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PRESIDENT’S LETTERDear friends in Christ:My installation as president of LSTC on October27th was a pretty simple affair. Of course, theEucharistic liturgy in which it occurred took monthsof planning and countless gifts from many people,for which I remain deeply thankful. But the installationitself? It lasted only five minutes, and at itsheart were just five questions. That’s it. Some mightsay they sound only like pious sentiments. Beforeyou rush past them, though, pause to consider whatI vowed to do.Will you commit yourself to this new trust andresponsibility, in the confidence that it comes from Godthrough the call of the church? The emphasis here isnot on my personal efforts but on recognizing God’splace in my new calling. Moreover, I am to trust thatGod is working through the often flawed and sometimesfrail church. That surely also means I shouldcontinue to seek God’s voice as uttered by faithfulfolks like you. My calling does not begin with me. Ican listen for God through you.Will you preach, teach, and lead in accordancewith the holy scriptures and with the confessions of theLutheran church? Hand in hand with the previousquestion, this one asks me to look outside myself forwhat grounds and guides me in this new calling. It’seasy to deceive yourself that your own intellect andexperience will be sufficient for the job. Instead, Iam to consult the wisdom of ancestors who walkedwith God long before us. I am to remember our traditionas a treasure for today.Will you carry out this ministry in harmony withthe constitutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica and of this seminary, and in a spirit of communionwith God’s people throughout the world? Maybethis one seems dreary and bureaucratic, as if onlyrules and structures count. But the real point is theharmony and cooperation we build with our manypartners, whether within LSTC or around the world.Healthy relationships take work, though, like behavingin reliable and responsible ways. I am bid to takesuch extra efforts in being trustworthy.Will you be diligent in your study of the holy scripturesand in your use of the means of grace? Will youlove, serve, and pray for God’s people, nourish themwith the word and sacraments, and lead them byyour own example in faithful service and holy living?There’s a frightening amount here. Who could everdo all this, let alone do it well? Overwork is notthe message, though. This list of faithful practicesis important for a different reason. Every practicementioned is for the good of others. I am to studyJames Niemanand serve, love and lead not for my sake but for myneighbor’s. That also means I should wonder whoour neighbors really are.Will you give faithful witness in the world, thatGod’s love may be known in all that you do? Finally,we get to the real purpose behind all these questions,as well as the real aim of my new calling. Inthe end, I am not an administrator or educator, andmy efforts are not for status or gratification. Likeyou, I am to be a witness through my life and work,that God’s mercy may be known by those who havenever heard it. My calling as president is to sharethe good news.So as I said, that’s all there was to it. Five simplequestions—simple, yes, but so deep and comprehensive.I didn’t reply to each question with a selfassured“Absolutely!” Instead, I said a little prayer: Iwill, and I ask God to help me. How are these also thequestions facing each of us as we strive to be faithful?How are they now set before LSTC as our nexthalf century unfolds? And how might our reply tothem be more like a prayer? We will, and we ask Godto help us.James NiemanPresident