Concordia Seminary magazine | Fall/Winter 2021

BRINGING LIGHT AND LIFE INTO A DARK WORLD

SERVING IN THE MIDDLE

FIRST LOOK: EGGER INAUGURATION CONCORDIA SEMINARY, ST. LOUIS 1

First Look

Aug. 27, 2021, was a day of celebration as Dr. Thomas J. Egger was inaugurated the 11th president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus.

Photos: Jill Gray

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CONCORDIA SEMINARY, ST. LOUIS

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FROM THE

PRESIDENT BRINGING LIGHT AND LIFE INTO A DARK WORLD

SERVING IN THE MIDDLE

FIRST LOOK: EGGER INAUGURATION CONCORDIA SEMINARY, ST. LOUIS 1

ON THE THE COVER COVER ON

First-year Master of Divinity caption Kauffman student Alexander helps clean up a community garden as part of an Orientation week servant event Aug. 25.

Photo: Jill Gray

Dr. Thomas J. Egger. Photo: Jill Gray

Greetings, friends, in the name of Christ!

PUBLISHER Dale A. Meyer PRESIDENT Dr. Thomas J. Egger

EXECUTIVE EDITOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR Vicki Biggs Vicki Biggs

MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR Melanie Ave Melanie Ave

ART DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR Jayna Rollings Beth Hasek

DESIGNERS DESIGNER Michelle Poneleit Courtney Koll Jayna Rollings WRITERS

WRITERS Tim Barker Sarah Maney Lukas Deaconess Rebekah Daniel SarahMattson Maney Mills Dr. Philip Lisa Werth Penhallegon Travis Scholl PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jill Gray PHOTOGRAPHERS Harold Rau Jill Gray Rebekah Lukas Sid Hastings Sarah Maney Courtney Koll Sarah Maney Michelle Poneleit Harold Rau

Each academic year we choose a theme to set the tone for our work together. This year our theme is “Your word is a lamp to my feet” from Ps. 119:105 (ESV).

It is so rewarding to teach at Concordia Seminary! There is nothing quite like walking through biblical texts together with our students and seeing the light in their eyes and on their faces. God Himself has spoken in the Scriptures, and God Himself is speaking to our students through that same Word. It is a Word that propels them to Christ and that brings Christ to them. It is a Word that gives them life and strength and purpose and hope. God’s Word gives them light, and I can literally see it on their faces!

When God speaks His Word, amazing things happen. Light appears and dry land and vegetation.

The sun, moon and stars are set on their courses. Waters teem with fish and the skies with birds. Man and beast walk in gardens of paradise.

When God speaks His Word, amazing things happen. Demons flee. Storms quiet. Paralytics walk.

Lepers are cleansed. The dead live. When God speaks His Word, the baptized are clothed in Christ’s righteousness and claimed as God’s children. When God speaks His Word, the foulest sinner is pronounced righteous and free. When God speaks His Word, the light of hope dawns in the darkest places of disillusionment and despair.

O Lord, speak to us! May Your Word sound forth, more and more, and reach into our cold hearts.

May Your Word sound forth, more and more, and reach forth to the sad and hiding hearts of so many who do not yet know You. For You alone have the words of eternal life!

It is so rewarding to teach at Concordia Seminary! The students who come to study with us are offering their lives to bring this light-giving Word of Christ to others. They study the Bible, Lutheran doctrine, church history and the practical skills of ministry. And as they prepare, like I said, it is a joy to see the light of God’s Word shining in their eyes, on their faces, and — I know it is true — in their hearts.

Thank you for your prayers and support for Concordia Seminary! I hope that you, too, are happy to declare, “Your word is a lamp to my feet!”

Blessings in Christ,

Concordia Seminary magazine magazine is is a a Concordia Seminary member of of the the Associated Associated Church Church Press Press member and the the Evangelical Evangelical Press Press Association.

Association. and

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Dr. Thomas J. Egger, President

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FALL/WINTER 2021 ISSUE FEATURES 6 Bringing Light and Life Into a Dark World

10 Serving in the Middle

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 From the President

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14 Alumni and Friends 16 Faculty Focus 18 News Worth Noting 24 Support Your Sem 26 Student Spotlight

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CORRECTION: The number of total calls on Call Day 2021 was listed incorrectly in a graphic on Page 12 of the summer issue of Concordia Seminary magazine. The correct number of calls, including dual/ triple parishes, is 69.

