CLU convocation highlights service
Alumnus speaker chairs Lutheran World Relief board
The Rev. Richard A. Nelson, a 1975 alumnus of CLU and chair of the board of directors of Lutheran World Relief (LWR) will speak on "Fulfilling Our Promise: Service to the World."
(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Oct. 1, 2010) California Lutheran University will highlight its mission of educating leaders for a global society who are committed to service and justice during Founders Day Convocation at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 22, in Samuelson Chapel.
The Rev. Richard A. Nelson, a 1975 alumnus of CLU and chair of the board of directors of Lutheran World Relief (LWR) will speak on "Fulfilling Our Promise: Service to the World."
The senior pastor of Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Nelson joined the LWR board in 2008. The international nonprofit organization works to end poverty and injustice by empowering impoverished communities to help themselves. The 65-year-old organization is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, parish groups and individuals.
Nelson has served in leadership positions in the church as well as with the YMCA, Kalispell Regional Hospital and an organization committed to ending homelessness in Minnesota. He has worked in parish ministry for 30 years, serving five parishes in five synods of the ELCA. Nelson, who earned a bachelor's degree in drama and a teaching credential from CLU, is a frequent guest speaker and workshop leader at youth gatherings, evangelism conferences and women's events throughout the country. He earned a master's in divinity from Luther Seminary and is slated to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree in leadership from the seminary in spring. He has served as adjunct faculty for Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.
During the service, Marv Soiland of Santa Rosa will be honored as the recipient as the Christus Award for his contributions to higher education in the ELCA. In addition, members of the university's Board of Regents and Convocation will be commissioned.
The annual Founders Day Convocation is an opportunity to give thanks for CLU's heritage and pray for its continued success. The 2010 Founders Day observance takes on special meaning as the university is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The event is free and open to the public. The chapel is located near the corner of Olsen Road and Campus Drive in Thousand Oaks. Additional parking is available in the lots at the corner of Olsen and Mountclef Boulevard. For more information, call the Church Relations Office at (805) 493-3936.