Statement from the Rev. Dr. William Harrison, President, LTS
“As President of LTS, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kyle Schiefelbein-Guerrero as Grace Professor of Leadership. Dr. Schiefelbein-Guerrero brings an abiding interest in issues of leadership and an impressive history of teaching in Lutheran schools in the USA, where he is an active member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Dr. Schiefelbein-Guerrero has a strong history of publication in several fields: liturgy, digital education and church, and leadership. He led a workshop in our 2022 summer conference on Religious Community in a Digital World. He recently edited a book titled, Church After the Corona Pandemic: Consequences for Worship and Theology, and serves as co-editor of the academic journal, Teaching Religion & Theology. We believe that Dr. Schiefelbein-Guerrero will provide important direction as the Professor of Leadership role takes shape, incorporating theological reflection on the nature of leadership in the changing church as part of the seminary’s life and imparting necessary practical skills to our students."
Statement from Dr. Kyle Scheifelbein-Guerrero, Grace Professor of Leadership, LTS
“I am honored to be appointed the first Grace Professor of Leadership at LTS. Theological education has been at a crossroads for over a generation. LTS has committed to living into this challenge through creative thinking, devoted leadership, and strong faculty members to enact God’s reign of justice and peace both inside and outside the classroom. I am excited to be part of this community of scholars and practitioners to forming leaders for the 21st-century church.
My call to being a theological educator began in seminary, when by coincidence three of my classes – pastoral care, worship, and Lutheran Confessions – were all covering the topic of confession and forgiveness. This experience taught me that our theological disciplines must always be in conversation with one another, forming a symbiotic relationship between faith and practice. This was further affirmed in my graduate work when immersing myself in Luther’s contextual pastoral theology.
The importance of leadership has been highlighted in my work as a liturgical scholar. My doctoral advisor and colleague Dr. Michael Aune would often speak of ‘liturgical pastoring’ (rather than ‘pastoral liturgy’) to emphasize the worshipful nature of pastoral ministry, in which Christ revealing himself to us through word and sacrament stands at the center of all ministerial leadership. I have been able to put this into practice over the past couple of months serving the role of bridge pastor at a congregation in Philadelphia.
I am excited to join the LTS community this July, one that is committed to being an inclusive and hospitable community, learning from and welcoming one another’s diversity, and one that is serious about formation through contextual learning done with integrity. In one sense, I am coming full circle, as my first co-taught course was with Kayko Driedger Hesslein, and I look forward to teaching with her again.”
Dr. Schiefelbein-Guerrero has recently edited a book on the future of congregational ministry in light of the pandemic: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-23731-7
Dr. Schiefelbein-Guerrero has also been involved in Journey to Baptismal Living, an organization committed to baptismal formation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi9ZIpkV6rk