BROOKINGS, S.D. — The Rev. Herb Wounded Head III will be installed as pastor of the University Lutheran Center in Brookings during services on Oct. 13.

The installation will be held at 11 a.m. that Sunday at the ULC, according to Lisa Otterson, chairwoman of the Lutheran Campus Council. The ULC is located at the corner of Eighth Street and 14th Avenue.

Wounded Head served most recently as associate pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in Brookings and started his new position in late August. He cites faith development as a reason for accepting his call to campus ministry.

 “What excites me about campus ministry is the opportunity to help others explore what faith means to them,” he said. “We live in a time of great exploration, and young people are wandering in a wilderness of questions.  The University Lutheran Center is a place to ask those questions and to discover that they do not wander alone.”

Wounded Head has stressed continuing the open-door nature of the ministry. “I want people to know that no one will be turned away from the University Lutheran Center,” he said. “This is a place where God’s unconditional love exists for all people. This is a place where people will know that God is for them.”

Otterson said council members acknowledged Wounded Head’s interest in working with SDSU students as part of the call process.

 “We are very excited to support Pastor Herb’s ministry at the University Lutheran Center,” she said.  “Pastor Herb brings a real passion for giving students the space and opportunity to wrestle with their faith.  He also brings joy to worship through his welcoming presence and musical abilities.  He is a great fit for campus ministry in this place, and we know students will resonate with him.”

A native of Gayville, Wounded Head graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Augustana College in Sioux Falls and a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.  He and his wife, Lorna, an assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Sciences, live in Brookings with their son Gabe.

Wounded Head succeeds the Rev. Bob Chell who recently concluded 20 years of ministry at the University Lutheran Center.

The University Lutheran Center is a ministry of the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It serves students, faculty and staff at South Dakota State University.