08/17/2026
Friends:
I was recently in Denmark, building relations between Danish and American Lutheran congregations and pastors. It was a wonderful experience and I am hopeful that many fruitful partnerships will eventually emerge from this effort. Last week I was interviewed by the national Danish Lutheran Church (the Folkekirken) and they today have published the interview. Though it is in Danish, it is easy on computer or smart phone to automatically translate the text into English.
Pastor Schul
EDIT:
Here is an English translation of the article, as generated by Google (so apologies for any rough edges in the grammar or syntax).
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American pastor seeks closer ties between the United States and the Evangelical Lutheran Church
Scott Schul visits Danish congregations to strengthen cooperation between Lutheran churches across the Atlantic
The American Lutheran pastor Scott Schul and his wife Linda Schul from Pennsylvania are currently visiting Denmark to forge bonds of friendship and strengthen the connections between Lutheran churches in the United States and the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church. During his stay, he has visited churches and met priests in Copenhagen, Roskilde and Elsinore, as well as visited the Inter-Church Council. His hope is that the contact between Danish and American Lutherans can develop into lasting relationships, both between local congregations and at the national level.
Schul, who is pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in State College, Pennsylvania, near Penn State University, sees the National Church as an important source of inspiration for the Lutheran Church in the United States. He particularly emphasizes its ability to be faithful to the Lutheran tradition and at the same time meet the needs and expectations people have today.
"The Danish church is rooted in the Lutheran tradition and at the same time flexible and able to adapt to people's needs and changing conditions in society," says Scott Schul.
Politics can divide, faith can connect
According to Schul, Lutherans on both sides of the Atlantic have a lot to learn from each other. He warns against churches closing in on themselves and their own congregations or national agendas. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of understanding the church as part of a worldwide Lutheran movement, and ultimately as the undivided body of Christ.
"We are Lutherans together. Politics and national borders can separate us, but we are connected through our common faith, baptism and tradition," he says.
That the Lutheran churches stand together despite political divisions became clear when presiding bishop Yehiel Curry from the Lutheran Church in the United States (ELCA) declared his full support for the Greenlandic people and the Greenlandic church in January 2026.
Scott Schul also sees the church as a central gathering point in society. In a time marked by political polarization, he actively tries to build bridges between people with different opinions and backgrounds. In his view, the church should be one of the places where people can continue to meet across political divides and find common ground in faith, community and human dignity.
The Church Must Show People God's Beauty
A central theme in Schul's work is the idea of "Grace through Beauty". He believes that the church can help spiritually seeking people to encounter God's grace through experiences of beauty. For Schul, the church is a place where people find beauty through music, liturgy, preaching, nature, silence and the church space itself.
"We find grace through beauty. The church must be a place where people encounter beauty, truth and goodness, and where new seekers can find a spiritual home," he says.
He says that he is deeply impressed by the Danes' ability to protect and create space for beauty:
"For many who feel a renewed attraction to Christianity, the first experience will be the encounter with beauty as we find it in nature or in art; music, poetry and literature. The Danes are naturally able to cultivate a culture characterized by beauty, and we American Lutherans can learn a lot from this, while at the same time seeking to meet a new generation of seekers where beauty and Christ meet."
Schul remains hopeful on behalf of both the church and society. He believes that the church must be ready to contribute to a healing process after the divisions that have characterized American society in recent years.
"Governments and politics can create division, but churches can build bridges. When destructive political forces have done their damage, the church must help to pick up the pieces and help people back to fellowship. It is an important part of our vocation. Reconciliation, peace and unity are created in the meeting between people, from heart to heart," Schul adds.
At the same time, he hopes that relations between Denmark and the United States can be strengthened through cooperation between the Lutheran churches, and that their common roots in the Lutheran tradition can form the basis for greater exchange, mutual learning and inspiration in the years to come.
Scott Schul besøger danske menigheder for at styrke samarbejdet mellem lutherske kirker på tværs af Atlanten