OUR MISSION Concordia Seminary serves church and world by providing theological education and leadership centered in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for the formation of pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod.

WANT TO JOIN OUR MAILING LIST? To be added to the mailing list, or to receive the magazine electronically, address correspondence to: Concordia Seminary magazine, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105; call 800-822-5287; or email magazine@csl.edu. Congregations may request copies in bulk for distribution within their churches.

Copyright © December 2021, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of Concordia Seminary.

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WORD . . .

LIGHT . . .

FEET . . .

LAMP . . .

PATH . . .

As God worked away at me, nudging me ever closer to pastoral ministry, He put a verse in my mind that I knew in part but had no idea where to find in the Bible. He had planted it in me through my eyes or ears — those great organs of faith — but my brain had not recorded it in full and my heart and mind were still processing.

As I pondered leaving architectural school to study the Bible and possibly pastoral ministry, a mashed up version of this particular verse kept running through my head. Something about the Word, a light, feet, a lamp, my path. But I couldn’t put it all together. There was no internet or fancy Bible software to search, and I hadn’t learned to use a concordance yet. Somehow, I finally found the verse!

Ps. 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” I wrote it on my desk calendar pad so that I would see it every day.

BY PHILIP WERTH PENHALLEGON

Thanks to my wife, Gretchen, and others, I still encounter it every day. Hanging next to my desk is a banner depicting this verse, a gift from the banner committee at Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Ill., where I served my vicarage. They asked Gretchen for my favorite verse and turned it into a beautiful reminder. At home I have a wooden plaque from Gretchen’s grandparents, an ordination gift that also bears this verse and an image of an ancient lamp. Every day I’m reminded of the light given in the Word.

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foci

THAT HELP STUDENTS SEE THE LAMP SHINE BRIGHTER

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EXEGETICAL THEOLOGY

studies the Word, supplying the bedrock and foundation upon which the rest of our studies build.

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

helps us to consider carefully what we learn in the Word.

HISTORICAL THEOLOGY

helps us see how the Word has been at work throughout the history of the Lord’s church.

PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

inculcates in us the skills we need to bring the light of the Word into the lives of those to whom we are sent.

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Years ago I needed light for my path. I was struggling with vocation and various other things with which typical teens and 20-somethings wrestle. I also was trying to figure out what being a Lutheran Christian meant for my life, my relationships, my future. I was raised in a faithful Christian home. I’d been to Sunday school, VBS, confirmation and all of that. I was blessed to have secure answers in Christ to the ultimate questions of life, but my path was still somewhat dark.

And I knew others whose paths were pitch black.

We all need light for our paths. Blind and stumbling about is what we are and what we do without the lamp that lights our way, without the Word — the Bible, and the Word made flesh — our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Think about your own path. Has it always been illuminated by the Word? Or was this light brought to you somewhere along the way? I was baptized as an infant and brought up in the church, and still I needed (and need) the illumining Word of God. Many don’t have such a blessed beginning. How about you?

Perhaps you can remember when the light first shone in your darkness. Perhaps you can name the one through whom God worked to bring His light-bearing Word into your life. Or perhaps you know others to whom you’ve been able to bring the Word and the light that it gives. We all know people who still walk in darkness and are in desperate need of this light.

And that is what we are all about here at Concordia Seminary, where our motto is “Light from Above.”

Every one of us here, whether faculty, staff, student or family member, needs the light of Christ to enlighten our darkness through the forgiveness of sins, to show us the way, to make plain for us the path on which we should go. And we find that light in the text of sacred Scripture, the inspired, inerrant Word of God graciously given through the prophets and apostles.

This Word that brings light and life is at the center of all that we do. Pastoral students work diligently to learn Hebrew and Greek so that they can read the Word in the languages through which our Lord has graciously given it to us. By these means they are able to see the lamp shining more brightly and clearly. In this way they can shed even greater light upon those who will be entrusted to their care. Deaconess Studies students and the students in the various alternate

route programs also study the Word closely and carefully in order to shine its light into the lives of those whom they will be called to serve.

The study of the Word — the task of exegetical theology — is the bedrock and foundation upon which the rest of our studies build. Systematic theology helps us to consider carefully what we learn in the Word. Historical theology helps us see how the Word has been at work throughout the history of the Lord’s church. Practical theology inculcates in us the skills we need to bring the light of the Word into the lives of those to whom we are sent.

