“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, for you all making my prayer with joy, thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
(Philippians 1:3-5)
Dearest Alumni and Friends of Trinity,
I’m writing today to let you know that after several months of prayer, reflection, interviews and conversation with family I’ve accepted the position of Executive Pastor at Cathedral of the Rockies United Methodist Church in Boise, Idaho. Even with all of the ups and downs of the transition of Trinity becoming part of Capital, I’ve enjoyed my role and all that it allowed me to experience and do. Some days it is hard to believe that almost four years have flown by. I’m so thankful for all of the congregations who opened their pulpits, the clergy conferences who invited me, the conferences and assemblies, the presentations and the preaching. It is incredible to think that during this time I’ve visited over 375 different congregations, campus ministries, synods and more, thank you.
Thank you to all of the alumni and donors, many who were grieving in many ways, for sharing that pain with me as we sought to bring healing to so many relationships, rebuilding old ones and forging newones. Thank you to the faculty and staff at Trinity who work so hard every day “forming leaders for Christ’s church at work in the world;, my ability to point to your dedication to students and the impact on the larger church allowed me to accomplish much. Thank you to the Advancement staff at Capital who worked tirelessly at times to transition data, to update information, to help provide me with information to be successful and for the major gift officers who were willing to learn about the seminary’s mission and work with alumni and donors. A special ‘thank you’ to April Novotny for trusting me and allowing me to ‘run with the ball’ which helped us go further than we’d expected.
Thank you to donors, congregations and alumni who kept giving, those who began giving again and those who started giving for the first time ever. We still have a long way to go. Our goal is to continue growing the Trinity Fund by another $350,000 a year to help sustain and grow Trinity. Thank you to those who’ve finished pledges, begun new ones, funded specific needs, started memorial scholarships and full tuition scholarships, created endowments and for those who’ve put estate gifts in place that will bless the seminary and its students for years to come. Thank you!
To my incredible wife, Rhonda, from the initial conversation back in February through multiple phone calls and zoom interviews and then a jam packed four day visit to Boise at the end of April, each step along the way you felt that God was calling us to this new adventure. To our adult children, Mariah and Alex, this opportunity meant our moving 2,000 miles away and yet you encouraged us to step out in faith. Thank you so much for believing in this call.
Thank you to Capital for believing that I could help during this transitional period. It has been a very difficult but rewarding time in my life and ministry. As I look towards ending my time know that my hope is that someone who is passionate about the gospel and seminary education will see this as an opportunity to make a significant impact in the life of the church. If you or someone you know has these gifts, skills and passion please encourage them to apply. My prayer is that Trinity and Capital will continue to find ways to work together to create an amazing environment for students passionate about serving in the world, embracing this unique opportunity and taking the risks necessary to become all that God is calling this institution to be.
Thank you, for your love and support and God continue to bless the ministry and mission of TrinityLutheran Seminary at Capital University.
Peace,
Todd Mills
Director of Congregational Engagement and Advancement
Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University
Trinity Lutheran Seminary forms leaders for Christ’s church at work in the world.