Christopher Richmann Named Gerhard O. Forde Professor of Church History and Theology

September 10, 2026

Grand View University welcomes the Rev. Christopher Richmann, Ph.D., as the new Gerhard O. Forde Professor of Church History and Theology.

Endowed in 2022 through a generous gift from the 1521 Foundation, the Gerhard O. Forde Professorship honors the legacy of the influential Lutheran theologian and provides an opportunity to advance the study of church history, theology and Christian vocation at Grand View.

Richmann holds an M.A. in church history and theology from Luther Seminary and a Ph.D. in church history from Baylor University. A scholar of American religion, Lutheran theology and Christian higher education, he is the author of four books, including Living in Bible Times: F.F. Bosworth and the Pentecostal Pursuit of the Supernatural (2020), Called: Recovering Lutheran Principles for Ministry and Vocation (2022), Authority, Passion, and Subject-Centered Teaching: A Christian Pedagogical Philosophy (2024), and Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life (2025). He also co-edited Called to Teach: Excellence, Commitment, and Community in Christian Higher Education (2020).

His theological scholarship has appeared in numerous academic journals, including Lutheran Forum, Pneuma, Lutheran Quarterly, Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference, World & World, and the Wesleyan Theological Journal. His research on education and teaching has also been published in a variety of higher education journals and publications.

An ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Richmann spent 16 years serving as pastor of a rural congregation in central Texas. He brings that pastoral experience to his work at Grand View, where he will incorporate insights from Forde’s “radical Lutheranism” into theology courses and his ongoing scholarship, including the development of resources for the church.

“Proclaiming the gospel is the most important thing the church can do, and it is only the church that can do this,” Richmann said. “Fortunately, we have an abundance of resources in scripture and its faithful interpreters, like Martin Luther and Gerhard Forde, for not only releasing the dynamite of the gospel, but for taking a critical eye to the practices, presumptions, and pronouncements of today’s church.”

Richmann said he is particularly interested in equipping current and future church leaders and laity with the tools to faithfully engage the gospel.

“As Gerhard O. Forde Professor of Church History and Theology, I’m diving into this work with both feet!” he said.

Richmann succeeds Dr. Trisha Wheelock, who previously held the Forde position before becoming Grand View’s Lutheran Bible Institute Chair in Bible and Theology. Wheelock welcomed Richmann to the role and expressed enthusiasm for the work ahead.

The Gerhard O. Forde Professorship reflects Grand View’s commitment to theological education and scholarship while honoring Forde’s lasting influence on Lutheran theology. Through Richmann’s teaching, research and engagement with the church, the position will continue that legacy for a new generation of students and scholars.

Grand View University is grateful to the 1521 Foundation for its generous support in establishing the endowed position and looks forward to the contributions Richmann will make to the university community.