We know that we each need this light that comes from the Word, and so does the rest of the world. For this reason, Concordia Seminary is dedicated to the task of providing light-bearers who will go out into the cities, towns and countryside, who will stay in the United

As I write, our Reformation celebration approaches. By the time you read this, Reformation will have come and gone again this year, but the great Reformation principle — sola Scriptura — Scripture alone — will remain true as ever. Through Isaiah the Lord tells us that the Word of the Lord endures forever. In the darkness of a sin-filled, sin-darkened world, we return time and again to the lamp of Scripture.

Years ago, as I stumbled on a dim path, I needed a lamp for my feet, a light for my path. The Lord provided it then, focusing my attention on this verse and drawing me more deeply into His Word.

Ever since and even now He continues to provide light each time I encounter the Word, whether written, spoken, sung or preached. He does the same for you.

And He desires to shine His light into all the world as you and I take this Word into the world, wherever we may be.

“IN THE DARKNESS OF A SIN-FILLED, SIN-DARKENED WORLD, WE RETURN TIME AND AGAIN TO THE .”

States or travel to other parts of the world, on whatever path the Lord directs.

And these light-bearers will be equipped to read well this light-giving Word in order to live it, teach it and proclaim it, bringing its light to bear on others, no matter where their paths may be or what their paths may look like.

For this academic year, our newly called, installed and inaugurated president has chosen Ps. 119:105 as our theme verse, yet again reminding us and grounding us in the source of our light and our life, the source and norm of all of our preaching and teaching, the lamp and light that enlightens our paths as individuals and as a Seminary.

lamp of Scripture

In choosing this verse this year, Seminary President Dr. Thomas J. Egger has given us the opportunity to spend the year reflecting on the importance of the Word and the life-giving light it brings. Light from above. Light for the world. Light for our lives. Light for our paths.

May our gracious Lord bless the work of this Seminary and the lives of each and every one of us as we remain steadfast in His Word — reading it, hearing it, studying it, proclaiming it and sharing it.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Dr. Philip Werth Penhallegon is professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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Rev. Travis Ferguson. Photo: Courtesy Rev. Travis Ferguson

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BY TIM BARKER

SEM ALUM SERVES AMONG AFGHAN REFUGEES

Rev. Travis Ferguson remembers well the morning his ministry radically changed direction.

It was Aug. 16, 2021, at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and the U.S. Air Force chaplain was facing the opening wave of a flood of refugees from Afghanistan, fleeing their crumbling nation and the threat of Taliban rule. Ferguson and his fellow airmen were hurriedly preparing to house, feed and process what would become tens of thousands of Afghans at a base that was never expected to handle even a single refugee.

At the morning staff meeting, he was asked to help set up cots in one of the hangars. Walking into the cavernous structure, he found some 800 frightened faces staring back at him.

“I remember one of the first kids who came up to me, asking for shoes,” Ferguson recalls.

“Stupid me, I asked how he lost his shoes. He said he lost them while running from the Taliban.”

It was the sort of moment — and there were many others like it — that drove home the stark reality of the situation. And it gave Ferguson a chance to examine his own role in the world.

Just a couple hours earlier, he’d given a pep talk to members of the civil engineer squadron, urging them to appreciate the difference they’d soon be making in so many lives. He recalled for them a passage from the Book of Esther, suggesting that perhaps they had been put in Qatar “for such a time as this.”

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Spiritual pillar

Ferguson’s own journey to that air base started after he graduated from high school and attended Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward. From there he came to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where he graduated in 2017 with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.).

After graduation, the Kansas City, Mo., native served as an associate pastor at Grace Lutheran in Knoxville, Tenn. In 2019, he was called to Christ Lutheran Church Ministries in La Mesa, Calif., where he is an associate pastor, but on leave through February while he serves overseas.

confidential listening ear. But most importantly, they help these fighting men and women cope with the stresses of military life.

It’s a role that he cherishes.

“We bring people out here for six months. We take away the comforts of home. We take away their family. We add heat. And then you add the probability that one of our adversaries is going to pop off at some point. That’s a lot of stress,” Ferguson says. “So, my goal has always been to make sure that people can lean on that spiritual pillar in their life to make sure they can make it through these situations.”

