Wartburg Seminary is presenting the Living Loehe
Award to Pastor Burton Everist for his pastoral, teaching and volunteer service
in the church and community at graduation May 15, 2016.
Burton was born in Mason City, Iowa. At 16 he heard
the Gospel, joined the Lutheran Church and then studied to become a
pastor. After completing his MDiv and STM in New Testament he
taught theology at Valparaiso University and was Assistant to the
Director of Lutheran Human Relations Association of America (LHRAA.) Later
he taught at Michigan Lutheran College, Yale Divinity School, and Northeast
Iowa Community College.
In seminary Burton chaired the LHRAA St. Louis Chapter,
organizing an ecumenical program testing restaurants for racial
discrimination. Following ordination in 1966 he continued civil
rights efforts while pastor in Detroit and New Haven, Connecticut.
In Detroit he initiated a Roman Catholic/Lutheran parish dialog. In New
Haven he led renewal of the Yale Divinity Lay School of Religion.
Burton and Norma married in 1962. When Norma was
called to Wartburg Seminary in 1979 Burton took more responsibility caring for
Mark, Joel, and Kirk. Later he became Wartburg Seminary’s Media Director,
teaching Imagination and Theology. He produced the weekly
cable program Welcome to Wartburg. He helped begin the Churches’
Center for Land and People, and, with Pastor Steven Ullestad, led in
establishing the St. Mark Center.
Burton served Grace Lutheran in East Dubuque for fifteen
years. He led the founding of the community’s Kids Zone.
While directing the Emmaus Center for Continuing Education for the Illinois
Synods he gathered representatives to establish the Tri-State Forum at
WTS.
He served seventeen pastoral interims in New England,
Wisconsin, and Iowa.
In the Northeastern Iowa Synod he was board member of Life
Long Learning for Lutherans.
For thirteen years he coauthored with Norma the “Since You
Asked” column for The Lutheran. He authored several books, monthly Lectionary
Helps and produced videos for the Lutheran World Federation.
In the WTS “Seminary for Everyone” program he teaches The
Gospel according to John the Shepherd. At the 2016 meeting of the
Society of Biblical Literature Midwest Region his paper, John: Gospel for
the Homeless, was well received. It proposed John’s purpose, “These are
written that you may keep trusting Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, and
trusting have life in his name” was to proclaim Christ to struggling,
persecuted refugee Christians.
Currently Burton is Chaplain at Luther Manor Communities
serving residents, their families, and staff. Click on the blog below for the full Vita of his service to Christ over these many years.
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