Vale Dr Mike Hassold

The ALC community mourns the passing of emeritus lecturer and former principal, Rev Dr Michael (Mike) Hassold, who died on Saturday 28 January 2023 aged 80.

Mike served as lecturer at ALC (formerly known as Luther Seminary) from 1996 and soon earned the reputation of being a clear and engaging teacher. In 2001 he took on the additional role of principal, serving in this position up until his retirement in early February 2009.

During Mike’s time,

• Luther Seminary became Australian Lutheran College.
• ALC was registered nationally as a higher education provider (HEP), enabling its students access to government fee help.
• Partnerships between ALC and universities throughout Australia proliferated, so that more trainee teachers received their theological education and their registration as Lutheran teachers pre-service.
• ALC’s input into the training of Aboriginal pastors and evangelists increased significantly.
• Short courses in Lutheran theology were developed for pastors and other visiting theologians from the Lutheran churches of Malaysia and Singapore.
• ALC worked with the Lutheran Church of Australia to support and teach a steady stream of scholars from South East Asia for post-graduate research that prepared them to teach in their seminaries back home.

Mike will be remembered by his colleagues and former students, as a gifted teacher and preacher, and for his caring nature and pastoral heart.

We give thanks to God through Jesus Christ, for our brother Mike.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.'   Revelations 14:13 NRSV