The messiness of ministry

No matter how much a person might prepare for life, it will throw curveballs now and again. For Ferguson and his fellow service members at Al Udeid Air Base, that curveball turned out to be 57,000 Afghan refugees.

I grabbed Rev. Travis thisFerguson helps set up a cot for one photo of the from Afghan Travis’s refugees at the Al Udeid Air Base facebook in Qatar.page.

Photo: Courtesy Rev. Travis Ferguson

Throughout his spiritual journey, Ferguson, 30, has maintained his commitment to the U.S. Air Force, having joined its chaplain candidate program in 2014. As a reservist, he spends a weekend each month and a few weeks each year on drills. But last summer, he was called to active duty with the 940th Air Refueling Wing at Beale Air Force Base in Northern California and sent to the Middle East.

The responsibilities of a chaplain are broad.

Chaplains protect the First Amendment rights of military personnel, making certain they are able to practice their religion freely. They are the only members of the armed services who offer a 100%

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Ferguson credits his education at Concordia Seminary for helping him develop the tools needed to cope with the crisis. His favorite classes were those dealing with practical theology and the importance of listening and being empathetic to others. But perhaps most valuable was the emphasis on critical thinking.

“We were doing things as chaplains we had never done before, that no book tells us how to do,” he says.

That Ferguson would succeed in such a trying situation comes as no surprise to Dr. Mark Rockenbach, associate professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary.

He remembers Ferguson as a “go-getter kind of guy” with a heart for ministry and a focus on finding creative ways to help people. And he’s enjoying watching his former student apply critical thinking skills in such a real-world scenario.

“When you are in those kinds of ministry settings you have to have flexibility. Things aren’t always going to go the way you think they should go,” Rockenbach says. “You’ve got to be OK with the messiness of ministry. Good pastors and chaplains realize that it’s in the middle of that messiness that you serve the best and you have many opportunities to share Christ.”

It’s difficult to imagine a messier situation than the one presented to Ferguson and his fellow service members. They scrambled to meet the refugee influx, using whatever resources they could cobble together. Members of the U.S. Air Force offered up clothes from their own closets and secured food from a variety of sources. A large warehouse was emptied and converted to living quarters.

“You look as far as the eye can see and you have people who are hurting and asking questions about their families,” Ferguson says. “And there’s nothing you can do other than smile. A lot of time was spent trying to hand out food and bottles of water.”

There is another encounter that stands out in his memories. He was walking among the refugees in the hangar when he came across a father holding a crying

child in his arms. Ferguson reached into his own pocket and handed over a bottle of apple juice he’d been waiting to drink. The cries stopped immediately.

He struck up a conversation with the grateful father, who was happy to hear that Ferguson had children of his own. Surely it helped the chaplain understand the difficulty of the situation, the man suggested.

But Ferguson shook his head.

“I said, ‘Actually, I can’t. I have no idea what you are going through. I have never had to run for my life before. I’ve never had just the clothes on my back,’” he recalls.

Going home

Soon, Ferguson will return to civilian life and his role as associate pastor at his California church. He’s thrilled at the prospect of seeing his wife, Amy, and their two children, ages 3 years and 7 months.

But he also wonders about what it will be like to immerse himself once again in the day-to-day operations of a parish far removed from what he just witnessed. “The greater mission of the church is to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” he says. “There is part of me that is worried that I will not have the patience when I get back to being a pastor again and having to deal with some things that now seem a bit trivial. Every day I’m praying the Holy Spirit can fix that in me.”

What he does know is that the experience has changed his perspective on the world and brought elements of his faith into crystal clear focus.

Perhaps nothing says it better than the words of Matt. 25:35-36a ESV: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me.”

“That’s what I want to do. That’s who I want to be,” Ferguson says. “I don’t think that came alive for me until this.”

Tim Barker is an Orlando, Fla.-based freelance writer.

Rev. Travis Ferguson carries a young refugee at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Photo: Courtesy Rev. Travis Ferguson

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BY REBEKAH LUKAS

Below left: The Settle family, from left: first row, Tressa; second row, Brett, Addisyn and Chloe; and third row, Leslie and Rance.

