Read about supporters who help deepen and reimagine Wartburg Theological Seminary’s historic commitments to theological education that is diverse, sustainable, and transformative, grounded in and bearing witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Rev. Dr. Ann L. Fritschel
Rev. Dr. Ann L. Fritschel’s hopes for the seminary are built on a solid foundation of faith and a vision for bold leadership that continues to inspire and reach out to new areas of need. She invites supporters to join in sustaining Wartburg’s mission, expressing her heartfelt gratitude.
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After 25 years of teaching as a professor at Wartburg Theological Seminary, the Rev. Dr. Ann L. Fritschel retired in May 2024 at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. Please join us in expressing gratitude to God and to Dr. Fritschel for her gifts, which have blessed and shaped so many church leaders.
Why do I support Wartburg Theological Seminary?
As a student at Wartburg in 1982, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I could handle the academic work, but the difficult job of being a pastor seemed daunting. The Wartburg community challenged, loved, and encouraged me to grow into the person God had called me to be. I left with a pastor’s heart and a deeper love for God, for God’s people, and God’s creation. At Wartburg, I received an excellent theological education and strong leadership and ministerial skills. But most importantly, I was formed as a leader grounded in God’s grace, eager to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I am deeply grateful for my formation at Wartburg. Throughout my 25 years of teaching at Wartburg, I have continued to be grateful for my faculty colleagues. They are a group of gifted theologians, leading thinkers about theological education, and caring human beings, united in Wartburg’s mission and vision. We have continued the work of formation and education that I experienced as a student.
I am very thankful for you, the friends, alumni, and supporters of WTS. It is a joy meeting people who discover that the vision of the mission that God is calling them to support is to be found at Wartburg. It is powerful to see people who see the need for bold leadership and support our students with scholarships. It is awesome to talk with people who see the need to reach out in new ways, through new programs and different languages, to support God’s work in the world and find it being done at Wartburg. Thank you.
If asked, “What is your hope for Wartburg Seminary?” I would probably say that it continues to be a place that asks, “What type of leader is needed today for God’s mission and God’s church?” That Wartburg continue to be a community that forms bold leaders centered in Christ to bear the Gospel to a world in need of healing. That grounded in its past, Wartburg will move boldly into the future. This is not so much a hope, but a realistic expectation based on my experience of Wartburg. I invite you to join me in continuing to support Wartburg’s vision and mission.
In closing, I would like to share Paul’s words from Philippians. “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.” 1:3
Rev. Ronald Koplitz & Mary Ellen Koplitz
Rev. Ronald Koplitz & Mary Ellen Koplitz have dedicated their lives to faith, education, and community service. Ron, a 1969 graduate of Wartburg Seminary, served over three decades in ministry and chaplaincy. Mary Ellen supported him throughout his journey, and both continue to inspire future church leaders.
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On behalf of Wartburg Theological Seminary, President Kristin Largen is pleased to announce the naming of the new auditorium in the remodeled Fritschel Hall, which opened for classes in September 2023. The Rev. Ron and Mrs. Mary Ellen Koplitz of Tempe, AZ, generously stepped up to become lead donors to the $28 million Lead Boldly campaign, which includes the $7 million remodel of the seminary’s main academic building. In recognition of their generosity, the WTS Board of Directors approved naming the greatly expanded auditorium, “Koplitz Auditorium.”
The Rev. Ronald Koplitz is a 1969 graduate of Wartburg Seminary, and he and Mary Ellen are graduates of Wartburg College. Mary Ellen was a schoolteacher who supported Ron during his years at Wartburg Seminary. The Koplitzs have also contributed a large endowed scholarship fund at Wartburg Seminary. In 2018, WTS honored them with the first-ever Life Together Award, in recognition of their generosity.
Ron’s years of ministry included 17 years of parish ministry in Wisconsin and 18 years of chaplaincy in governmental correctional facilities in Wisconsin and Arizona. Since retiring in Tempe, AZ, Ron and Mary Ellen remain active members of University Lutheran Church on Arizona State University’s campus and actively encourage students interested in ministry to attend Wartburg Seminary. The Koplitzs consider the students they support at Wartburg College and Wartburg Seminary their legacy.
