Homecoming gave alumni time to connect at gatherings at Turner Hall and Kegel. They also connected with and encouraged current students. At the football game and volleyball match, we celebrated a win for both alumni and students: $14,000 in donations to the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund over the past year.

The MLC Alumni Association (MLCAA) board also used the weekend for its 2026 annual meeting, and we came away with some important wins. We identified our core values. We discussed the potential our many alumni have to support each other and MLC, and how we can help unleash that potential. We started the process of growing the board, sending out applications to add three new members.

We also set a vision for 2031. Our goals include awarding $8,000 in annual scholarships and building a network of 100 alumni who actively encourage fellow alumni and MLC students. Join us in this lofty goal by giving to the MLCAA Endowed Scholarship!

Without your support, none of these wins would be possible. So thank you. And most importantly, thanks be to God, who gives us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Abe Degner, MLCAA Co-chair and 2005 MLC Alum

Help Shape Future Homecomings!



Whether you joined us for Homecoming 2026 or couldn’t attend, we want to hear from you! Your feedback will help us evaluate this year’s events and plan future Homecomings that bring MLC alumni together and strengthen our connections. Take the survey and help shape what’s next!

That’s a wrap on The Late Knight Show! Homecoming brought plenty of reasons to cheer, with four home games featuring men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, and football. Knights fans filled the stands to show their spirit, and alumni enjoyed two opportunities to reconnect.

On Sunday, alumni and friends gathered in the chapel, continuing the cherished tradition of worshiping together. From cheering on our teams to reconnecting with friends and celebrating our shared MLC family, it was a weekend worth remembering!

Want to relive the fun? Homecoming photos are available online! And be sure to watch the Homecoming highlight video!

Welcome Home: A Musical Theatre Concert

Welcome Home: A Musical Theatre Concert reunites former Martin Luther College students Ryan Kluba MLC 2023, Leah (Boeder) Wendland MLC 2016, and Noah Ungemach MLC 2024 with their teacher, Kathy Wurster, for an unforgettable evening of Broadway music. Reconnect with familiar faces, celebrate alumni success, and enjoy an entertaining night of exceptional music-making. Through favorite show tunes and heartfelt storytelling, this concert celebrates mentorship, homecoming, and the lasting connections forged through music.

Tickets sold at the door beginning 30 minutes before the show.

$13 for adults / $10 for seniors 65+ and minors / $6 for college students

• When: 7:30 pm on January 30
• Where: MLC Auditorium

In June, the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) voted to discontinue licensure eligibility for newly enrolled students in all MLC teacher education programs. PELSB’s decision does not impact our pre-seminary or staff ministry majors.

This decision does not call into question the quality of MLC’s education majors. Rather, it reflects our failure to demonstrate with clear, consistent evidence that our programs are meeting PELSB standards. One analogy is that of a math test: MLC is providing the correct answer, but we have not been “showing our work.”

Please note that our biblical teachings were not a factor in PELSB’s decision. Other Christian colleges have maintained licensure eligibility without compromising their theology.

We are already taking proactive steps, with the goal of restoring licensure for all candidates before our first-years graduate in spring 2030. We’ve appointed a new interim director and are strengthening our assessment, documentation, and continuous improvement practices in consultation with PELSB officials and other licensure experts. And this fall, we plan to call or hire a full-time administrator to lead assessment and licensure.

Finally, we recognize that, while licensure is an important aspect of teacher preparation, it is not the heart of MLC’s mission. Our mission is to prepare strong, gospel-filled candidates who are qualified to meet WELS ministry needs. Our students will continue to graduate with full ministry certification, be eligible for calls into WELS schools, and enter their teaching ministries well prepared in the subjects they teach, skilled in classroom management and instruction, and — above all — eager to share the gospel.

For more information, go to mlc-wels.edu/pelsb-update