Patti (Platt ’59) Wiens, 2025 Distinguished Alumna of the Year

The work Jesus has done in and through Patti Wiens throughout her lifetime is a story of His relentless pursuit of His children and His reckless love for us. The chorus of Cory Asbury’s song echoes what Patti knows to be true of Jesus’s love:

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
And I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

To know of her success in growing New Life Academy in Woodbury, MN from a pilot program of 10 children between the ages of four and five in 1976 to a thriving school filled with 800+ students ranging in age from three to eighteen years old only tells of a snippet of God’s faithfulness to Patti in throughout her entire life.

Patti and her eight siblings were introduced to the cruelties and harshness of this world at very young ages. At the age of four, Patti watched her mother leave on a street car, never to return again. Her father would come and go, and Patti and her siblings did what they needed to do to get by on the streets of North Minneapolis, living among the gypsies. They were outcasts at school and were disregarded by most everyone, except Mrs. Lane, who one day welcomed Patti and her siblings into her home for lunch. This simple gesture of kindness paved the way for Mrs. Lane to introduce the Platt children to Jesus. The next time they went to her home, after they were fed by Mrs. Lane, she brought them into the living room and began to read them stories from the Bible. Little by little, visit by visit, from Genesis to Revelation and every book in between, Patti began to know Jesus and the truth that He loved her.

By the age of 11, Patti was in permanent foster care. Her third foster family, Mr. and Mrs. Eklo, became the trusted names “Dad” and “Mom” to Patti— they saw her, valued her, cared for her, and loved her. Most importantly, they exemplified Jesus. Mr. Eklo taught her basic hygiene routines that she had not have the privilege to learn prior to this. Mrs. Eklo taught her the value of being a woman, the importance of taking care of oneself, and the value of higher education (Mrs. Eklo graduated from the University of Minnesota). With her guidance, Patti learned how to manage a home, prepare meals, and so many other skills that up to that point were nonexistent. Mrs. Eklo taught Sunday school to children ages 12 and younger; Patti watched how she taught them, valued them, and loved them and was inspired by the impact her mother was able to have on each of them. They loved coming to her class every Sunday. 

During this season in her life, Patti found friendship with a peer named Joyce who invited her to a Bible camp; it was here that Joyce accepted Jesus as her personal Savior. Although God had been working in her life all along, Patti began to know Him and recognize His endless faithfulness to her.

At the age of 15, Patti encountered another hurdle. Her dear friend Joyce had plans to attend a private Christian high school. Patti desired to join her but didn’t understand the cost associated with this. She went to Minnehaha Academy to inquire and realized that it was probably not an option despite her intense desire due to finances. A week later, she found out that she had received a scholarship for a full year, expense-free. Patti ended up staying at Minnehaha Academy for her entire high school career where she learned to see Jesus in every subject that was taught and, in every opportunity, presented to her. God was building her toolbox not only with education but with experiences that He would use in her life later.

When the time came to pursue higher education, Patti looked at two colleges and Northwestern was the place she knew God wanted her to choose. It offered everything that Patti would need to pursue the path God had placed in her heart: to be an elementary school teacher. Patti had a strong conviction to impact children. In her own words, “I knew that if God could save someone like me, He could use me to bring others to salvation.”

It was at Northwestern where she met her husband, Dick Wiens (’58). At the age of 18, Patti Platt became Patti Wiens, and God began to work in their lives in amazing ways. Dick had a dream to pastor a church. Patti had a dream to teach. And God made a way for both. After praying and looking for the city that was right for a church ministry, Dick stumbled upon a 42-acre piece of land in Woodbury that had a house and barn on it. When he knocked on the door to see if the owners might consider selling him some of their land, he learned that they had just purchased it and had no intention of selling it.

The next day, Dick got a phone call from the owners, who told them they were awake all night and knew they needed to sell their dream home and land to the Wiens for $150,000. And so began another step of faith in the lives of Dick, Patti, and their two young boys.

This is how New Life Church in Woodbury began. New Life Academy began shortly after the church was started and God called Patti to be Head of School. Patti and her late husband Dick watched God work in miraculous ways throughout the course of their married life. Patti continues to see God’s faithfulness to her and her love for Him is undeniable. His praise is always on her lips as is His faithfulness to her throughout her lifetime. He truly turns mourning into dancing time and time again (Psalm 30:11).

In her own words,
“Psalm 139 is my favorite chapter in the bible—verse 16 specifically. God saw me. He knew right where I was, and He scheduled every day of my life before it came to be. When I look back, whether it was leading me to be Head of School, to Northwestern College, to Minnehaha Academy, leading me to foster care, leading me on the streets of Minneapolis_, every part of it is found in this psalm.”