New Students, Fall 2001

A Grandmother's inspiration

Karyn Denise Bodenschatz thought she wanted to be a director of music for a congregation. "For a long time it never occurred to me to become a pastor because I really didn't know women could be pastors." Then her Grandmother died. As she pulled together photos and mementos of her Grandmother's life, Karyn found herself increasingly inspired by a woman who had completed college when it wasn't commonplace for women to do so and then had been determined to serve the church as a director of Christian education. Her Grandmother had also served as a missionary in Belgium after World War II. "Her record amazed me. Sure I had held some leadership roles in my church and sang in the choir and was working. But my Grandmother's story made me ask, was this truly the life God wanted me to lead? Or was there something more?" She decided that she believed God was calling her to be a pastor in the church. She enrolled at Concordia University in Irvin, CA, and the Lutheran Bible Institute, a House of Studies at Concordia. Following graduation she wrestled with which Seminary to attend. "The one-on-one contact between me and staff and alumni’s have really made a difference in my decision to attend LTSP," she said. "In the end it was the personal touches that persuaded me."

Karyn Denise Bodenschatz | Perucy Butiku | Javier Davila
Diedone Diela | Linda Furia | Cheryl Hensil | Claus Hoppe
Marjorie Keiter | Aaron Klink | Kimberly Leffler
Karen B. Safstrom | Shelly Satran | Crystal Schrader
Judith Sullivan | Gloria W. Walker | Richard Yost