A Gift for Us All: A New Chapter in Dakota Wesleyan University's Story, the Gift of The Saint John's Bible

At Dakota Wesleyan University, we have long been a community rooted in the values of learning, leadership, faith, and service. These values guide our mission and our vision of challenging students and one another to lead lives of meaning and purpose. On October 9, 2024, we took another bold step in living out that vision, accepting an extraordinary gift that we are honored to share with everyone: The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition. The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition is a remarkable treasure, inspired by the first handwritten and illuminated Bible in over 500 years. Only 299 copies have been produced and the set housed at DWU is the only one in the Dakotas. This year, sets were placed at Durham Cathedral a 1,000 year old castle in northeast England; St Davids Cathedral in Wales, and St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota, is the last placement of 2024.

The Saint John’s Bible, a work of sacred art as much as it is the Word of God, has been entrusted to DWU by our long-time friends the Christen family—Paul Christen and his daughter, Kathryn Christen Ramstad, in particular. But this is not just a gift to our university. This is a gift to our entire community, and we invite you to be a part of this special moment in DWU’s history.

These bibles will not be shelved in a private, isolated collection. They will not be permanently stored in a locked vault, and they will not even be untouchable beneath a glass case. DWU will make these beautiful volumes available for viewing in our library and chapel, where anyone—whether from Mitchell, DWU, the surrounding region or who visits our campus—can experience the Word of God in a deeply personal way. You are welcome to turn the pages, read the scriptures, and immerse yourselves in their beauty. We are also extending an invitation to local organizations to borrow volumes from this collection, so that the spiritual life of Mitchell and beyond may be enriched.

To our neighbors in Mitchell, we are honored to share these gifts with you, and we hope you will join us as stewards of this sacred responsibility. Whether you come to turn the pages of these beautifully illuminated texts, or simply take a moment to reflect on their meaning, we invite you to experience the transformative power of the Word.

We at Dakota Wesleyan accept this calling—to be stewards of these priceless volumes, not just for ourselves but for our broader community. We invite you to join us in this work: to embrace the Word, to read it, and to let it illuminate new paths of hope and purpose in our community.