Logan Davis ('22) and Abby Haggard ('22) are preparing for graduation, a wedding, a move across the country and a new adventure in St. Louis, MO.
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of stories highlighting a few of Concordia’s uncommon May 2022 graduates. Faculty and staff submit candidates for consideration. Stories are posted in the days leading up to commencement.
Davis and Haggard met as freshmen on a 24-hour mission trip in Detroit, a service event put together by Campus Ministry at CUAA. From that moment on, they became close friends and eventually began dating. They continued dating throughout college and in the summer of 2021 were engaged. Although their relationship has had a seemingly straightforward timeline, their next step in life together is filled with unknowns.
Called to Concordia
Haggard began her journey as a cardinal far before she became a full-time student. When she was in grade school, her youth group attended the Concordia Youth Gathering (previously known as Tool Time). Haggard recalls that “every time I went, I saw how the college students were so in love with Jesus, and I knew this place was different. The campus was incredibly welcoming, and after those trips and much prayer, I knew this was where the Lord was calling me to go.”
Similarly, Davis noticed a difference in the students and faculty on campus. He felt specifically encouraged to attend Concordia after meeting Dr. Charles Schulz, a beloved theology professor at CUAA. After learning more about the Pre-Seminary program, Davis not only knew that he wanted to go to CUAA, but he also knew that he wanted to study ministry in order to become a pastor.
Called to ministry
A unique facet that is central to Davis and Haggard’s relationship is their love for the Lord and feeling the need to share that love with others through Lutheran ministry.
Haggard will soon be graduating with her degree in Secondary Education, English with a minor in history. She will also be graduating with her Lutheran Teaching Diploma, giving her the ability to teach at any LCMS school in the country. However, she will be starting her teaching career with middle schoolers “right over the river” in Collinsville, IL.
Throughout her childhood, Haggard consistently felt called to be a teacher. She had a passion for English, literature and the arts, but it wasn’t until she went to high school that she discovered a love for both learning and teaching others about religion. Knowing that the ministry she plans on entering is a combination of all the things she loves: the Gospel, Christianity, English, the arts, and literature, Haggard is confident in her decision to become a Lutheran teacher.
Next to Haggard, Davis will stand as a Lutheran pastor after he finishes his education at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Before Davis heads to St. Louis, he will be graduating with his degree in Pre-Seminary studies. Davis has had an excitement about sharing the Gospel with others since high school. As a teenager, Davis got a taste of the joy and goodness that came from knowing Christ. He couldn’t keep this kind of joy to himself; being a pastor felt like a perfect profession to share the goodness of God with the people around him.
Called to Christ-centered marriage
Davis and Haggard are thrilled to be tying the knot shortly after graduation. Both graduates have sought to place the Lord at the center of their individual lives and at the center of their relationship with each other. Davis notes that within their relationship, both Haggard and Davis helped each other rely on each other and look to God in all circumstances, as He was the most important thing in their lives. Haggard also said that throughout their time at Concordia, “the Chapel topics always seemed to address the issues we were facing as individuals and as a couple,” which ultimately led the pair back to the Lord in times of trouble.
Although moving across the country, away from the community they have come to love, Haggard and Davis feel confident in the call process, the community the Lord has for them in St. Louis and the life they will get to begin together in a new place.
There is definitely some anxiety surrounding the idea of all the life transitions happening at once, but the couple knows that in the end, God has a plan for their lives. Most excited about simply coming home to one another once they are finally married and settled into their new home, Davis expresses that “the Lord’s hand is in our call, we feel at peace knowing that God’s got things under control.”
— This story is written by Allie Milot, social media manager for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at alexandria.milot@cuaa.edu or 734-995-7403.
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