Gustavus welcomes two new chaplains with ties to campus. Alumnus Grady St. Dennis and Rod Anderson have joined the Gustavus Chaplain team which also includes Chaplain Rachel Larson.
Larson has been at Gustavus since 2001, and has managed to stay very busy, splitting her time between the Dean of Students Office, the Center for Servant Leadership, the Counseling Center, the Student Activities Office, Residential Life, Health Services and the Diversity Center.
Rachel is a Lutheran pastor in the ELCA and has preached at four different churches in Texas and Pennsylvania. “Through exploration and affirmation in my faith I have become fascinated with biblical study and feminist theology,” Larson said.
Grady St. Dennis graduated from Gustavus in 1992, served as an associate pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis from 1999 until 2007, when he moved back to Gustavus to serve as Director of Church Relations.
Utilizing his position St. Dennis has worked to build, strengthen and support the tradition of Lutheran higher education at Gustavus in particular. One of the many ways he does this is by representing Gustavus at ELCA gatherings, synod assemblies and any church assembly he can go to.
“As an ordained Lutheran pastor and graduate of Gustavus, I am keenly aware of the tremendous value of advancing the presence of the Church in the College and the presence of the College in the Church,” St. Dennis said. With his appointment to chaplain he will have even more opportunities to keep doing just that.
St. Dennis played a role in bringing our last “new” chaplain to Gustavus, Rod Anderson. It was after encouragement from St. Dennis and an invitation from President Ohle that Anderson decided to come back to Gustavus.
Anderson was actually ordained in Christ Chapel on June 7, 1974, after which he returned for countless confirmation retreats, Church Council retreats and Church conventions. Two of his sons, Nathan ‘95 and Ben ‘98 graduated from Gustavus, which prompted him to serve on the Gustavus Board of Trustees for a decade.
Anderson is focused on making his life count and encouraging others to do the same by telling everyone around him “the Lord be with you TODAY.” He also hopes to see all of you this year at Christ Chapel.