It is a joy to address you, our faithful partners in ministry, in the first Impact Report published during my tenure as Dean of Nashotah House.
As you know, the past year has been one of transition for the House, particularly the conclusion of Dr. Anderson’s faithful service as Dean and the beginning of my leadership here in August. During the discernment process for this position, I was encouraged to learn that the House was enjoying a period of renewed vigor, thanks to steady gains in enrollment and the generosity of a growing donor base. These trends are remarkable in light of the headwinds facing higher education.
As postsecondary institutions—especially seminaries—opt for a remote, dispersed mode of education, Nashotah House continues to provide a time-tested, incarnational model of formation that is anchored in relationship with God and neighbor.
In a divided world and amid the fragmentation within Christ’s own Church, we commit ourselves here to daily prayer, worship, study, and fellowship. For 183 years, Nashotah House’s distinctive mission has been to provide this grounding in spiritual practices not merely for our own spiritual enrichment, but for the formation of leaders that results in faithful, sacrificial, and fruitful ministry in the Church and the world.
I know many of you understand the importance of this work, and you are eager to see the next generation of priests and lay leaders formed at Nashotah House. I am thrilled to report about God’s work among us this past year, and I hope you will be encouraged by reading the report that follows.
I am deeply grateful to be at the House—particularly in this season of resurgence—recognizing that “one plants” and “another waters,” as St. Paul writes, but it is “only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:7). I am also deeply grateful to you for your prayers and financial investment. Your partnership sustains this work to which we have all been called, and we simply could not do it without you, “for we are God’s coworkers, working together.” ( 1 Cor. 3:9).
Peace,
Dean Lauren L. Whitnah
Each year, our new students meet winter in southeast Wisconsin. While considering how fortunate they are that the heat is reliable at the House, their thoughts often turn to what it must have been like for Nashotah House’s founders in the seminary’s earliest years. More than a few students over the years have added to their prayers, “Thank you for not calling me to Nashotah House in 1842!”
Nashotah is not as it was in 1842. We are always changing. Dr. Anderson’s outstanding years of seminary leadership have concluded, and he has returned to faculty status in a distinguished professorship. Dr. Whitnah has come to leadership in a time of fresh challenges, but her energy is undaunted. Her full-speed-ahead approach in meeting many of our supporters—parishes, alumni, and donors—is exemplary. She has effectively built and rebuilt relationships across the church, and her leadership is a blessing. The pages of this report are full of good news.
I am thankful that you support the faith-work begun here in 1842. Times have certainly changed, but the mission of The Mission has not. As we continue working, praying, and giving for the mission of the House, I want to encourage you to do as Terry and I have done: include Nashotah House in your estate planning, and consider gifts of appreciated stock. Our Senior Director of Advancement, Robin Little, would be glad to assist you.
I hope to see you this spring at Commencement—most years the snow has melted by then!
Grateful for your support and with my prayers for God’s blessings,
The Rev. Canon R. Brien Koehler, DD, OStJ
Chair, Nashotah House Board of Directors
In 2024, we made a concerted effort to strengthen our partnerships with undergraduate institutions and bolster our recruitment initiatives. Recognizing that many students begin theological education immediately following undergraduate studies, we worked to grow awareness of our programs among colleges and universities that have faculty and students in the Anglican tradition. This work was supported by a $25,000 grant from the Association of Theological Schools.
In addition, we recently added an admissions recruiter to our Academic Affairs team, with a focus on engaging prospective students about our degree programs, building new and deeper relationships with sending dioceses, and hosting our twice-annual Experience Nashotah sessions.
If you know a prospective student who is interested in learning more about our programs, please direct them to our admissions team at admissions@nashotah.edu.
Prayer has taken up a central place in the life of fast-growing St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church. “The vocation of prayer is the most generative part of the work that we do at St. Francis in the Fields,” says the Rev. Clint Wilson, a 2014 graduate of Nashotah House.
What an exciting time to be a part of the life and legacy of Nashotah House. In less than six months, we have seen a vibrant and positive transition in leadership, with Dean Whitnah leading a path forward with new vision and opportunities for students and alumni. Being asked to be the president of the alumni association, Floreat Nashotah, allows me the privilege to not only share my excitement for the future of The House but also play a role in encouraging you and others to be a part of this great legacy as well.
Many of us spent years at Nashotah House in preparation to serve the Lord, and to do so in various forms of ministry inside and outside the church walls. Our drive and motivation to share the Good News and to encourage folks to live out this message of faith, hope, and love was deepened and strengthened by our time of study, training, and community at The House. Personally, I am forever changed and thankful for the formation I received during my time on these hallowed grounds.
For those who know my story, you know that my time here wasn’t without its challenges and frustrations, along with times of great joy, wholeness, and success. At times I could see and feel the Spirit alive and thriving around, in, and through me. At other times, I was in a lonely place, begging for God’s voice and presence, just a still small voice assuring me that I had not been abandoned and was in the right place. All of this to say that having now served the church and God’s people for over 14 years, every experience from my time at the House has proven helpful and useful to me in the day-to-day of parish ministry. I wouldn’t change a single thing—plus, it makes for great stories and memories.
As this place, set apart to the glory of God, continues the mission established by her founders, I ask that you seriously consider supporting Nashotah House through prayer, joining Floreat Nashotah, financial giving, legacy gifts, participating in classes and lectures on campus, and by spreading the word in your dioceses of what a special and formative place this truly is. May God bless you, your families, and your ministries. May God bless this House set apart to his glory. May God bless the leadership, professors, staff, and all who make Nashotah House the place of formation it is, and who provide for her future.
In Jesus’ name,
The Rev. Roy Allison, ‘12
President, Floreat Nashotah
We are only able to provide the resources of our historic campus and classical programs for the formation of ministers for the church with the support of our donors. More than one-third of our annual operations are funded by gifts from alumni, individuals, parishes, dioceses, and more. Additionally, the funding received from our endowment is only possible because of past and present benefactors and their planned gifts and directed support. In short, we cannot do it without you.
“Nashotah House has prepared me to lead a ministry of communal participation in the life of the Church through Word and Sacrament. Thank you to the donors for supporting this vision that continues to edify God’s people.”
For 18 hours and 42 minutes on April 8, 2024, we asked our supporters to give generously in support of student scholarships. Having set a goal of $75,000 this year, we exceeded our goal by 16%.
Thank you to Tim and Caroline Ryan and Hal Johnson for generously underwriting our giving challenge, enabling us to dedicate 100% of Founders’ Day donations to the Bishop Parsons Scholarship Fund.
Mark your calendar for Monday, April 7, 2025, for our next Founders’ Day Giving Challenge.
Your gift will help us continue the mission our founders' established 183 years ago. Thank you for your partnership!
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