Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary (BLTS) is the training school for pastors of the

Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) is a US-based Protestant Christian denomination based in Mankato, Minnesota. It describes itself as a conservative, Confessional Lutheran body. The ELS has 130 congregations and has missions in Peru, Chile, ...

History

Founded in 1946, BLTS was essentially a department of

Bethany Lutheran College Bethany Lutheran College (BLC) is a private Christian liberal arts college in Mankato, Minnesota. Founded in 1927, BLC is operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The campus overlooks the Minnesota River valley in a community of 53,000. ...

(BLC), before the two institutions were officially separated in 1974. BLTS is located adjacent to the BLC campus, which overlooks the Minnesota River valley in

Mankato Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the state of Minnesota. The population was 44,488 according to the 2020 census, making it the 21st-largest city in Minnesota, and the 5th-largest outside of the Minnea ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, a community of about 53,000. From 1946 through 1974, as a department of the college, the seminary was headed by the Dean of the Seminary. These deans included Norman A. Madson and Milton Otto. In 1974, the seminary was separated from the college and given its own president, thus the office of Dean of the Seminary was eliminated. The first president of the newly separated seminary was Theodore A. Aaberg, who was forced to resign due to health issues a few years later.

Glenn Reichwald Glenn may refer to: Name or surname * Glenn (name) * John Glenn, U.S. astronaut Cultivars * Glenn (mango) * a 6-row barley variety Places In the United States: * Glenn, California * Glenn County, California * Glenn, Georgia, a settlement i ...

served as acting president for the 1979–1980 school year until Wilhelm W. Petersen was installed as the new president. Upon his retirement in 1997, Gaylin R. Schmeling was called. He retired in 2022 and Timothy Hartwig was installed.

Academics

BLTS awards two different degrees. First and foremost, BLTS exists to train Lutheran pastors for parish ministry. Therefore, it offers a four-year course of study culminating in the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) that is the basic degree for most clergy in North America. Secondly, BLTS offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Lutheran Theological Studies for interested laymen who do not want to enter the public ministry but are interested in a deeper study of Lutheran history and theology. The curriculum centers on the four basic divisions of theology: Biblical Theology, the study of the Bible in its original languages; Systematic Theology, the study of the doctrines gleaned from the Bible; Historical Theology, the study of the history of the Church in relation to the collected doctrines thereof; and Practical Theology, the study of everyday functions of the pastoral office such as preaching, teaching, and counseling.

Notable graduates

Robert Preus The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

(1946), professor at

Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Founded in 1839, t ...

and president of

Concordia Theological Seminary The Concordia Theological Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It offers professional, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees affiliated with training clergy and deaconesses for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). His ...

Gunnar Stålsett Gunnar Johan Stålsett (born 10 February 1935, in Nordkapp) is a Norwegian theologian and politician. He was leader of the Centre Party 1977–1979, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation 1985–1993 and bishop of Oslo, in th ...

(1959)

External links

Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary

References

{{authority control 1946 establishments in Minnesota Education in Blue Earth County, Minnesota Educational institutions established in 1946 Lutheran seminaries Mankato, Minnesota Seminaries and theological colleges in Minnesota Lutheran buildings and structures in North America