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Rebecca Tieman '79 receives Concordia Nebraska Servant Leadership Award

Seward, NE (09/03/2026) — During Homecoming weekend, the Concordia Alumni Association honors alumni and friends for their outstanding service and accomplishments. The Servant Leadership Award is presented to an alumnus or friend of Concordia Nebraska serving in or retired from a local or global mission field or ministry demonstrating servant leadership to the church and world.

Rebecca Tieman '79 currently serves as the Cordova Area Director for LifeWise Academy providing Bible education for public school students during the school day. She runs the program, hires staff and volunteers, secures transportation and bus drivers, registers students, coordinates logistics with area principals, develops schedules, buys supplies and raises operating expenses. The program began two years ago with just four students but blossomed to include 100 students by the end of the first year. Last year, the program served 350 students and is projected to serve 500 students in the 2026-2027 school year.

Tieman has an associate of arts degree from St. Paul Lutheran College in Concordia, Missouri, a bachelor of science degree in education from then-named Concordia Teacher's College in Seward, Nebraska, and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Phoenix University.

Rebecca and her husband Terry '79 have three sons and seven grandchildren. Nicholas and Ashley Tieman are parents to Christopher and Natalie. Timothy and Elizabeth Tieman are parents to Tucker and Easton, and Benjamin Tieman is father to Hud, Halle and Heidi.

"We have a huge connection to Concordia Nebraska. Brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws all attended the university," she said.

Prior to her current role, Tieman served as a teacher at Immanuel Lutheran in Murphysboro, Illinois; as a teacher at Immanuel Lutheran in St. Louis, Missouri; as a teacher at St. Luke's Lutheran in St. Louis, Missouri; as a teacher at First Lutheran in Fort Smith, Arkansas; as a teacher at Christ the King Lutheran in Memphis, Tennessee; as a teacher at Immanuel Lutheran in Memphis, Tennessee, as an adjunct professor of intensive English for internationals at the University of Memphis and as an ESL teacher at Belle Forest Elementary and Newberry Elementary in Memphis, Tennessee.

Active in the church and in her community, Tieman has served as a Lutheran Women's Missionary League member and officer, Vacation Bible School director and teacher, Mother's Day Out director and teacher, Bible study leader and as an English as a Second Language grant writer, teacher and director. She has served at a local homeless shelter, teaches community ESL classes, volunteers at the food bank and is a community partner with local schools, especially focused on helping them with their gardens.

"LifeWise shares the Gospel with the public school students in Memphis through LifeWise Academy. First, we got clearance from Memphis Shelby County Board to provide Bible education for the more than 100,000 public school students in Memphis. Now, we have expanded the program to include more schools and students each year by getting logistical plans from each principal, securing host sites, hiring teachers, bus drivers and volunteers, purchasing, registering, insuring, painting and branding buses and shuttles for transportation and conducting background checks, training, and clearance for all staff members."

She said one of her biggest challenges is raising enough money to sustain what is turning out to be an ever-growing program. Writing grants is a large part of her day-to-day. But she said there is great joy in every task, no matter how large or small.

"We get to share the lifesaving Gospel with hundreds of students every week, and they are coming simply to hear God's Word. They aren't coming for an Easter egg hunt or Trunk or Treat or a game night," she said. "Many of these students and their families do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they don't own a Bible, go to church or have a relationship with their Savior. We are connecting these students and their families with local churches, seeing students get baptized and God's powerful Word working faith in their hearts through the Holy Spirit."

Tieman grew up in a large loving family in northwest Iowa.

"My father, Rev. Maynard Brandt, was a wonderful pastor, and my mother, Mary, was the ultimate homemaker, an excellent seamstress and cook. Dad served on the staff for Concordia Cub Weeks at Lake Okoboji, so we spent three weeks there every summer while he led the Bible studies and conducted the morning and evening chapels. My parents valued Christian education and all seven of us went to Lutheran elementary (a two-room school for Kindergarten through eighth grade), high school, college, and seminary for three of my brothers."

She met her husband Terry at St. Paul Lutheran High School, and they married after his first year at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. They went on vicarage assignment to Berlin, Wisconsin with their son, Nicholas. After graduating from the seminary, the Tiemans moved to Upper Michigan where Terry served a triple parish with two churches in Iron River and Amasa, Michigan and one in Land O'Lakes, Wisconsin. Their second son, Timothy, was born in Michigan. Then Terry took a call to Bethel Lutheran in Fort Smith, Arkansas where they had their third son, Benjamin. Their sons all attended First Lutheran school where Rebecca taught kindergarten.

