by Paula Schlueter Ross
All six of Rev. Arlo Pullmann’s children–ages 14 to 22–left their home in Laurel, Mont., to attend Saint Paul Lutheran High School, halfway across the country.
Pullmann, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Laurel, and first vice president of the LCMS Montana District, and his wife, Nanette, attended Saint Paul back in the 1970s and wanted their children to have the same opportunity.
Pullmann says the Concordia, Mo., school offers certain advantages over the local public school, such as chapel devotions; a quality, Christ-centered curriculum; a smaller student body, with more opportunities to get involved; exposure to teens from other countries; the annual “Singing Saints” choir tour to 10 cities; and dorm life, which gives teens a taste of freedom and teaches them responsibility.
Saint Paul, Pullmann says, helped his children “mature” and “blossom into beautiful young adults.”
He says the family handled boarding and tuition costs “by the grace of God, who provided us with determination, a willingness to do without certain things, money in our bank account, and even anonymous financial help.”
