MICHIGAN LUTHERAN SEMINARY

'Michigan Lutheran Seminary' ('MLS') is a private high school affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod located in Saginaw, Michigan. It serves students from countries throughout the world as well as a large dormitory population of high school students led by the dean living on campus.
Michigan Lutheran Seminary's enrollment (as of 2006) is comprised of 275 students in the 9th through 12th grades, from 14 states, seven of the twelve districts of the WELS, and three countries.
Michigan Lutheran Seminary, along with its sister prep school Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, Wisconsin, has as its purpose the training of students for public ministry of the gospel and to enroll them upon graduation at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota ('MLC').
True to this goal, the high school has, in recent years, required its graduating students to send their ACT scores to MLC, regardless of the individual student's intent on actually attending MLC. In addition to this, intent to enter MLC is one of the criteria for financial assistance.

Contents

Curriculum

Extracurricular

Athletics

Performing

Pom Pon

Court Street Players

Forensics

Hardin Street Harmony

Concert Choir

Band

Service

''Red'n'White''

The Cardinal

Student Council

Teens for Life

Sight & Sound

Seal

History

References

External links

Curriculum

Michigan Lutheran Seminary identifies its curriculum as the following: MLS has a single course of study which equips each student to meet the enrollment requirements of Martin Luther College. The curriculum gives special emphasis to the study of Biblical history and theology, and gives special attention to foreign languages and music. It exceeds standards set by the State of Michigan for admission to college.
Michigan Lutheran Seminary's Faculty consists of 22 full-time professors, 2 part-time instructors, and 4 tutors (dormitory supervisors who also teach).

Extracurricular

Michigan Lutheran Seminary offers a wide variety of after-school activities.

Athletics

At MLS, a student is required to have a 2.00 GPA to compete in games. He/She is allowed to practice with a 1.68-1.99 GPA. If the student's GPA is lower than 1.68, he/she is no longer allowed to represent the school in either practices or games. MLS is a member of the Michigan Tri-Valley Conference, and participates in the following sports:

	Head Coach
Football	Professor Larry Seafert
Cross Country	Professor Kathleen Kock
Volleyball	Professor Naomi Getka
Girls' Basketball	Prof. Terry Vasold/Mr. Dale Taylor
Boys' Basketball	Prof. Norval Kock/Prof. Terry Vasold
Wrestling	Professor Marcus Bode
Golf	Mr. Reis
Baseball	Professor David Lecker
Softball	Mr. Dale Taylor
Boys' Track	Professor Robert Schroer
Girls' Track	Prof. Timothy Malchow/Prof. Kathy Kock
Intramurals	Tutor Mark Schroeder

Performing

Pom Pon

Coach: Ms. Nicole Greanya
The Poms perform dance routines at pep rallies and all home football games and home boys basketball games. All eligible sophmores, juniors, and seniors are allowed to tryout.

Court Street Players

Stage Coach: Professor Marcus Manthey
Court Street Players (CSP) is devoted to encouraging interest and involvement in the theater arts at Michigan Lutheran Seminary. CSP produces two productions a year; a fall children production and a spring general production.

Forensics

Coach: Professor Kenric Peterson
Forensics competes in both individual events and sweepstakes trophies.

Hardin Street Harmony

Director: Professor Leonard Proeber
Hardin Street Harmony (HSH) represents Michigan Lutheran Seminary at various churches during the school year. Normally, HSH sings pop music for social events at churches, but occasionally they also sing sacred music for worship services.

Concert Choir

Director: Professor Leonard Proeber
Concert Choir is a group of auditioned Juniors and Seniors who sing sacred music at various churches most weekends throughout the school year.

Band

Director: Professor Rebecca Berg
The MLS Band offers great enjoyment to home boys' basketball and football games.

Service

''Red'n'White''

Editor in Chief: Professor Joanne Kohler
''Red'n'White'' is a student-run online newspaper that includes many serious and humorous articles for everybody's enjoyment.

The Cardinal

Editor in Chief: Professor Steven Westphal
The Cardinal is the title of our Yearbook.

Student Council

Head: Professor Daniel Retberg
Elected representatives of MLS contribute to Seminary family in many ways.

Teens for Life

Head: Mrs. Patricia Johnson
MLS Teens for Life is a service organization with the purpose of educating students and faculty within MLS and beyond on the value and sanctity of life.

Sight & Sound

Head: Professor James Wooster
Sight & Sound films home (and some away) sporting events, runs sound and lights for chapel, and sets-up/takes-down for school concerts.

Seal

The MLS school seal depicts a cardinal, the school's mascot. Underneath the cardinal there are three letters: I.N.I. and Sept. 13, 1910 -- the date the school became part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. I.N.I. stands for "In Nomine Iesu" in Latin (''In the name of Jesus''). Below that on the lefthand side is Luther's Seal; on the righthand side is a picture from the State Flag of Michigan.

History

Michigan Lutheran Seminary began in 1885 when one teacher and six students assembled in Manchester, Michigan. Lutherans in Michigan felt a need to train pastors to serve a growing number of immigrant congregations. In 1887 Pastor Christoph Eberhardt of St. Paul congregation in Saginaw donated two near-by acres of land on Court Street. This led the Michigan Lutheran Synod to move MLS to its present location and to dedicate Old Main, the school’s first building, later that year.
When the Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota Synods federated in 1892, the new confederation decided to convert MLS into a preparatory school. Disagreement over this change split the Michigan Synod. MLS continued as a pastor-training seminary until dwindling enrollments forced it to close its doors in 1907.
By 1910 the Michigan Synod had re-established its ties with Wisconsin and Minnesota. The confederation called Pastor Otto J. R. Hoenecke to open MLS as a proprietary school. Five students enrolled on September 13, 1910. In 1913, the school added a dormitory to house fifty students. By the end of the 1920’s four teachers served an enrollment of seventy-five. The MSL C, a forerunner of today’s Booster Club and MLS Guild, appeared. The campus added two professors’ homes in 1920 and 1924 and a dining hall in 1925.
Growth slowed during the 1930s but picked up after World War II.
In recent years, MLS has continued to upgrade its facilities by reconfiguring all dormitory study space, refurbishing most of its dormitory rooms, equipping its library and all classrooms and offices with infrastructure to allow ready access to developing technologies, and installing into its chapel a 22-rank pipe organ.
While such outward changes must continue in order to meet the need of a growing Seminary family, what is most important at MLS – our great heritage of God’s Word and the vital work of preparing young people to proclaim that Word to others – remains unchanged.
Since 1910, the school has been operated continuously as a ministerial education preparatory high school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

References

Braun, John A. ''Together in Christ: A History of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.''
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Northwestern Publishing House, 2000. ISBN 0-8100-1211-1
"http://www.stpaulsbel.org/"

External links

★ Michigan Lutheran Seminary Website

★ Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Website

★ Luther Preparatory School Website