Established on 01.07.2019 by Mike '79 & Mary '79 Lee, Ron '81 & Karen Lee, and Sue Riley †
Rev. Carl H. Lee, Campus Pastor at Concordia from 1961 to 1995, and his wife Ann formed a deep friendship with Daniel and Sandra Sue Riley. Both of these couples experienced their sense of spiritual presence in a variety of ways including through poetry, art, music, nature, literature, and profoundly through their friendship with each other.
As a result of overwhelming student appeal for a campus pastor, Rev. Lee became the first at Concordia in 1961 to hold such a position. Students had been pushing for a campus pastor feeling that they needed someone outside of the administration and faculty to serve their needs. Lee had an extraordinary gift for being highly perceptive and for understanding student issues. In creating this lectureship, the Donors seek to honor the enduring legacy of Pastor Carl’s student-focused campus ministry.
The purpose of the Lee-Riley Lectureship in Faith and Learning Endowed Fund is to inform and enrich the student and faculty experience by providing a lecture series that will foster their individual development, encourage acceptance and community involvement, and provide insights on how to weave faith throughout their life’s journey. Visiting speakers ideally will bring forth new, unique, and relevant topics that address popular student issues and concerns and/or world and environmental events that challenge our students' thinking and provide context for their faith journey, while helping them appreciate the diversity of other faiths and beliefs.
The endowment provides funding for honoraria and expenses related to the speaker(s) and/or general expenses related to the lectureship.
November 9, 2021
Valarie Kaur
Renowned Civil Rights Leader
"See No Stranger: Revolutionary Love as the Call of our Times"
February 5, 2020
John Noltner
Photographer and Peace Activist
"A Peace of My Mind, Exploring the Meaning of Peace One Story At a Time"
March 26, 2019
Barbara Brown Taylor
New York Times Best-Selling Author
"Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others"