Our Vision
Every member of the Augsburg University community will live fulfilling and consequential lives—rooted in a deep understanding of how they are uniquely inspired, equipped, and empowered to partner with others in the shared work of creating lives and communities that thrive.
Our Mission
At the Christensen Center for Vocation, we believe every person deserves to thrive—a common thread woven through our stories, our struggles, and our joys. We accompany students, faculty, and staff as they listen deeply to their lives, ask courageous questions, and step boldly into the work of mutual thriving. Through high-impact learning, storytelling, mentorship, and community, we cultivate the imagination and practices that lead to more just, sustainable, and thriving lives and communities.
OUR STORY
President, 1938-1962
The Christensen Center for Vocation was established in memory of Bernhard H. Christensen (1901-1984) who served as Augsburg’s president from 1938 to 1962. He was born in Wisconsin, the son of Danish immigrant parents. He graduated from Augsburg University in 1922 and Augsburg Seminary in 1925. Following his seminary work Christensen continued his education at Princeton Seminary, the University of Berlin, and the University of Goettingen in Germany. In 1935, he married Gracia Gunderson of Brooklyn, New York. They had five children, and she would eventually teach English at Augsburg.
Christensen was a gifted leader who led Augsburg through a time of significant change. He was also a theologian who sought to avoid both a reactive fundamentalism and a theological liberalism that was cut loose from the tradition. Christensen was ecumenical in outlook while being deeply rooted in his own heritage. Above all, he hoped “…the church of Luther—glorying in ‘the freedom of the Christian’ and made strong through faith in a living Christ—may yet speak the deciding word.”[1]
The Christensen Center for Vocation has found guidance in discerning its work through the five lessons attributed to Bernhard H. Christensen.
- Christian faith liberates minds and lives.
- Diversity strengthens vital communities.
- Interfaith friendships enrich learning.
- The love of Christ draws us to God.
- We are called to service in the world.
*For more information about Bernhard Christensen and his legacy, please see “The Five Lessons of Bernhard Christensen”, the spring 2010 issue of Till & Keep:
[1] As quoted in James Hamre, “Bernhard M. Christensen (1901-84),” Lutheran Quarterly, 19 (Winter 2005) 424-25.