Brian Beckstrom – Endowed Chair
Beckstrom, who was named a dean following the retirement of the Rev. Ramona Bouzard in May, has served at Wartburg since 2009. As dean of spiritual life, he will lead the college’s ministry program and promote faith exploration and development in and out of the classroom. He also will continue to teach courses in Wartburg’s leadership program and Department of Religion.
“Given the centrality of faith to our mission, the Rev. Dr. Beckstrom is called to a vital role at Wartburg, one to which he is well-suited as he champions efforts in vocational discernment, Christian and interfaith initiatives, and diversity and inclusion,” said Wartburg President Darrel Colson.
A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, Beckstrom completed his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees at Luther Seminary. His doctoral program focused on mission and leadership. His writing has appeared in the Journal of Lutheran Ethics, Intersections magazine and on the ELCA’s Living Lutheran web site, and he is currently working on a book about Lutheran higher education.
“I’m humbled that God has called me to serve as dean of spiritual life at Wartburg College and grateful for the legacy of outstanding pastoral leadership on whose shoulders I stand. God is doing exciting and new things on campus,” Beckstrom said. “We will do our best to partner in this mission by witnessing to God’s grace as embodied in Jesus Christ.”
The Moehlmann Chair was established in 1990 with gifts from Chaplain Herbert Moehlmann in memory of his wife, Cora, and Lutheran Brotherhood. Herbert graduated from Wartburg College in 1915 and Wartburg Seminary in 1918. He was the first pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Waterloo. In 1930, he joined the U.S. Army to serve as a chaplain and was stationed in Hawaii at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He continued to serve throughout World War II, attaining the rank of Colonel while supervising more than 200 chaplains in the European Theater.