1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” There’s a special group of people gathering at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary doing just that—the seminary wives! This group includes ladies married to junior, middler, and senior students at the seminary. We have the unique opportunity to grow alongside each other for three years while our husbands are studying on campus (we miss you, vicar wives!). Time at the seminary is short and goes by in the blink of an eye. Yet, blessings abound thanks to our seminary student wives group and the lifelong connections we make.
Each year, there is a small group of wives representing the three on-campus classes that plans gathering opportunities for the wives and fiancées of seminary students. I am blessed to serve the other wives of the seminary in this way. With oversight from a couple of seminary professors, we are encouraged to offer opportunities for all seminary wives to grow together however we see fit. The seminary wives meet once a month for fellowship and fun during the school year, and each gathering looks different! You can find us picking apples at the local orchard, exchanging Christmas cookies at the seminary, painting at one of our homes, or drinking coffee at the local cafe. During this time, we are getting to know new wives and catching up with familiar faces.
No matter where we are or what we are doing, God blesses our friendships. In addition to being seminary wives, we are also mothers, musicians, teachers, nurses, nannies, office assistants, and more. Despite the variety in our vocations, it’s easy to find something in common with one another as we build friendships. I often hear and see wives going to each other for advice on ministry, work issues, and parenting. It’s comforting to know that God has placed us alongside others that can provide encouragement during the difficult times and celebrate the good ones!
In addition to the “official” gatherings for seminary student wives, we also get together “unofficially.” If you have ever been to the seminary to attend a concert or graduation, I’m sure you have seen groups of seminary wives hanging out. Because I did not have close friends among the wives when my husband started at the seminary, such events used to be the only place I met with other wives. However, four years later, my “seminary wife friends” have now become my “regular” friends! Our relationships have grown from small talk at seminary events, such as concerts, intramurals, or wife events, to frequenting restaurants, movies, and coffee shops. It’s bittersweet knowing that these opportunities will not be so frequent after our husbands receive their calls in May.
You might not think of the student wives when thinking about the seminary, at least not at first. Now, I hope you remember the network of ladies behind the scenes that share friendship, wisdom, and compassion with one another. It truly impacts our husbands, their classes, and the seminary as a whole by strengthening the bonds of the campus family. Although we will eventually end up all over the world, those bonds will stand the test of time and distance. Ask your pastor’s wife! As we near the end of our time at the seminary, pray that God blesses the growing friendships among seminary student wives until we move on to new locations to serve you while miles apart from each other!
Elizabeth Borgwardt is the wife of Jacob Borgwardt, a 2025 seminary graduate.