The Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Bethany Lutheran College are intimately united. The college gives a visibility and identity to the synod. In turn, the synod gives moorings to the college and elects both the Board of Regents and Board of Trustees for the college. Since 1928, most conventions of the synod have been conducted on the college campus.

The Bethany Lutheran College Choir was established in 1929, two years after the synod took over the operation of the school. In early years, concerts concluded with “The Benediction” by P. Lutkin. Since the 1940s, concerts have concluded with a time-honored tradition of singing the hymn “On My Heart Imprint Thine Image” written by T.…

Bethany Lutheran College became a co-educational junior college in 1927 when it was purchased by the ELS. At that time a high school department also was established which shared both the faculty and the dormitories. The high school was discontinued in 1969. Today, Bethany Lutheran College offers twenty-four majors, twenty-four minors, and eight pre-professional programs…

A notable remark was made at the time the ELS purchased Bethany Lutheran College: “Once we have discovered that the school is a necessity, we will discover we can afford it. We can do a lot of things that we think are absolutely necessary once they have become a matter of life or death to…