December 8, 2025

APRIL 13, 2026

Every year, friends of Martin Luther College come together to celebrate and support the Knights — the next generation of pastors, teachers, and staff ministers!

Will you help us raise $150,000 on MLC Day?

Your gift will be directed to the Congregational Partner Grant Program (CPGP),

a giving initiative that contributes directly to student tuition and reduces student debt.

In 2025-2026, MLC students received $1.9 million in CPGP dollars!

Great news: Again this year, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by generous donors!

We’re so thankful for your support, which is helping ensure the blessings of ministerial training this year and for generations to come.

YouKnighted in MLC’s Mission!

First-year students come to MLC ready to be Knighted for Ministry, but some have questions about what that ministry is really like.

Early Ministry Experience is designed to give future pastors a window into their future – with an experienced pastor as their guide – their very first year here!

First-years Donovin Wittenberg (Shepherd of the Hills-Duluth MN, pictured left) and Keeton Buch (Beautiful Savior-Benton Harbor MI, pictured center) spent several days with Rev. Craig Wilke MLC ’15 WLS ’19 (pictured right) at Sure Foundation-Brandon SD.

They observed his classes and meetings and visits, learning what a typical day of ministry might look like. They also relaxed together — like at this basketball game — so they could have more casual conversations about ministry.

What struck these MLC students was how much ministry is about connecting with people. When they accompanied Pastor Wilke on a visit to a woman in hospice care, they saw the depth of his connection with his members.

“That visit truly displayed the power of the Word of God: giving hope and comfort to people who have death at the forefront of their minds,” said Donovin.

“Reflecting on it, I see that this is ministry, and I’d love to be a part of it.”

Read more about EME.

Senior Katie Gilkey (The Springs-Sparks NV) spent last semester far from our campus — at the University of Limerick in Ireland. (That’s Ollscoil Luimnigh in Gaelic, she says!)

Even abroad, she is preparing to be Knighted for Ministry!

An early childhood education major, Katie studied Communications, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and several Irish-specific courses in traditional music, dance, and performance. 

Katie is especially grateful for the spiritual growth she experienced while in Ireland. “Studying abroad allows you to grow in your faith life in a whole new way. You typically don’t have access to church services and people who believe what you believe. This requires you to focus on personal devotional time with God and to be intentional about finding ways to grow spiritually — as well as jump out of your comfort zone to share Jesus with others.”

Read the full article in KnightWatch Weekly, our newsletter for high school students.

Want to know what our students are up to outside of their courses? Check out a few highlights below, and see even more in our photo gallery.

MLC Women’s Ministry hosted an evening of fellowship and meditation on Christ's suffering and death for our sins.

The MLC College Choir returned from their spring tour to present their Homecoming Concert in the Chapel of the Christ.

Our students — and sometimes faculty and staff — love to get involved in MLC’s many intramural sports — like bowling!

Wings, March Madness, contests, prizes — what’s not to love about Buffalo Wild Wings Night in the dining hall?

Our campus family and members of the community gathered during Holy Week for MLC’s annual Lent Vespers service.

Trenton Heyn (Immanuel-Greenville WI) and Silas Vogel (St. Mark-Lincoln NE) spent their spring break volunteering on a Daylight trip at Grace-Casa Grande AZ.

Our Knights softball team started their new season with new warmup jerseys — thanks to the MLC Auxiliary!

Watch the players’ reaction to receiving their new gear.

Read more about how the MLC Auxiliary supports our students on our website.

The MLC College Choir singing the national anthem at a Diamondbacks v. Brewers game was one of our top social media posts this month!

Watch the video on our Facebook page, and then follow us so that you never miss a post!

See even more tour highlights in our photo gallery.

Save the date for our 2026 Commencement events:

• May 15 - Honors Recital, 4:00 pm, Chapel of the Christ
• May 15 - Alumni & Friends Commencement Dinner, 4:30-7:30 pm, Turner Hall
• May 15 - Commencement Concert, 7:30 pm, MLC Auditorium
• May 16 - Graduation Service, 10:00 am, MLC Gymnasium
• May 16 - Call Service, 2:30 pm, MLC Gymnasium

Calls Extended:

• Admissions Counselor MacKenzie Holzbauer accepted a call to MLC to continue serving as an admissions counselor.

Calls Received:

• Professor Dan Fenske (science) received a call to Divine Savior Academy-Liberty Hill TX to teach science and STEM.
• Professor Greg Holzhueter (basketball coach, Academic Success Center director) received a two-year call to serve Saint Mark-Mankato MN as a half-time manager of ministry.
• Dr. Jeff Wiechman (vice president of academics) returned a call to California Lutheran Academy to serve as president.

May 15 | 4:30–7:30 pm (dinner at 5:15)

Turner Hall-New Ulm

$20 per person*

• Reconnect with classmates during a social hour
• Enjoy a dinner of house-made salad, roast beef, honey-glazed carrots, and herb-roasted baby red potatoes
• Listen to an address from President Rich Gurgel
• Hear stories from the authors of the upcoming MLC 25-year history book
• Attend the Commencement Concert at 7:30 pm in the MLC Auditorium

Information and Registration

*The MLC Alumni Relations Office is subsidizing a portion of the dinner cost,

which allows us to keep the registration fee at a low $20 per person.