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OTHER COMMITTEES AND GROUPS LUTHERAN ARCHIVES CENTER AT PHILADELPHIA In 2019, we celebrate the 400th anniversary of Lutherans in North America. As two ships sailed from the Da- no-Norwegian Realm 400 years ago on what became an ill-fated voyage of discovery, the chaplain (Rasmus Jensen), officers, and crew became the first Lutherans to reach North America. While we mark this anniver- sary we also know that it was left to subsequent generations of Lutherans to establish Lutheran communities and congregations, first in the northeastern portion of what would become the United States of America, and then across the whole of the North American continent. At the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia we cherish this rich history, as we assist researchers and scholars from across the region, and from around the world, to discover the treasures entrusted to the north- eastern regional archives of the ELCA. While 2019 is a significant anniversary year for Lutherans on this continent, this year brings some significant transitions for us at the Archives. First of all we say farewell to our Curator of more than forty years, John Peterson, as he enters upon his well-deserved retirement. John has been with the archives from the beginning and he has seen the archives through the move from the low- er level of the Krauth Memorial Library on the Philadelphia campus of ULS to our state-of-the-art facility in the basement of the Brossman Center. We will mark John’s retirement with a dinner at the William Penn Inn in Gwynedd, PA, on June 9. On May 8 we are also hosting a welcome event at the Archives for our new Executive Director, Lisa Minardi, who started working for us late last summer. Lisa has helped us tremendously as we carry the work of the archives into the future, and we are very grateful for her leadership. Finally, for the past twenty years our quarterly publication, the Archives Advocate, has set the standard for such publications throughout the Lutheran church in the United States. The stories contained in the Advo- cate have represented the breadth of Lutheranism throughout the northeast, and the sharp design of the newsletter has inspired those who have read it to delve deeper into our common history. For twenty years Kim-Eric Williams (Curator of the Augustana Institute and staff archivist at LACAP) has ensured that the Ad- vocate has met a high editorial and artistic standard. Kim-Eric will be retiring from his role as editor this year, and our Executive Director will be assuming the role of editor. Through these changes and transitions, the Archives will continue to be in good hands, and we will continue to serve the congregations, Synods, and institutions of region seven of the ELCA. As we have done throughout our history, we continue to rely on Synodical support and funding from closed congregations ($5000 from each closed parish whose records we receive), as well as from the other agen- cies and organizations whose archives we hold. We are furthermore very grateful for contributions from a variety of supporters. Please continue to support the work of your regional Archives Center with your pray- ers and contributions! Please pick up copies of the Archives Advocate at your Assembly for yourself and for your congregation, and make sure to greet your Synod Archivist! And remember -- visitors are always wel- come at the Archives Center! The Rev. J. Francis Watson, Ph.D., President of the Board 37 AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA LUTHERAN CAMP CORPORATION (BEAR CREEK CAMP) Greetings from Bear Creek Camp the Lutheran Outdoor Ministry for the Southeastern and Northeastern Pennsylvania Synods of the ELCA. The summer of 2018 was a great one at Bear Creek Camp! − Our summer camp attendance has increased SIX years in a row. 2018 saw an increase of 4% over the previous summer and we are up 80% since 2013. − 45 Summer staff members did an excellent job of showing and sharing the Gospel through ac- tivities, Bible studies, games, team building moments and having fun! − Campers, parents and chaplains were very encouraging of the current program that is in place at BCC. ø Among the comments we received: • Love the new cabins. My camper really loved them too. With the thunder storms rolling through, I felt safer knowing they had wood verses fabric between them and the ele- ments. Camper Parent • My daughter spent 2 weeks in Germany and 1 week at the beach prior to coming to camp. Bear Creek camp was by far her favorite week of the summer (and perhaps the entire year!). Keep up the great work you do!!! Camper Parent • Thank you for making this the best 8 years of my life! This camp has made my life better. It's honestly saved my life! And made me become who I am, which is 100x more confi- dent than ever! Thank you so much! Camper • I love it because you can grow in your faith and have fun! Camper − Our Church Day Camp program