Entering the newly dedicated building are, from left, the Rev. Glenn Miller, director of development at LTSP, donor Anne Brossman Sweigart, and Robert Lauman, executive vice president of D&E Communications.

First-year seminarian Miriam Sedzro, who first saw the campus in the spring, was "amazed at how quickly they finished the new building." Joseph Mantovani, another first-year student, was excited not only about the new building but also about the entire campus and the city itself. "It's very accessible and there's a great mix of places and events here," he said. "Not only that, it's been a wonderful experience to get to know people from so many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds right here on campus," he continued. As for the building itself, Mantovani was one of the first to have classes in The Brossman Center.

The Rev. Tim Poston (LTSP, M.Div. '97), who currently serves as pastor of Mediator Lutheran Church in North Philadelphia, has a special fondness for the façade of the 1888 "Old Dormitory," which was incorporated into the new structure. "My dorm room was right in front there," he laughed, pointing to a window in the façade. Poston is impressed with The Brossman Center, but he's more impressed with what the building represents. "The outreach which will come through The Brossman Center is extremely important for the urban community," he said. One example he offered was the Urban Theological Institute (UTI), which has offices and classroom space in the building. "The seminary is able to reach out to a more diverse and more ecumenical audience through the UTI, and I'm grateful that the UTI's presence on campus will be more prominent."

Reaching within and reaching out

This desire to reach out to the broader community is "entirely intentional," notes the Rev. Dr. Philip D. W. Krey. "We had three main goals in building The Brossman Center," he explained. "First, of course, was our desire to create a place for teaching and learning to accommodate our students and faculty. Second was to build a sense of community among our fellow Lutherans. Third was to invite a wider community into our own -- to be a welcoming presence for other civic and cultural groups, other religious groups, and the region as a whole." Rabbi George Stern, director of the Northwest Interfaith Movement (NIM), also located in Mt. Airy, noted, "It's exciting that LTSP conceived of this new facility as a community facility open to all."

The Rev. Dr. Charles Leonard, LTSP's director of contextual education, expressed enthusiasm about The Brossman Center's role in building bridges. "We see this facility as a place not only for Lutherans but for people of all denominations to come together," he said. "Having a facility this size will give us a chance to attract events and activities from larger groups such as the World Council of Churches, but we also hope the smaller rooms will attract smaller and local groups." Laura Morris Siena, interim director of West Mt. Airy Neighbors, a neighborhood organization, said, "It's a beautiful building and we look forward to holding events here." She also expressed gratitude for LTSP's commitment to Mt. Airy. "It's gratifying that the seminary has chosen to increase its visibility in the community. Clearly LTSP believes in Mt. Airy."

City Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, addressing the dedication ceremony, echoed Siena's thanks. "This is a blessing for Northwest Philadelphia," she said. "We really needed something like this here, and we appreciate the Seminary's confidence in us."

Built to inspire

"Goethe called architecture 'frozen music,' and we approached this project as though we were building a musical instrument," said George Yu, the Philadelphia architect who designed The Brossman Center. "Just as violins or cellos can't make music themselves, neither can this structure. But it's my hope that generations of students and others will use this instrument to produce their own 'music' within its walls."

Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Bishop Roy Almquist (LTSP, M.Div. '63) noted that, "one of the great blessings of this new center is the number of young people it will reach -- both Lutherans and those of other faiths -- and give them the inspiration and guidance they need to celebrate their faith and inspire still others." Dr. Addie Butler, chair of LTSP's Board of Trustees, echoed Almquist's sentiments: "We gather in thanks for the opportunities and the hope that this new center brings to the entire community."

"We've been blessed to be able to watch this building grow from the ground up," said Student Body President Danielle Miller. "Now we'll have a chance to fill it with our laughter, with our curiosity, and with our faith," she said.

The 40,000 square foot building is an intriguing mix of the new and the old, the large and the small. Viewed from outside, it seems to go on forever. Yet inside, even in the long main floor gallery-corridor or in spacious Benbow Hall (which can seat 500) the sense is one of closeness, of fellowship. Throughout The Brossman Center's halls and in several classrooms are several exquisite pieces of art -- many with a multicultural theme -- including paintings, sculptures, woodcarvings, and prints. The preservation of the old dormitory's 1888 façade and its attachment to the new structure is seamless inside and out. And to use what may seem a surprising word to describe a large, modern facility: comfortable. It's neither a platitude nor an exaggeration to say that The Brossman Center truly does bridge the old and tradition with the new and hopeful.