The Public Church Scholars five year degree pathway allows students who are called to public church ministry an opportunity to complete a BA in Theology and Public Leadership and a Master of Divinity (MDiv) in five years. In this program students will take a deep dive into theological education, leadership formation, engage in what is means to live and work in community through experiential learning, and prepare to be public leaders in the church. This ministry leadership pathway has been generously funded by the Kern Foundation.

Adrienne has served in many ministry and youth leadership capacities since graduating from Augsburg in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Youth and Family Ministry and a minor in Sociology. Before coming to this position, she served as youth ministry program staff for an urban ministry collaborative in St. Paul, booking agent for a local hip hop artist, assistant camp director for an island camp and retreat center, and served two local charter high schools in administrative leadership and advising capacities primarily supporting students in college and career exploration. In December 2018, she received her MA in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in ethics and leadership from St. Catherine University. In Fall 2019, she also began the exciting journey of teaching undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota in the Leadership Minor program.

Adrienne’s call has always been tied to connecting people and strengthening relationships. As a leader for young people, her work focuses on listening, guiding, and supporting youth in discerning their purpose during transition times in their lives. She has worked with high school students in developing leadership skills, searching for college and career options that fit their purpose, and making connections for putting their purpose into action. She is excited to join CCV and work with undergraduate students as they discern their call to ministry, by growing and developing as strong leaders for the future of the church in our communities.

When she isn’t working, Adrienne loves walking or hiking in parks and woods around the Twin Cities with her family and energetic dog Calvin. Her husband is a middle school music teacher and her kiddo is thoughtful and creative and always has his nose in a book. As a family they enjoy camping, following the latest Star Wars or Avengers stories and media, and making and sharing homemade meals.

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Curious about the experience of Auggies who have been involved in theological exploration of vocation? The summer 2014 Augsburg Now magazine features an article about previous Christensen and Interfaith Scholars, .

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Martha E. Stortz, Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, gave the keynote address at the event.

Her message includes several Big Questions for reflection, and is available electronically – 

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We asked them to tell us about the congregation(s) where they serve, and what they are most energized about with their call. We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments, and we wish them well in their new vocations as pastors!

Michael Buller, Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Abercrombie, ND and Galchutt (pronounce Gal-Shoot) Lutheran Church in Galchutt, ND

My role is solo pastor of a two point parish.  I am very excited about this parish because they are in desperate need of new life. They are “mission re-development sites” which essentially means that they are on the verge of closing. I received mission re-development certification in the ELCA, so we could very well be a good fit for each other.

Since arriving I have discovered that there is a great deal of life in both Abercrombie and Galchutt proper and a great deal of life in the surrounding areas.  For instance we have an educational farmstead near by called  which is only 4 miles outside of Abercrombie.  They have concerts during the summer, gardening classes, crafting classes, any many other activities; super cool stuff, and wonderful people.

In November of 2015 Emmanuel Lutheran will be celebrating 125 years of faithful ministry and we will be making it into a very big event. Finally the two churches tend the grounds of a third church building. St. John’s Lutheran church is located between Emmanuel and Galchutt and is the oldest Lutheran Church building in the Eastern North Dakota synod. We have a joint worship service there each year.

I have a website folks can look at to keep tabs on what I’m up to: it is .  There are many other pictures and stories on this site. 

Emily Wiles, Faith Lutheran Church in Avon, Indiana – rapidly growing suburb outside Indianapolis 

Faith is a small congregation with a tremendous level of mission and opportunity. We are currently seeking approval to build a new church building; about 5 years ago, Faith sold their large, mostly-unused church building in Indianapolis and moved to Avon, hoping to be Christ’s church in a growing community.

Things that I’m excited about include Faith’s people, their willingness to follow God’s call to new opportunities, and the dynamics of a small congregation setting roots in a new area. These people know how to do ministry within the walls of a church, and I’m excited to walk with them as we begin to do more ministry outside the walls. This is a congregation that feeds; they have a small but vital food pantry and always share monthly meals. The new church property resides on 35 acres: 22 of those acres are currently farmed and Faith visions a vital, viable community garden that supports their food pantry and its community.

My role has been set since the beginning, but is still forming; I’ve only been here a month.  My call is to remind them that God loves them and provide resources and encouragement to do ministry together and individually.

Peter Weston Miller, Atonement Lutheran Church, New Brighton, MN

Atonement Lutheran Church in New Brighton has always been invested in transformation. Originally, Atonement was a mission start of the American Lutheran Church merger in 1960. For the first time, Lutherans agreed to merge across ethnic lines in order to create a new church body. (Prior to 1960, it had always been Germans uniting with Germans or Norwegians with Norwegians.)  19 other “Atonement Lutheran Church” were birthed in districts around the country. It was a bold strategy of the Lutheran church to put away cultural divisions and unify under the banner of God’s work in Jesus Christ, to always be made new.

Today, Atonement continues to serve and grow with a new population of local residents. There is an influx of young families and people see New Brighton as a hub that can get you anywhere in the Twin Cities. I love that Atonement has a history of experimentation and a commitment to transformation. It has an excellent preschool program for the neighborhood, as well as a variety of mission partnerships with local organizations and community churches. We also house a Nigerian Pentecostal worshiping community called Faith Community Church. Worship for us is a blend of contemporary, Southern Gospel barbershop, and traditional Lutheran liturgy. One of the central symbols of the church is its large font in the entry space. People love to gather here, reminded that they are marked with the promise of baptism to be a community that is moved and drawn by the Holy Spirit.

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