Photo: Courtesy Dr. Rance Settle

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Dr. Rance Settle proudly wears his doctoral cap and gown after the virtual 2020 Concordia Seminary Commencement ceremony. Photo: Courtesy Dr. Rance Settle

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Dr. Rance Settle had always aspired to be a priest. Since he was little, he was involved in his Roman Catholic parish, and participated in Catholic youth and young adult groups throughout high school and college. He knew that was his path in life yet he constantly wrestled with the question, “Am I doing enough to be saved?”

While in college, he met a Lutheran young woman who later became his wife. She shared the teachings of Martin Luther, the Small Catechism and the Lutheran faith. His eyes were opened to grace and salvation through faith in Christ and, in December 1998, Settle was confirmed into the Lutheran church.

Settle found his path to priesthood sidetracked. While he wouldn’t be a priest in the Roman Catholic Church, he felt that pastoral ministry was still his calling, and in 2001 he began classes at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Fast forward to today and Settle has earned not only a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Concordia Seminary but a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) as well, a degree he earned over the course of 10 years and three different calls. “Initially it started with Pastoral Leadership Institute’s (PLI) five-year program,” Settle explained. At the time, PLI offered a parallel track to participants that incorporated extra readings and assignments to prepare for doctoral work. Upon completion of PLI, students would begin the four- to five-year D.Min. Program. “The practical angle of the D.Min. really appealed to me, carrying forward what I was learning with PLI while getting the good balance of academia that you can only get from Concordia Seminary,” he said. “It helped me manage everything I had learned thus far and benefit my church the most.”

With a concentration in missional leadership, Settle used his D.Min. Major Applied Project (MAP) to care for his congregation by helping members understand hospitality. “They were wanting to reach out into the community, but they didn’t know how,” he said.

When he published his MAP in 2020 as the book, Wholehearted Welcome in a Brokenhearted World: Rethinking Dinner Tables, Hospitality and Community, One Welcome at a Time, he found it to be very timely as the coronavirus pandemic hit. “I really wanted to equip people first to be welcoming to their own families,” he said, “then show them how that translates into congregational life.”

Since Settle’s graduation in 2020, the D.Min. Program has undergone a curriculum update and moved fully online. “This will be so helpful for guys who can’t get to campus,” Settle said excitedly. “Global community has been opened wide since the pandemic. The way we think of collaboration has been altered.

People have more experience and comfortability doing things online, and it’s easier and more personal than before. Concordia Seminary continues to be cutting edge, engaging with contemporary culture with the tools available.”

“MY SEMINARY EDUCATION TAUGHT ME HOW TO REACH THE HEARTS OF MY PEOPLE.”

Reflecting on his very first year at Seminary, Settle remembered, “Dr. Andrew Bartelt gave a great presentation about the pastor’s head and his heart. The heart is the center of emotion: You need to care about your people. But how do you care for them rightly?

And that’s where the head comes in, knowing theology, Lutheran doctrine and application. This is what was so great about my experience at the Sem, from the M.Div. through the D.Min. My Seminary education taught me how to reach the hearts of my people, as they think about the Gospel leading the way, tempering emotions and filtering them through our theology — something that’s lasting rather than chasing after the latest thing.”

Settle says the D.Min. Program has improved his ministry immeasurably. “If there is any way you can do it, it is so worth it,” Settle said. “Not only for the betterment of yourself, but also for the practical side of helping your ministry to flourish, building on the strengths already in your unique context, equipping your ministry — head and heart — for even better service to the glory of the kingdom.”

Since releasing his book, congregations, pastors, podcasters and intrigued individuals have reached out to him to learn more. “It gives me joy to know this work has not only enriched me, but that it is bearing fruit in my congregation as well as other congregations.

It is helping them learn how to engage the head and the heart, being more like Jesus to each other and to the community around them.”

Deaconess Rebekah Lukas is a communications specialist at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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Dr. Joel Elowsky. Photo: Harold Rau

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Looking TO THE future NEW ADVANCED STUDIES DEAN

BY SARAH MANEY

Dr. Joel Elowsky, professor of Historical Theology, began his education in a two-room grade school in the rural town of Lowden, Iowa. “Kindergarten through fourth grade were in one room, and fifth through eighth grade were in the other one,” Elowsky said. “I came from a large family, so my siblings populated a lot of the grades.”

By the time he reached high school, he was thinking about ministry, a decision he didn’t take lightly. He pursued the pre-seminary program at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich., with a focus on the biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew, which added to his growing knowledge of Latin and German.

