Pace e Bene

My name is Betsy Dreier.  I am studying to be an ELCA Lutheran minister at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA. I love the Bay Area as it is quite the contrast from my hometown of Rochester, MN. I am heading into my third academic year out here and I have yet to find a bumper sticker I disagree with around here. I also love being able to swim outdoors all year round and how affordable wine is around here.  And honestly, on a more serious note, I absolutely love the life of being a student. I love the world of learning about theology, church history and biblical studies. There are so many ways to make connection points with the gospel in our current world. Personally my strong interests are finding ways to make social justice a reality in our world, particularly on the local level and finding theological themes in popular culture, particularly movies.

I did my undergraduate degree at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. I graduated from there with a major in sociology and a minor in communication. My big extra curricular activities were singing in voice lessons and choir; as well as work with Amnesty International and the anti-war movement.  The work with Amnesty  got me elected to be deacon of global concerns on the church council, where I began to see the ways that the questions and concerns revolving around social justice truly do intersect with what the Gospel of Christ is about. While I did move home to my hometown of Rochester, MN for a variety of reasons after graduation, I felt nudged to come out to California to seminary.

Seminary has been wonderful, for all the reasons why I mentioned earlier, I love being in California and I love being a student. My seminary career has brought me to a variety of other places as well: I have worked as a chaplain at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  I have spent a January in Chicago looking at urban ministry sites and seeing how they work on behalf of justice in their communities.  I spent my past summer in St. Paul, MN where I studied mission developing where I got to examine a variety of creative ways to do church and I got to attend a mission developing conference in Chicago.

Last year, my friend John Cummings  who was an intern last year with Pace e Bene did a few sessions on Lutheran Nonviolence that were accessible to myself and other seminary students. I found my passion for social justice totally fueled by the workshops that he offered.  I also found myself asking the questions on the ways that nonviolence does and does not connect with my Lutheran theology.  When I found out that Pace e Bene was taking on interns for this year, I could not resist this chance. I am thrilled to be on board with Pace e Bene for this year!!!