“Cov Doings” highlights snapshots of life across the Covenant—stories of ministry, creativity, and connection that show how God is at work among us. Each update offers a glimpse of the many ways Covenant people live out their faith in the world.
Pietisten celebrates 100th issue
Special thanks to retired Covenant pastor Rev. Greg Asimakopoulos for alerting us to this milestone: the journal Pietisten recently published its one-hundredth issue. We’ll let Greg take it from here:
Pietisten means “The Pietist” in Swedish and was the name of a devotional newspaper published between 1842 and 1917 by George Scott, Carl Olof Rosenius, and Paul Peter Waldenström—a Methodist, a Lutheran, and a Covenanter, respectively. While many of the authors and readers of the modern Pietisten have been Covenanters, the scope is ecumenical and is generally interested in the collective heritage of Lutheran Pietism as represented in the traditions of the Evangelical Covenant Church and the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden (Equmeniakyrkan), the Augustana Lutheran heritage (ELCA), the Evangelical Free Church, and the Baptist General Conference.
Forty years ago last summer, two ordained Covenant pastors verbalized a common dream while sharing refreshments in a Minneapolis pub. Both envisioned reviving Pietisten, an influential publication prized by early Covenanters at the turn of the twentieth century. A year later, Peter Sandstrom and David Hawkinson’s dream was realized. They soon involved Phil Johnson, who faithfully served as managing editor for many years. The all-volunteer publications staff currently includes Karl Nelson, Mark Safstrom, Sandy Nelson, Stephanie Johnson Blomgren, Ryan Eikenbary-Barber, Steve Elde, and David Nelson.
Pietisten is intended for laypeople and includes commentaries on lectionary texts, ecclesiastical concerns and news, theological discussions, hymns, poetry, recipes, book reviews, select news items, and a healthy dose of humor. Now as then, contributions from Covenant clergy are regularly included. You can read new and archived stories at Pietisten.org.
New Seminary Content Platform with Familiar Name
Big thanks to Dr. Hauna Ondrey, dean of seminary faculty and associate professor of church history, for connecting us with a new content platform for North Park Theological Seminary. It’s called Lina, named after Covenant writer and poet Lina Sandell, whose braided visage is bronzed in perpetuity outside Nyvall Hall on the NPTS campus. “The spirit of Lina Sandell’s legacy continues in Lina—the published forum, news, and archive of North Park Theological Seminary—celebrating thoughtful faith, theological imagination, and the calling of ministry in a changing world.”
Many North Park alumni fondly remember the Lina Sandell statue as a treasured memory of their time at the school. Hopefully, this new platform will be another way to stay connected.
You can read more about Lina (including a few FAQs) on their announcement page.
Highlighting Pastoral Resilience
Even in denominational communities where the ordination of women is not a questioned theology, women in pastoral ministry need to tap into extra layers of resilience to stay faithful to their call.
That’s the message of “Empowering Resilient Women Ministers: Unveiling the Fuel to Serve Amidst Misogyny,” a new research report co-authored by Covenant pastor Rev. Liz Mosbo VerHage and Rev. Elizabeth Rios. Their report was highlighted in a September story in The Christian Century.
“Empowering Resilient Women Ministers” was funded by The Louisville Institute and the Religion Division of Lilly Endowment, which studies North American religious institutions, practices, and movements to advance scholarship and strengthen church, academy, and wider society.
From the story: “VerHage…said women depend on themselves and other women for encouragement to stick with their commitments to ministry. ‘The ways that they most strongly persevered included finding other supportive women, either in mentorships or cohorts or community groups, and then also developing their own sense of passion and call,’ VerHage said.”
You can read more about their research here.
From Gospel Singer to Church Planter
Jalen Seawright is well known for singing the gospel of Jesus, but pretty soon, he’ll be known for preaching it. While people in the metro Detroit area might recognize him as a local worship leader, Seawright has also participated in the worship collective Common Hymnal. Now he’s partnering with the Covenant’s LifeChurch planting network, hoping to plant a church in Troy, Michigan, in 2026. (He’s even been seen in the pulpit without his trademark hat.) You can read more about Seawright’s transition and his relationship with LifeChurch Southfield pastor Rev. Alan Tumpkin in this Great Lakes Conference story.
Family of Faith Serving Immigrants
Thanks to Darlene Anderson of Winnipeg, Manitoba, for alerting us to local media coverage of Covenanters putting their faith into action. Faith and Hugh Campbell were lauded for stepping in to help Julia Dryhach, an attorney and recent Ukrainian immigrant, with childcare. “Do refugees have a lot to teach us as Canadians? Absolutely,” Faith told CBC News’ Meghan Fowler. “To be part of someone’s life, even if it’s tough, it’s the right thing to do, and it is so important.”
Darlene and Faith are both part of a larger faith story—the congregation of Faith Covenant in South Winnipeg. You can read more about the Campbells’ relationship with Julia and her son Makar—and watch a brief video produced by Marcus Fowler (Meghan’s husband), both of whom are also Covenanters—by following the link here.