continues to grow as we will serve 10 churches this summer with our “on the road” day camp program. Thank you Northeastern and Southeastern Pennsylvania Synods and congregations for your ongoing sup- port of the ministry at Bear Creek Camp. We are grateful to work in partnership with each of you and to be an extension of your ministries at our location near Wilkes-Barre. The enthusiasm for the ministry of Bear Creek Camp is spreading we are very excited about the months and years to come. The financial and prayerful support of the camp by each synod is vital to our success. Your investment in Bear Creek Camp is just that – an investment. We are building up young people and leaders to be active members of our synod’s congregations to strengthen the church. Thank you for joining us in this mission. Please continue to pray for Bear Creek Camp this summer as we have a great time exploring, celebrating and growing in God’s creation. Jayme Swaditch, Office Manager MUHLENBERG COLLEGE Muhlenberg College develops students’ full intellectual and personal potential, positioning them well for life- long fulfillment and success. Firmly grounded in the liberal arts and featuring several strong pre-professional programs, a Muhlenberg education inspires our students to think critically about problems from a diversity of perspectives. As a College of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Muhlenberg helps students ex amine their context and their missions to be public witnesses and leaders in a pluralistic world. Over the last year, several exciting developments have happened in the life of the college. Selected high- lights are below: • In 2018, Muhlenberg College joined the American Talent Initiative (ATI), partnering with 100 top- performing institutions to commit to the collective goal of enrolling 50,000 additional talented, low- and moderate-income students at colleges and universities with strong graduation rates by 2025. As part of ATI, Muhlenberg will develop strategies to attract, enroll and support more high-achieving, lower- and moderate-income students from before they arrive on campus to graduation and beyond. 39 • The Princeton Review featured Muhlenberg College in the new 2019 edition of its flagship college guide, "The Best 384 Colleges." The College garnered a #9 ranking for "Best College Theater," plac- ing the program among the top 12 in the nation 10 of the last 11 years. In addition, Muhlenberg was included in the following lists: Best Northeastern Colleges, Green Colleges and the Colleges that Pay You Back, which was “based on a combination of institutional and student survey data, including aca- demic rigor, affordability and career outcomes for graduates.” • The Muhlenberg College English department hosted the annual Living Writers course, which brings both up-and-coming and renowned authors to campus. Students read their recent works and then interact with the authors directly as they visit campus for a day. This year’s authors included novelist Zadie Smith. • Several Athletic teams and individual athletes had tremendous seasons. The Muhlenberg football team achieved a school record with an 11-2 season. The team clinched a share of the Centennial Conference championship and played, for the first time, in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals. • The Stabler Foundation granted the College $720,000 toward the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Endowed Scholarship Fund. The Fund assists students who might otherwise be unable to attend Muhlenberg due to financial constraints as well as students whose families experience an unforeseen financial crisis partway through their time at Muhlenberg. • Beginning in fall 2019, Muhlenberg College will offer a new sustainability studies major, an interdisci- plinary program with the goal of instilling understanding, appreciation and thoughtful problem-solving skills with regard to the relationships and interactions of humans and the environment. • Muhlenberg announced a new 3+3 partnership with the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law that will provide qualified students with early access to one of the nation’s top law schools. They will spend the first three years at Muhlenberg earning a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science de- gree and then enroll at Villanova Law to earn a Juris Doctor (JD) for the final three years, saving a year’s worth of time and tuition. • The Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding (IJCU) offered many opportunities for community dialogue and conversation including the First Friday program where the theme for this year was Seek- ing Truth, Building Trust — Making the World Make Sense. • The college welcomed several new staff members including College Chaplain, the Rev. Kristen Glass- Perez, Vice President of Communications Brian Speer, Athletic Director Lynn Tubman and Associate Provost for Faculty and Diversity initiatives, Dr.