Luther Classical College is pleased to announce that The Rev. Dr. John Hellwege has accepted the call to serve as Associate Professor and Academic Dean beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year. He will also serve as Assisting Pastor at Mount Hope Lutheran Church in Casper.

Dr. Hellwege brings to Luther Classical College decades of experience as a pastor, scholar, teacher, and academic leader. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, he previously served the Church abroad as Associate Professor of Theology at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, where he taught courses in systematic, historical, and practical theology while helping form future pastors for service in Christ’s Church.

Building on his doctoral dissertation, Evaluating the Whirlwind: The American Lutheran Theological Interpretations of Pre-war Nazi Germany (Concordia St. Louis, 2009), Dr. Hellwege’s work combines serious scholarship with pastoral clarity and a deep concern for the life of the Church. He has written and lectured extensively on topics ranging from Lutheran identity and church history to technology, ideology, and the crisis of Western culture. His scholarly work has appeared in publications including Concordia Theological Quarterly and Lutheran Theological Review, with particular attention given to the relationship between Christianity and the modern world.

At Luther Classical College, Dr. Hellwege will teach theology and humanities courses while also overseeing the college’s academic program as Academic Dean. In that role, he will provide leadership for faculty development, curricular planning, academic standards, and the continued strengthening of the college’s classical Lutheran mission.

His appointment comes at an important moment in the life of the college. As Luther Classical College continues to grow, the institution remains committed to providing students with an education rooted in Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and the classical liberal arts tradition. Dr. Hellwege’s experience as both theologian and educator makes him especially well suited to help guide that mission forward, especially as the college is currently on track to submit a formal accreditation application in the coming months.

“Luther Classical College exists to form students intellectually, spiritually, and culturally for lives of faithful Christian vocation,” said The Rev. President Tim Rossow. “Dr. Hellwege understands deeply the importance of recovering a serious Christian approach to higher education—one that forms wisdom, cultivates virtue, and prepares students to serve both Church and society with courage and clarity.”

Dr. Hellwege is uniquely equipped to serve both as an educator and administrator at Luther Classical College. Prior to joining the college in an official capacity, he advised LCC’s Board of Regents on curriculum development and institutional governance, helping shape the college’s academic vision and organizational structure.

Students will benefit not only from Dr. Hellwege’s academic expertise, but also from his years of pastoral experience. Throughout his ministry and teaching career, he has emphasized the importance of integrating theological truth with daily life and cultural engagement. His teaching reflects a conviction that Christian education must shape the whole person, equipping students to think carefully, speak faithfully, and live wisely in a rapidly changing world.

Dr. Hellwege’s more recent writing and commentary on technology and culture resonate strongly with Luther Classical College’s mission to cultivate graduates who are rooted in permanent truths rather than passing cultural fads.

The addition of Dr. Hellwege strengthens an already growing faculty committed to classical Lutheran education. As the college expands its programs and reaches more students across the country, the leadership believes his scholarship, pastoral wisdom, and administrative experience will play an important role in shaping the institution’s future.

Luther Classical College invites students, congregations, and supporters to join in welcoming Dr. Hellwege and praying for God’s blessings upon his work. His arrival marks another significant step in the college’s effort to build a distinctly Lutheran institution of higher learning dedicated to truth, wisdom, and faithful Christian service.