"While in Fort Smith, we started a Mother's Day Out and pre-school at our church. My husband's twin brother, Larry, served as his vicar and, together, they planted two new churches in Alma and Greenwood," she said.

In 1995, the Tiemans moved to Memphis, Tennessee where Terry served as the mission executive for the Mid-South District. Rebecca taught at the Lutheran school until all their sons graduated, then they planted a multi-cultural church, Amazing Grace.

"While serving at this church, I wrote a grant, started an ESL program, which eventually led to 12 years teaching Intensive English for Internationals at the University of Memphis," she said. "I then went on to teach ESL for 10 years in Memphis public schools. I retired from teaching and 2 weeks later began serving as the area director of LifeWise Academy bringing Bible Education to public school students during the school day. We are blessed to have all of our sons living and working in the area, so we can enjoy spending time with them and their families, including our seven beautiful grandchildren."

She said their ministry work keeps them busy, but they do love to travel as schedules allow.

"We have hosted trips to Israel and Greece (footsteps of Paul) with my husband's twin brother, Rev. Larry Tieman, and his wife, Sharon, and we plan to do more. What makes it especially fun is when all five Tieman brothers and their spouses get to go, along with several cousins and friends from St. Paul Lutheran High School," she said. "We have enjoyed several river cruises in Europe with a number of friends and family. We enjoy baseball games, especially the St. Louis Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds. We enjoy other sports in Memphis - the Memphis Tigers and the NBA Grizzlies."

She said they also greatly enjoy spending time with their grandchildren reading books, playing in the backyard or going to the park or zoo.

Tieman said her experience at Concordia Nebraska was "fast and furious." After attending St. Paul Lutheran High school, graduating in 1976 and receiving her associate's degree in 1977, she was striving to graduate from the university in three years.

"I had to take a large course load both years. A number of friends from St. Paul had also transferred, so we had a ready mix of old and new friends," she said. "Since I had already lived away from home since I was 14, it wasn't hard to adjust to campus life. I worked at the dining hall to earn some spending money. My parents were miraculously able to send seven children through Lutheran high school and Lutheran college without any debt!"

Tieman's two older brothers - Nathan and Chris - attended the Lutheran high school in Seward before it closed. Several of Tieman's siblings also graduated from Concordia Nebraska including Lisa (Brandt) Brack '80, Phillip Brandt '87 and Aaron Brandt '91. The Seward connection continues with her sibling's spouses including Pam (Mueller) Brandt '83, who is married to her brother, Benjamin; Charlotte (Bruns) Brandt '76 who is married to Nathan '76, Mark Brack '79, who is married to Lisa (Brandt) Brack '80, Stephanie (Nordling) Brandt '89, who married Phillip, and Charlotte (Albrecht) Brandt '76, who is married to Aaron '76.

Tieman said she comes from an amazing legacy of Concordia Nebraska alumni: five siblings, six in-laws, her spouse, four aunts and uncles, seven nieces and nephews and two who are still attending now. Her niece Sonja Brandt '21 is also a professor at the university.

Tieman fondly recalls her student teaching experience at St. Joseph in Michigan.

"A wonderful experience," she said. "We had a rather eccentric host, Professor Marxhausen's mother, so that was fun! She had just gotten a microwave and was quite proud of that. She took us to ladies' events at church where she would slip leftovers into a baggie in her purse," she said. "My supervising teachers were both excellent, kind, caring and very helpful. I certainly didn't learn everything I needed to know to be a top-notch teacher, but they did their best and the staff at the school treated us really well."

Simply put, she said her time at Concordia Nebraska prepared her for her vocations serving in the church and the world.

"I really appreciated my child psychology classes and have used that learning and expertise more and more over the years. My life has been a testament to the Christian education I received throughout my entire educational experience," she said. "Spending time with fellow Christians and developing lifelong friends gives you a foundation that sustains you throughout your life."

She encouraged current students to bravely step forward on the path God has laid before them.

"God's Word is very powerful! Don't be afraid to take a chance, be bold and step up when the opportunity arises. You never know how God is going to use you. I never expected to be doing this ministry at age 68, but God has been preparing me for this my entire life!" she enthused. "A week ago, 10 people got baptized at our worship service. Twenty more students have asked to be baptized. Lives are being changed through God's Word. Believe in the power of prayer. Be in the Word! I learn something new every day!"

About Concordia University, Nebraska

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod located in Seward, Nebraska, which currently serves more than 1,700 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.

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