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Distinguished Alumnus/a Award presented at LTSP Spring Convocation Banquet; 2005 Muhlenberg Medal recipient recognized On Tuesday evening, April 25, 2006, the Rev. Canon Roy J. Enquist '52 was presented with the 2006 Distinguished Alumnus/a Award during the LTSP Annual Spring Convocation Banquet, held in Benbow Hall at the Brossman Learning Center. The Rev. William A. Purdy was also recognized as the 2005 Muhlenberg Medal recipient. The Rev. Canon Roy J. Enquist
Pastor Enquist earned his Master of Divinity degree at Mt. Airy in 1952. His first pastorate was at the Church of Our Savior in Seaside, Oregon, where he built a church, known at the time for its innovative altar located in the center of the congregation. He later earned his STM and PhD from Union Theological Seminary in New York. This lead him to teaching religion at Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio, chairing the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Texas Lutheran, and teaching Bible at the University of Namibia and at Marang and Paulinum seminaries in southern Africa. Pastor Enquist is professor emeritus at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg after serving from 1980-1998 as the Director of the Lutheran House of Studies. In 2000, Pastor Enquist became canon at the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., and he now serves as chaplain. He also serves part-time at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and he is a member of the LTSP Alumni/ae Association Board. The Rev. William A. Purdy
Pastor Purdy has served the Lutheran Church in a variety of settings. After ordination, he was called to parish ministry in Florida. This call was followed by a brief pastorate and continued theological studies in Munich, Germany. Upon returning to the United States, Pastor Purdy continued parish ministry in the New York City area for the next decade, working with a congregation to establish a soup kitchen, shelter the homeless, and open a drop-in center to provide counseling, food, clothing, and housing referrals. As headmaster and pastor in the largest Lutheran parochial school in Brooklyn and the U.S., he has served the synod as conference dean. With growing concern for persons with AIDS and the physical and spiritual well-being of those facing other life-threatening illnesses, Pastor Purdy spent the next twenty years training caregivers and chaplains to assure spiritual care for patients and families. Through numerous articles and continued training of health professionals on end-of-life issues, he has provided comfort to the aged, HIV-AIDS patients, and those who grieve. The honoree earned a Master of Sacred Theology degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and his Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He earned his B.A. from Capital University, Columbus, Ohio. About the awards The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia Distinguished Alumnus/a Award Each recipient is a graduate of one of the LTSP degree programs. Distinguished Alum recipients are honored for the following: Their ministry has brought distinction to the seminary; their ministry has demonstrated leadership in an area of specialty of the seminary; their ministry in the parish has been faithful and noteworthy; and/or they have made a significant contribution to the life of the church in a specific area. The Henry Melchior Muhlenberg Medal After celebrating the 350th anniversary of Muhlenberg's ministry in 1992, LTSP inaugurated the Muhlenberg Medal for exemplary service in congregational and campus ministry in Regions 7 and 8 of the ELCA. The seminary hopes not only to salute and thank recipients but also to honor all who preach and teach the gospel faithfully. |
Pastor Enquist was born in Idaho, served in the U.S. Army occupation of Japan after World War II, and then pursued a pastoral and education ministry that has taken him to South Africa, among other places. It was LTSP that gave him the educational inspiration to pursue what has been a varied and cosmopolitan ministry and educational career for more than five decades.
Pastor Purdy received the 2005 Muhlenberg Medal in recognition and honor of his exemplary church leadership, which has encompassed three decades of diverse ministry, and for his exemplary service to the church and community.