully. Alongside my calling in ministry, LBS continues to encourage and equip me to live a life shaped by Christ and grounded in God’s Word.
Serving in ministry while studying at Lutheran Brethren Seminary has made LBS feel less like something separate from my life and more like a partner walking alongside me. What I’ve appreciated most is how the seminary keeps Scripture and the gospel at the center, while constantly helping me see how sound theology actually shapes everything, especially as I serve in ministry. I’m being shaped not just to know God’s Word more deeply, but to handle it carefully, humbly, and faithfully as a pastor and leader.
One of the biggest benefits of learning while actively serving is how often the classroom and the church overlap. What I’m studying regularly finds its way into sermons, Bible studies, leadership conversations, and even pastoral care moments. At the same time, the questions and challenges of ministry shape how I engage my coursework. That back-and-forth has helped me see theology not as abstract, but as something meant to serve people and form disciples.
God has also surprised me by the sense of community I’ve found at LBS, even as a remote student. Despite being “in class” from a distance, I’ve been able to build genuine friendships with classmates through discussion, collaboration, and shared ministry experiences. Those relationships have been encouraging reminders that we’re not preparing for ministry alone, but together as the body of Christ.
God has surprised me during my time at LBS by how much he has used the seminary community itself (professors, classmates, and conversations) to encourage, correct, and sustain me. I expected academic growth, but I didn’t anticipate how deeply the Lord would use this season to reaffirm my calling, stretch my trust, and remind me that leadership is ultimately formed not by competence alone, but by complete dependence on Christ.
The instruction to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep”
(Rom 12:15) is part of my practice as a parish nurse.
Standing together after church service, a young mother shares she is expecting a baby. She tells me she feels encouraged as I rejoice with her and, during our conversation, share that “children are a gift from the Lord” (Ps 127:3).
While actively listening to another congregant share health struggles as I visit at bedside, a passage of Scripture recently studied in one of my seminary classes comes to mind. Wiping away a tear of empathy, I open my Bible and ask if I may share the passage the Lord has laid on my heart.
The role of a parish nurse involves supporting the physical and emotional health of congregants as well as providing spiritual care and encouragement. Seminary study benefits my practice as a parish nurse in my local congregation as I work through class content, participate in mentorship and internship experiences, and interact with fellow students, professors, and staff.
Likewise, serving in a ministry support role while studying at LBS reinforces my learning. I’m grateful to be both a seminary student as well as to serve in my ministry role providing compassionate care, integrating health and faith as a parish nurse, while pursuing a degree from LBS.
At the beginning of September, I moved from Camrose, Alberta, Canada, in order to be on campus for my second year at the LBS. Some of you may have just read that and thought, “Camrose is very far away from Fergus Falls. Why would a Canadian student come all the way to Minnesota to study in person?” Well, the simple answer is that I believe that God has called me here. In 2024-2025, I decided to take one year of seminary online, taking only a few classes, because I was pastoring an AFLC church at the time. However, those few classes changed my view and approach to ministry entirely. The way I read the Scriptures changed, as did my preaching, teaching, outreach, and view of the ministry as a whole. This surprised me so much that I just had to consider moving to Fergus Falls to become a full-time student. I thought, “Well, if I had learned so much with only a few courses and being online, how much could I learn and grow if I were in person and full-time at the seminary?” So far, my experience has continued to reach and exceed my expectations. The seminary has continued to shine with God’s love and grace with all its staff, professors, and fellow students, while also causing growth in my faith and understanding of the Scriptures, and of what it means to not just be a pastor, but also be a disciple and child of God.
When I started my position as the Student Ministries Director for Our Redeemer’s LBC in Minot, North Dakota, in 2021, I had very few qualifications beyond a willing heart. LBS has been extremely vital in my growth as a minister of the gospel. Every class I have taken so far on my way to completing the Diploma of Christian Ministry program has expanded my understanding of God, his Word, his work, and our relationship both to him and to those around us. Sometimes when we take classes in higher education, we try to just get by and get it over with. Seminary is just so much more valuable than that. Each class has the potential to grow us and stretch us so that we may be more effective in whatever ministry God has called us to.
Because I am blessed to be able to function within a full-time church ministry while taking classes, I am able to apply much of what I am learning in real time. This seminary training is an incredible tool for equipping me to remain faithful to God’s Word as I prepare lessons, teach students, and encourage them in various seasons of life. Is there added stress working full-time and taking classes? “Yes” would be an understatement. Is it worth it? Again, a simple “yes” would definitely be an understatement!
At LBS, it’s never just about lectures, papers, and grades. It’s real mentorship and genuine friendship. As a new pastor, I’ve turned to professors for advice, heartfelt counseling, and prayer―and they were always there for me.
God’s timing is amazing. My classes always seem to line up with real-life ministry challenges:
Preaching courses hit right during a tough pastoral transition at my last church.
Pastoral Theology and Spiritual Care lessons spoke directly to the needs in my current congregation.
Being a student-pastor keeps my perspective fresh and my support close―giving me clarity and counsel for every new situation. The ministry and seminary sharpen each other―like iron on iron. Ministry can slip into being too results-driven or self-focused. Seminary’s constant push to stay rooted in God’s Word pulls me back to a biblical foundation that builds a ministry that lasts.
At the same time, active ministry keeps seminary grounded. You can’t study deep theology in an “ivory tower” when you’re facing real people every week who desperately need the gospel. Suddenly every lesson begs the question: “How does this help my church hear and live the truth?”
Thinking back to my days training as an electrician: School taught me the codes, but they felt abstract―until I stepped onto real job sites. Then everything clicked. The theory came alive in practice. That’s exactly how it works here. Seminary and ministry twist together like two strong strands. Add God’s faithful provision as the third strand, and you have a cord that’s unbreakable (Eccl 4:12)―woven together to advance his kingdom.
If you’re called to pastor while studying, LBS doesn’t just educate you. It equips, supports, and transforms you―for a lifetime of faithful, fruitful ministry.
About a month ago, on a Friday, a student asked me to review his sermon. He was scheduled to preach that Sunday, and soon after he planned to use the same sermon to candidate for a position in a CLB congregation. As I reviewed his message, I was impressed. I thought the young man handled a difficult text extremely well. I was also humbled, because the Lord, and you, the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, allow me to walk alongside our future pastors, missionaries, and lay-leaders as they study God’s Word.
I’m happy to report that the young man was offered the position. This summer, he will transition from a residential student at LBS to a part of our distance program. In other words, his education will continue as he uses his gifts to bless a CLB congregation.
Whether residential or distance, the goal remains the same. We are discipling young and old, whomever the Lord may call, for a life of ministry in God’s mission. At LBS, we have the honor of opening God’s Word with students and wrestling with deep, complex theological truths, as well as good news―so simple a child can understand and receive it.
We also have the privilege and the weight of knowing that the conversations that happen in our classrooms will be repeated in congregations throughout North America and even by missionaries sent to the ends of the earth.
Church of the Lutheran Brethren, that is the goal, wherever the Lord has placed us or sends us: to be a people connecting others to Jesus, his community, and his mission. We are a disciple-making Church, and Lutheran Brethren Seminary―our board, our staff, and our faculty―is honored to embrace our role. Thank you for unleashing new leaders and for entrusting their development and training to LBS.
Dr. Troy Tysdal is the President of Lutheran Brethren Seminary.