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How Not To Preach The Gospel
Luther Seminary's decision not to provide shelter for the homeless
I can remember multiple conversations while at seminary around the (very theological) question, “Who is my neighbor?”
This week my own seminary failed the final exam on the topic. I watched the ABC news story about their decision and literally just wept and wept.
For the sake of the gospel, I’m going to offer a play by play of this news story.
The first thing I need to point out: the Ramsey County public official interviewed at the end of the news story literally bursts into tears. She weeps for her homeless neighbors. She was ready, excited, to begin housing them this summer at Stub Hall. The sudden, last minute decision by the seminary (just one day before a public input session about the plan) has left them in the lurch.
She points out the absolute irony that the St. Anthony Park neighborhood in which the seminary is situated is full of yard signs that read, “All are welcome!”
In the news story, they interview actual neighbors. These two guys might as well be stock footage of NIMBYs, because they say all the typical things: “We don’t know who these people are? There will be drug deals. I saw trash thrown in the street.”
Luther Seminary’s official public statement (they refused to be interviewed for this news story, which is itself an abnegation of responsibility to always be prepared to share a defense of the gospel, and also just really bad leadership) basically blames the neighbors. Whatever the seminary’s actual reasons for backing out of the deal (some rumors say they now have a lucrative offer to sell the building… quite the timing if it's true; others say there are other communications factors that played a role), their public reason for backing out can be quoted:
”After receiving feedback from its neighbors, Luther Seminary has decided to cease its negotiations with Ramsey County. Stub Hall will remain vacant as the Seminary continues its plans to sell the property.”
So basically rather than be transparent and lead, Luther Seminary is letting the neighbors take the fall for the decision.
I have to say, the part that just makes me weep is how much I wish I had any public official anywhere around us asking churches to partner with them to adapt properties for housing. This news story inverts the narrative: rather than the church calling on the county to provide adequate housing for the homeless, we have here the county struggling to understand why the seminary has backed out of a partnership so clearly aligned with the gospel mandate.
No matter how one looks at this, Luther Seminary has dramatically, tragically, failed the “who is my neighbor test.” Perhaps most ironically, they made this announcement the same day some faculty of Luther Seminary were hosting a seminar on using church property for mission, highlighting as one example a church in Washington D.C. hosting a housing project on their property. That’s some high level hypocrisy.
This is the “flagship” seminary of our denomination operating at odds with the justice ministry and gospel focus of our denomination.
Luther Seminary could still change course. It could apologize to its partner orgs, apologize to the county, turn down any strategically-timed lucrative purchase offers, stand up to the NIMBY neighbors, and make the property available as a shelter. It’s a fantastic location to offer housing for the homeless, and would have the added benefit of creating a ministry opportunity (of the sort many seminarians are preparing to participate in) right next to the seminary itself.
If you’re going to lead, if you’re going to position yourself as a seminary that teaches “leadership,” then you need to lead. So far, this is the exact opposite of leadership, and an awful witness to the gospel.
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Grace Pomroy Faith+Lead
Institutions are not leaders. Individuals and groups within institutions lead change. Clint, you are a leader. Thank you for calling out the seminary in its failure to have a gospel response. It is truly sad.