Under the Fig Tree

Join hosts Rev. Tom Schlund and Kati Gaschler in a conversation with Dr. Samuel Eatherton, the new kantor at Concordia Seminary. In addition to directing music for chapel, concerts and leading the various music groups, Eatherton is an associate professor of practical theology, teaching worship courses as the Kreft Professor of Music Arts.   "Music conveys the Gospel," Eatherton shares. &...

In this episode, hosts Rev. Tom Schlund and Katie Gaschler sit down with Dr. Jason Lane, associate professor of Historical Theology. Through various life experiences, Lane shares how he said "Yes" to the opportunities and encouragements given to him on his journey to Seminary, graduate school, the parish and professorship. Whether someone attends a Concordia University, a state school or...

You may have heard about the Seminary's visit event Vocatio: High School. In this episode, hear first-hand how this retreat impacted two current students. If you've thought about attending Vocatio, or you know a high school student who might be interested, this is an episode you don't want to miss! Listen as hosts Rev. Tom Schlund and Kati Gaschler talk with first year students Alex Ut...

A new episode of "Under the Fig Tree" has dropped! Join hosts Rev. Tom Schlund and Katie Gaschler "behind the scenes" as they chat with Michael "Mike" Broberg, administrator of Residential Services at Concordia Seminary. Mike shares how he helps single and married students navigate on-campus housing and talks about the Food Bank and Re-Sell It Shop, two resources available to students to aid them...

In this episode, join hosts Rev. Tom Schlund and Katie Gaschler as they get to know one of Concordia Seminary's newest exegetical professors, Dr. James Fickenscher. From studying mathematics as an undergraduate student, to attending seminary and getting a graduate degree, to serving seven years in a Texas parish, Fickenscher shares how God led him on the path to ministry. "I'd always loved math. I...

In this episode, hosts Rev. Tom Schlund and Katie Gaschler are joined by one of Concordia Seminary's newest professors, Dr. Ryan Tinetti. While studying journalism during his undergraduate years at Michigan State University, Tinetti felt a call toward ministry. After graduation, he followed God's call with a few different stops along the way. He says, "Ministry is a trailhead, not a terminus. When...

In this episode, Rev. Tom Schlund and Kati Gaschler sit down with President Dr. Thomas J. Egger who gives some updates about things around Concordia Seminary. They discuss with Egger the excitement and joy of starting a new school year, looking back on Orientation and looking forward to the year ahead. They reflect on the impact of having these new students on campus, each with their own story and...

After a summer off, Under the Fig Tree is back! In this episode, Rev. Tom Schlund joins Kati Gaschler as a new host of the podcast. They sit down with President Thomas J. Egger and take a deep dive into the 2024-25 academic year theme "Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus," based on Heb. 12:2. Egger shares some behind-the-scenes about the selection process the theme and why this year's choice rose to the...

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Kati Gaschler sit down with Concordia Seminary alum (’96, ’05) Rev. W. Max Mons, who is pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel and University Center in Iowa City, Iowa, and also chairman of the Seminary’s Board of Regents. During the episode, Max shares what led him to go into ministry as a pastor, including his time as a student in...

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Kati Gaschler welcome back Dr. Benjamin Haupt, the former podcast host and founder who has been on sabbatical during the spring semester. The two men share big announcements that they both are moving on to other calls: Ben as global executive director of PLI and Micah as head of school at Sierra Lutheran High School in Carson City...

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Kati Gaschler sit down with Concordia Seminary alum Rev. Mark Renner (M.Div. ’20), one of the pastors at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Janesville, Wis. During the episode, Mark shares what led him to go into ministry as a pastor and discusses his recently published book,  Curious Cases: A Series of Short Pastoral Case Studies  (2024...

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Kati Gaschler sit down with Concordia Seminary alum Rev. Will Hanke (M.Div. ’07), who shares some highlights from his time serving as a student recruitment ambassador for the Seminary. As he thinks of creative ways to connect prospective students to the Seminary and help them discern God’s direction for their lives, Hanke said, “W...

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler sit down with Concordia Seminary alum Rev. Chaplain Kyle Mietzner (M.Div. ’10), who shares his path to chaplaincy. He shares how he discovered that chaplaincy is a beautiful ministry standing where chaplains serve alongside soldiers and provide religious support. “God has gifted me with something that I c...

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler sit down with Deaconess Studies student Abby Reynolds, who shares her unique path to the Seminary. She offers details about how God nudged her from being a pre-medical student to a deaconess student. “I had to really switch my mindset from caring for people in the medical field to people in ministry,” Abb...

In this episode of “Under the Fig Tree,” host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) sit down with Master of Divinity (M.Div.) student Erik Johnson and his wife, Erin. The couple shares the unique pathway to Seminary after Erik served as a Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) in New York City. They offer a few details about how they decided to move to...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) chat with Jessica Bordeleau, a rostered church worker who serves as the Seminary’s director of digital publishing. A Wisconsin native, she developed a love for theology at an early age and spent many years working in Lutheran summer camps. She studied to be a teac...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) talk via Zoom with Dr. Maurice Boyer, music director for the American Kantorei and associate professor of music at Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill. He shares about his journey from a child of music teachers who taught on a seminary campus in the so...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) talk with first-year Residential Alternate Route student Craig Wenzlick and his wife, Angela. He grew up in a small town in western Nebraska and earned an undergraduate degree from the Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward. He worked as an engineer for many years...

Join hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) as they talk with Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Kolb, an esteemed Lutheran Confessions and Martin Luther scholar, in the first of a two-part conversation. Listen in as Kolb shares about constructive theological dialogue, his time teaching history and religion at Concordia University, Saint Paul,...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) chat with first-year Master of Divinity student Justin Hampton, who grew up as a missionary kid on a medical missionary ship off the coast of West Africa. He shares some of his experiences on the ship and how he later became a Lutheran after he and his wife, who i...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) sit down with first-year Master of Divinity student Dan Hampton, an Indiana native, and his wife, Christie, who also serves as a communications specialist at the Seminary. The couple share how they ended up at the Seminary after Dan served as a Director of Christi...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) visit with Kati’s husband, Rev. Paul Gaschler, associate pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in St. Louis. A 2019 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., Paul grew up in a small town in Nebraska and originally planned on becoming a music tea...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn and fill-in host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) share some New Year’s goals and insight into their positions at the Seminary to recruit and welcome prospective students. They also talk about plans to further connect the Seminary with Lutheran summer camps. “We’re going to hopefully send some of our current stud...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, host Rev. Micah Glenn is joined by temporary host Kati Gaschler (while Dr. Benjamin Haupt is on sabbatical) in a thought-provoking discussion with Jacob Manning, a second-year Master of Divinity student who is preparing for next year’s vicarage. Jacob grew up in California. His father was a pastor and his mother, a director of Christian education (DCE). He kn...

In this episode of Under the Fig Tree, hosts Rev. Micah Glenn and Dr. Ben Haupt chat with Lydia Grabau, a first-year residential Deaconess Studies student. Grabau, whose father is a pastor, is a second-career student. She studied theater and English as an undergraduate student and worked in Lutheran camps before feeling the tug to church work. It’s something she resisted for a “long time.” “I grew...