In June 2022, the seminary commenced a year-long major reconstruction of Fritschel Hall, which included expanded classrooms, centralized student services, and a modernized library. The project was successfully completed on time and under budget. The 100-year-old building now features new, efficient electrical, heating, cooling, and plumbing systems, along with new windows and a host of other improvements. Several naming and dedication spaces remain available for those wishing to leave a legacy in this place that has shaped so many church leaders.
Joyce Louise Redman
Joyce Louise Redman, longtime Waterloo, Iowa school teacher, has left a lasting impact on the mission of Wartburg Seminary through her estate. The more than $1 million dollar gift will provide an endowed scholarship for future students, support programs vital to our mission, and will help Wartburg move forward with plans for the “Library of the 21st Century.”
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The Joyce Louise Redman Endowed Scholarship has been established in the WTS Endowment, which provides tuition funding for future generations of Lutheran pastors and deacons. A portion of Ms. Redman’s gift also supported the remodeling of Reu Memorial Library as a “library for the 21st century,” part of the rebuilding of Fritschel Hall that happened in 2022.
“We are deeply honored to be stewards of Ms. Redman’s legacy,” WTS President Rev. Dr. Kristin Largen said. “As a schoolteacher who loved books and reading, we believe this is a great way to honor Joyce’s life of teaching.”
The redesign of Reu Memorial Library is shaped around a re-envisioned hub for learning. The anchor to this vision is access to the largest digital theological library in the world. All students, regardless of location or degree track, will have full access to this library with over 500,000 volumes, including all books assigned for courses. (This itself presents a huge cost savings to students who are no longer required to purchase course books!) The remodeled space on the second floor includes expanded and fully accessible quiet student areas, and the basement houses a greatly enlarged climate-controlled rare book room to preserve our treasured Wartburg history.
Ms. Redman was born in Milbank, South Dakota, in 1928 and died in January 2021. She received degrees from Wartburg College in Waverly, Saint John’s University in Minnesota, and Clarke College in Dubuque. Ms. Redman was a teacher at Waterloo, Iowa elementary schools for 35 years. She also taught in the Lutheran Youth Center in Alaska and at a residential center in Waverly, IA.
Ms. Redman’s generosity also supported Wartburg College, Iowa Public Radio, Iowa Public Television, and the Waterloo Public Library.
Didrik & Dorothy Bohm
Wartburg Seminary is humbled and excited to announce the formation of the Didrik & Dorothy Bohm Scholarship, which will provide over $20,000 annually in direct support to seminary students. This fund is made possible by the Bohm estate, which is providing a gift of over $400,000 to Wartburg Seminary as well as long-term financial stability to their home congregation, Zion Lutheran, Mohall, ND. The Bohm endowed fund becomes part of Wartburg’s $30 million endowment, which now generates over $1 million in financial support to the seminary and students every year.
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After serving in World War II, Didrik’s dream was to attend Wartburg Seminary to become a pastor, but he fell in love with Dorothy. Since married seminary students were strongly discouraged at the time, he became a farmer instead. Didrik passed away in 1999, and Dorothy died in 2020. Throughout their 50 years of marriage, Dorothy and Didrik were both very active in church leadership. Didrik frequently talked about the importance of helping the church form and call more pastors.
Rev. Todd Olson, WTS ’05, served as their pastor at Zion in Mohall. He explained that the Bohms’ huge respect for WTS came from their experience of being served by many good WTS pastors over the years: “Dorothy frequently talked about the importance of seminaries to the mission of the church; it was clear this was one of her and Didrik’s priorities.” He added: “They were always future-minded, wanting to invest in the future.” Shirley Olmsted, their niece who is facilitating the details of the Bohm estate, is also served by a Wartburg pastor — Rev. Phil Lerr WTS ’96 of First Lutheran, Mandan, North Dakota. Shirley was happy to help bring this gift to reality because, for many years, “Dorothy was clear about their desire to support Wartburg Seminary.”
