Online learning is kind of a big deal now in most of the country as many schools and universities are still closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

But there is one college in Brookings that has been strictly online since 2008 and now they have received a large monetary gift.

The Institute of Lutheran Theology has received a $1,550,000 endowment gift to establish the Kathrine Grosen Memorial Scholarship Fund. This fund will address the growing need for Lutheran pastors in North America, according to a press release.

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The endowment comes from the estate of Knud Grosen of Great Falls Montana.

“Knud and his wife Kathrine were long-time friends of ILT,” said Dennis Bielfeldt, Ph.D., President of ILT. Remembering Knud, Dr. Bielfeldt said, “In 2006 when the WordAlone Convention approved starting ILT, Knud Grosen caught me at the door after my convention speech and handed me a check for $1,000 to "get it started.’”

The Grosens were long-time members of a Lutheran Chruch in Big Sandy, MT. They were concerned for the church that would be inherited by their descendants and were especially troubled by the dramatic decline in available pastors in the future.

According to Dr. Bielfeldt, “This gift in honor of Kathrine of $1,550,000 makes scholarships immediately available to Master of Divinity (M.Div.) students.”

The Kathrine Grosen Memorial Scholarship Fund provides academically qualified M.Div. students renewable two scholarships after completing one-third of their M.Div. program.

Dr. Bielfeldt said, “We thank Knud and his family for their generosity and their foresight in insuring that well-educated, faithful Lutheran pastors will fill pulpits in North America in the 21st century and beyond.”

Founded in 2008, ILT is a fully accredited online college, seminary, and graduate school online Christian Education, delivering programming that emulates the residential classroom experience.

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