University Lutheran was dedicated on October 28th, 1979. That means that this coming Monday, we’re turning 40. 
Of course, that’s only this building. Before this building was built, it’s predecessor, “Luther House” stood in its place. Luther House was purchased in 1964 by the Florida-Georgia District and was pastored by Rev. David Kruse for 4 years until the arrival of Rev. Emory Hingst. In 1975, Pastor Hingst took over the chaplaincy of FSU (yes, there used to be a FSU staff position of “chaplain”), and so Rev. Erich Heintzen took the helm. In four years after assuming the pastorate of Luther House, Rev. Heintzen oversaw the building of our current building, which was called “University Lutheran Center,” at the time.
The forty year history of University Lutheran includes three more pastors: Rev. James Bachman, Rev. Tom Dohrman, and myself. It includes inserting “Church and Student” in between “University Lutheran” and “Center” when the congregation became officially an autonomous church. It includes staff people like Mary Hafner, Cheryl Dance, Jan LeBar, and Mary Rowley. It includes oodles of FSU students and a few TCC and FAMU students. It includes births and deaths, baptisms and funerals. It includes Wednesday nights and tailgates for winning and not-so-winning Seminole teams.
We’re one of the elder brothers in our neighborhood, predating at least Ragans and Wildwood Halls, the Black Student Union house, the Islamic Center, and most recently the NINE. We’re one of the elder brothers in terms of campus ministry at FSU, predating many ministries especially when you include the newly found evidence of a Lutheran group operating here at FSU in 1949.
We’ve snapped back from a time that a District official talks about when University Lutheran Center was on a District calendar to be shut down, and just reached the milestone of a 100 people in active membership. We’ve done ministry in lots of different ways and with lots of different people. But one thing connects us through the ages. It’s not a building, it’s a person, and that person is Jesus Christ. In our celebrations may we remember what it is that we are truly celebrating – this Messiah who came to save people from sin. University Lutheran may not exist in the next 40 years (we hope it does), but Jesus most certainly will continue to equip people to do the work of proclaiming the Gospel throughout all ages until He returns again in glory.