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Lutheran
Richard A. Lammert, Convener

MEMBERS PRESENT

• Kellie Barbato, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
• Susan Ebertz, Wartburg Theological Seminary
• Dan Flores, Texas Lutheran University
• Richard Lammert, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, 

Convener

The two long-time members of the group, Susan and Richard, 
welcomed the two newcomers, Kellie (nine months at Lutheran 
Theological Southern Seminary) and Dan (not quite two weeks at 
Texas Lutheran University)

INSTITUTIONAL REPORTS

Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary

Kellie has been on the job as director of the Lineberger Memorial 
Library for about nine months. The seminary and the library are in 
the process of restructuring positions. The seminary has appointed a 
new professor for practical ministry. The faculty have participated in 
DEI training. Enrollment has been steady at the seminary. The semi-
nary would like to reach out more in encouraging United Methodist 
and Baptist students to attend. The library was closed from January 
to mid-March, but is now open again.



44  A NNUA L Y E A RBOOK

Wartburg Theological Seminary

The seminary has a new president. Last fall, the seminary added new 
professors in liturgics and systematics. The seminary is currently 
searching for persons to fill positions in Hebrew Bible, homilet-
ics, and dean of the chapel. The seminary will be having in-person 
classes in the fall. The library was open to students during the COVID-
19 pandemic; in addition, it is now open to the public.

Texas Lutheran University

Dan just started his job (nine days) ago as director of the Blumberg 
Memorial Library. He is excited to be at Texas Lutheran University 
and to be a part of the Atla Lutheran denominational group. The 
students at the university are 40% Hispanic; one of his goals is to 
expand materials that are available for them.

Concordia Theological Seminary

The seminary has been able to maintain a consistent enrollment. The 
current seminary president has been elected for a third five-year 
term. The library never closed to staff during the past year, since 
the director’s conviction was that the staff had to be physically pres-
ent to provide services. At the beginning of the pandemic shutdown, 
library items were provided for pick up; by fall, staff and faculty were 
allowed in the library, and later, the wider community. The library 
currently has an archivist intern for one month to provide help in 
moving archive materials into the new library space and provide 
assessment in how to organize them.



Denominational Group Meetings  45

In general discussion among the group, the following possibilities of 
joint work were discussed:

• Sharing lists of discarded/weeded books among the  
libraries—this could most easily be accomplished through  
the Atla Lutheran list.

• Making digital copies of archival items available to other  
libraries—this was particularly noted in regard to scans of 
Loehe’s letters, which are of interest to both Concordia  
Theological Seminary and Wartburg Theological Seminary.

2020-2021 GROUP: [pictured, left to right] Cindy Aalders, Brian Shetler, Stephanie 
Garrett, Jane Elder, Patrick Milas, Chris Anderson, Roger Loyd, Patrick Cates, Connor 
Flatz


