More than 200 members of the local Lutheran community gathered in the Memorial Chapel yesterday to honor the Rev. Elizabeth Platz, who is retiring as chaplain of the Lutheran Campus Ministry after more than 40 years of service.
After making history as the Lutheran Church in America’s first female pastor, Platz worked tirelessly throughout the decades to create a home on the campus for Lutheran students, leading services, cooking meals once a week and planning volunteer opportunities for members of the Lutheran Student Association. She will be finishing out her term at the end of July.
“I hope my legacy is the alumni and the experience I have with them because I’ve certainly gotten a lot from them,” Platz said. “Hopefully they would have received something of value to them when they were involved in ministry.”
Rexanah Wyse was one of many university alumni who filled the pews of the chapel to show their appreciation, along with members of the Lutheran Student Association, Hope Lutheran Church and other community members.
“It’s surreal to imagine that she is actually retiring,” Wyse said.
Bishop Richard Graham of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, who had known Platz for more than 20 years, commended her for her courage in following “the call of the Lord” at a time when women were not allowed to be ordained ministers.
“It feels like celebrating the repeal of the law of gravity,” Graham said. “She really is a pioneer in the church but also just a really lovely person.”
Platz also launched the CARing Project, an after-school program, which matches university students with elementary children from the Langley Park area for mentoring and tutoring, and she was heavily involved in creating a Lutheran church there.
Jacob Birkholz, the president of the Lutheran Student Association, said he would miss Platz’s presence on the campus next year.
“She has been a really big part of my college career,” Birkholz said. “I really can’t imagine coming back next year and not having Pastor Beth there every week with a home cooked meal, a well thought-out activity and worship. She more than deserves the chance to finally retire. It’s just going to be really sad and really different not to have her here.”
The Rev. Raymond Ranker, a 2004 university alumnus, will take the helm as Platz’s successor after she steps down.
“Only about a million people have told me I have big shoes to fill,” Ranker said.
However, Platz said she is confident Ranker and the local Lutheran community will continue the service work and spiritual traditions she maintained.
“I thought it was time for somebody else to come in and be able to do things, and after a while your energy starts to go down a bit lower than what it was when you were 26,” Platz said.
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