A spirit of belonging

When Rachael Theisen, M.Div. ’24, talks about her four years of study at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, she reflects on a time of change both for herself as well as for the world around her.

“When you’re discerning the call, deciding to go to seminary and where you’ll go, you don’t really know what it will be like – it feels like a complete leap of faith,” she observed looking back to First Week in 2020. “Seminary is where we go to become something new and leave the old behind.”

Starting her studies in fall 2020, Theisen found herself in one of the first LTSS cohorts able to enroll in a fully online program. Although she traveled from her home near Hickory, North Carolina to the LTSS campus for special events and presentations, Theisen still found community and belonging with her classmates while engaged in remote learning.

“The sense of community here and the friendships you develop – it’s a great experience,” she said. “Belonging means that you can fully be yourself. It’s not fitting in by trying to shave off parts of yourself to mold into a space. It’s about being who you are, becoming more of who you are and being accepted the whole way through.”

After she graduates in May 2024, Theisen plans to become a Lutheran pastor – like her father who also attended LTSS for his Lutheran studies year. 

“He was an ELCA pastor for my entire life – and I’ve felt the call to ministry for as long as I can remember,” she observed. “I would say I’m growing into his footsteps, but in my own way.”

Theisen completed her internship at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Hickory in 2023, which is near her home. She does not yet know if a larger relocation is in her family’s future, but her husband and three children will be part of the planning.

“When I discerned the call to say yes to seminary, it was a decision that required the whole family to be on board. Any decision that big involves much prayer and conversation to ensure that everyone understands where I believed God was calling me,” she shared.

Her primary goal in all she does is to share the unconditional acceptance and love of Jesus Christ with her congregation and community, to share belonging she has felt at LTSS with others. 

“When Jesus said, ‘follow me’ he didn’t demand you be perfect first,” she said. “He just says follow me, and you’re welcome, and you belong here. I hope to bring that spirit of belonging to the world.”