Archives for May 18, 2022

In this devotion, Harvey Nelson ’71 M.Div. writes about the contrast between our little world and God’s reality. Read today’s God Pause.

We gather in the Chapel of the Incarnation and online for worship with Holy Communion. Craig Koester, professor and Asher O. and Carrie Nasby Chair of New Testament, is the preacher.

In response to a request from Ramsey County, Luther Seminary has agreed to extend the lease of Stub Hall as a temporary shelter for unhoused individuals through June 30, 2022. 

While the original lease was scheduled to expire on May 31, the seminary accepted the county’s proposal to extend the lease because several of the factors that motivated the original agreement are ongoing. Stub Hall would otherwise be vacant at this time, while emergency housing needs in Ramsey County remain high. Luther’s mission and values call us to serve the needs of our community in this way. 

The seminary is deeply grateful to our neighbors for their support of the shelter and welcome of these guests during their stay on our campus. We continue to work with the county to address neighborhood concerns about the need for clear and effective processes to manage issues when they arise. An experienced staff of Salvation Army employees will be relocated from the closing Bethesda Hospital site in downtown Saint Paul to provide consistency at Stub Hall through the lease extension period. 

Following Bethesda’s closure, county staff are also working to place individuals in the most effective settings to meet their needs across the county’s remaining shelters. This may lead to a change in the population at Stub Hall, which to date has served women and some couples. 

Longer term, Luther Seminary remains committed to selling the Lower Campus, as market conditions allow.