Born in 1925 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Didrik was inducted into the Army Infantry in October 1945 during World War II. He later transferred to the 747th Army Air Force. He was stationed in Naples, Italy, where he supervised the Italian Civilian Teletype Mechanics. He was discharged in January 1947 and then attended the North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton for a time.
Dorothy, born in 1925 in Sherwood, North Dakota, worked at Trutna’s Department Store upon graduating high school, and she and Didrik married in 1949. They lived and farmed in Mohall, North Dakota, but moved to the Seattle area, where Didrik was employed by the Boeing Company for 10 years before returning to Mohall to continue farming until their retirement. They also enjoyed traveling, fishing, camping, making new friends, and lots of pinochle games.
Thanks be to God for Didrik and Dorothy. Their generosity provides a lasting impact on future generations of leaders to be formed and sent from Wartburg Seminary!
Winston Persaud
Winston’s journey of faith and education is deeply rooted in his childhood experiences in Guyana, where he learned about generosity and hospitality through his family, community, and church. Influenced by Lutheran missionaries and supported by scholarships from Wartburg Theological Seminary, he was able to pursue his theological education despite financial constraints. Today, as a faculty member alongside his wife, he gives back to Wartburg Seminary out of gratitude for the formation he received, and in support of its mission to prepare servant leaders for the global church.
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Why do I support Wartburg Theological Seminary?
In thinking about this question, I easily reflected upon my upbringing in Guyana (formerly British Guiana) and the formative influence of my immediate and extended family, the church, Lutheran missionaries, neighbors, and even strangers. Many images come to mind of the generosity of my parents extending hospitality to other relatives, several of whom lived with us as part of the family. I have learned that giving to others is a way of giving thanks to God for God’s goodness.
During the closing weeks of our confirmation class at Redeemer Lutheran Church—after an enjoyable, informative, thorough program of study for over a year with Mrs. Ruth Hansen (long-term missionary from Nebraska!)—Pastor Paul G. Hansen explained to us what it means to make a pledge of offering to the church.
Over the years, as a member of the faculty, I have had countless opportunities to preach in congregations in many parts of the U.S.A. and in other countries. Those occasions have heightened my sense of the faithful, selfless, and generous giving of the people of God for the sake of the mission of the church in Jesus’ name. I have preached in congregations where members have asked if I knew “so and so”, who were missionaries in Guyana. When I inquired why they asked, the common answer was, “Our congregation supported them, and they visited us during the periods of home leave!”
I was ‘introduced’ to Wartburg Theological Seminary and encouraged to apply for admission during my last year of undergraduate studies at the University of Guyana, 1973-74. Though reluctant to apply because I did not have the money to pay for my studies, I applied, was admitted, and offered a scholarship! To this day, I do not know my benefactors, but it is clear to me that their generous giving to WTS made the scholarship possible, which extended to my PhD studies at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
My wife, Dr. May Burt Persaud (also WTS faculty), and I give to Wartburg Theological Seminary as a way of expressing our gratitude that I was given a superb theological education and formation for my calling as a pastor and teacher of the church. We give because at the core of its life and mission, Wartburg Seminary is a worship-centered community whose vision is global. To this day, I hear from WTS graduates—from the ELCA and the global church—without prompting, “I continue to lift up the evangelical, theological, and pastoral formation I received from Wartburg Theological Seminary.”
May and I give because Wartburg Seminary strives to be faithful, realistic, and accountable in its stewardship of preparing servant leaders to be disciples of Jesus Christ in a world that needs and longs for healing and wholeness. We give because this mission offers us an inviting opportunity to be faithful stewards of resources God has placed in our hands. Indeed, this reflection has given us a timely occasion to say: our giving to Wartburg Theological Seminary is grounded in God’s gracious self-giving in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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