Will you tell us a little about your journey in ministry and what led you to consider the role of Dean of the Chapel?
I was baptized and confirmed in the United Methodist Church and in high school was drawn to the Baptist church through their music and worship ministry. When I went to college, I started serving in a campus ministry and felt a call from the Spirit to dedicate my life to serving God in ministry. It’s been a long, adventure-filled road that has led me here. I served a variety of churches in worship and music ministry for over 20 years. Along the way I completed master and doctoral degrees in worship. Most recently I served as the Director of Worship, Music, and Technology at Faith Lutheran Church in Bellaire, TX for 11 years. It was there that I began to discern a call to word and sacrament ministry, which led me to Wartburg in 2017. The Collaborative Learning option was very appealing and allowed me to attend seminary, continue serving Faith, and support my family. I completed my MDiv in 2021 and was called to serve New Life Lutheran Church in Pearland, TX in 2022. When I saw the Dean of the Chapel position posted online, I felt that inner tug that makes you stop and consider, “Is this something God is calling me to?” I’ve always felt interested in academics and thought that eventually, one day I may end up serving in higher education in some capacity (there are few that toil away at doctoral work without entertaining this possibility). So, I began a discernment process that lasted several months. It included conversations with my family, spouse, colleagues, and my spiritual director. I opened the door to the possibility, and the Spirit did the rest. Throughout the process of discernment, interviews, and all the logistics that are involved in a major change of life like this, there have been too many coincidental things falling in place near flawlessly for it to be anything other than God’s orchestration. There is an alignment to how things have worked out that is hard to explain as anything but the Spirit’s work. I am humbled and honored to accept the role of Dean of the Chapel and return home to the castle.
What excites you most about the opportunity to serve as the Dean of the Chapel at Wartburg?
There is much to be excited about because I believe that Wartburg will be a great place to serve. My time as a student here was crucial to my formation not only as a pastor, but as a baptized child of God. And that is what excites me the most: playing a small role in the formation of future pastors and deacons in Christ’s church. I want to help shape the worship life of the ELCA, and the training of our leaders is one of the most important ways to accomplish this.
What is your vision for the liturgical life of our seminary? How do you balance tradition with innovation in worship?
Wartburg has a long history of being a worship-centered community. Worship is central to the identity of this seminary – it is baked into our DNA. Few theological schools commit themselves to pausing mid-morning five days a week for word, sacrament, song, and prayer. My vision for the liturgical life of Wartburg is to maintain our well-established centrality of worship. Students, staff, and faculty all show up on common ground in the Loehe Chapel in need of God’s grace, Jesus’ words, and the Spirit’s vitality. There are no grades to be earned in chapel, only the bond of our community grafted into the mystery of the Triune. Chapel is where we ponder our callings, stand in awe of divine love, and seek reconciliation. Wartburg keeps worship at the center because we want pastors and deacons to keep worship at the center of their own lives as well as the center of the churches they will serve.
Can you share an example of a worship service or liturgical moment that deeply impacted you? What made it meaningful?
I was part of a team that helped design and plan the last ELCA Worship Jubilee in Atlanta in July 2015. I served as the liaison to the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church for an evening prayer service that was one of the most profound worship experiences for me.
Two primary things made it so profound. One, I have a biracial family and am the father of two black sons. Two, this service was one month after the Charleston church shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME.
There were several points throughout the service that were emotionally overwhelming for me. The racial injustices that were bubbling to the surface of our country at that time (and continue to) made for a palpable lament. The choir lifted their voices and hands in praise, singing the songs of freedom that have united generations. The assembly sang with vigor the words, “Rid the earth of torture’s terror, you whose hands were nailed to wood.” We were led into a time of corporate lament and confession where we mourned black and brown men and women who are killed extrajudicially every 28 hours, followed by a commemoration honoring the Charleston Nine in which we spoke aloud their names. The assembly sang with sorrow the hymn, “They Met to Read the Bible:” “We grieve a wounded culture where fear and terror thrive, where some hate others for their race and guns are glorified.” One of the most moving offerings of that worship was the solo sang by Mary Harris Gurley, who was a contemporary of the Late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and sang a hymn at his funeral. She sang, “If I Can Help Somebody,” her elderly voice testifying to the truth found in her life. I was moved and healed by the presence of God.
Near the end of the service, we sang The Lord’s Prayer, the same version of the song played by Alberta Williams King on June 30, 1974, right before she was gunned down in worship, while sitting on the organ bench. It was a remarkable service, mixed with pain, lament, bittersweet joy, and hope in the resurrection. This worship experience has continually inspired my anti-racism efforts and has left a mark on my soul.
What role do you believe the Dean of the Chapel should play in the spiritual formation of students?
The Dean of the Chapel should assist in the formation of students by helping them discover the depth and breadth of Lutheran worship. There is not a single, definitive style of Lutheran worship. It is as diverse as the contexts in which it occurs. It draws on the whole of Christian tradition and the best of the hymnody and liturgy it has produced. Our denomination has also produced excellent guidepost resources and materials to carve our path in worship. And that path is friendly(!), offering meandering options that help to set the table but don’t force feed us. The invite us into a tradition of worship that is theologically rich, ethically bound to neighbor, and open-handed. My role in forming students is to shape their imagination for all that Lutheran worship is and can be.