After earning his undergraduate degree, Elowsky was tired of school. So he decided to take a gap year and backpack throughout Europe. With his hard-earned savings, he purchased a Eurail Pass and stayed in youth hostels — and ended up “going to school anyway,” taking courses at Westfield House in Cambridge, England.

Elowsky continued his education at Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada (where he would later meet his wife, Joy, who lived across the border in Niagara Falls, N.Y.), and finished his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) (’90) at Concordia Seminary and Master of 16

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Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) (’92). After serving as a mission developer in southern New Jersey for nine years, Elowsky continued his studies at Drew University, N.J., where he obtained his Master of Philosophy (’08) and Ph.D. (’09) — all the while writing, managing and editing the 29-volume Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (ACCS) series and the five-volume Ancient Christian Doctrine (ACD) series with InterVarsity Press (IVP). He served as the volume editor of two volumes on the Gospel of John (ACCS) and another volume on the Holy Spirit (ACD).

Elowsky continues to edit individual volumes for another series with IVP, Ancient Christian Texts (16 volumes so far).

And that’s just the tip of his bibliographic iceberg.

Much of his work specializes in early church studies, the history of exegesis, mission work and African Christianity.

His translation of Athanasius’ Letter to Marcellinus was used in the Africa Study Bible. In 2019, he was a consultant for the “60 Minutes” segment on the churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia.

Today, Elowsky, a faculty member since 2014, serves as professor of Historical Theology, director of the Center for the Study of Early Christian Texts, coordinator of International Seminary Exchange Programs and, as of July 1, dean of Advanced Studies.

FACULTY FOCUS

Advanced Studies: looking forward The Seminary’s Advanced Studies Program prepares students for theological leadership in the church and world and includes four programs: the Master of Arts (M.A.), S.T.M. and Ph.D., which are overseen by Dr. Beth Hoeltke, director of the Graduate School; and the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), led by Dr. Mark Rockenbach.

Looking to the future, Elowsky is keeping service at the heart of Advanced Studies. “Our primary focus is determining the direction of the Graduate School and the D.Min. Program and really exploring how the programs can best serve the church,” he said.

“Joel brings a unique perspective to the job, especially with the vast amount of scholarship to his name,” said Hoeltke. “He is a visionary both in the work of the church at large, but also in his theological depth.”

Elowsky hopes to bolster the Graduate School’s international reach by strengthening the Seminary’s partnerships with the international church bodies that have a relationship with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS).

Elowsky, who has been invited to lecture at the Patristics Center at the University of Cluj in Romania next summer, has taught internationally in Ethiopia, Taiwan, Russia and Lebanon, and in Europe and Latin America — just to name a few.

Each year, international students come to campus to study, but for some, the cost can be prohibitive. Elowsky is looking at hybrid models to make the programs even more accessible.

He recently met with Rev. Shauen Trump, regional director for the LCMS Office of International Mission’s Africa region.

Trump asked if the Seminary could offer an M.A. program for professors and pastors in Kenya and other places in east Africa. “Offering an online M.A. to students in Kenya and east Africa is one idea,” Elowsky said. “By offering these classes online, the students could take them while working and serving the people in their home countries. It would be an affordable and effective way to extend our expertise with these students.”

The D.Min. Program was recently converted to an online format and its curriculum updated to better serve pastors who are currently serving in ministry ­— whether in the United States or internationally.

“The D.Min. Program is an outstanding opportunity for pastors to further their education while remaining in their ministry setting. Yet, the program is a hidden gem. Many

pastors are not aware that they can work on a practical doctoral degree while still serving in ministry,” said Rockenbach. “As the dean of Advanced Studies, Dr. Elowsky will be an advocate for promoting the program to pastors around the world who want to be scholar practitioners.”

Looking to the future of Advanced Studies also means thinking about the next generation of Seminary professors.

“We have a lot of upcoming students who we are encouraging to enroll in the Graduate School,” Elowsky said.

“We have a good program here that could provide the next generation of professors.”

The bona fides of Advanced Studies The advanced degrees, particularly the S.T.M. and the Ph.D., offer pastors the opportunity to study a particular area of theology in more depth.

Elowsky experienced the value of his S.T.M. first-hand during his first call with the LCMS SELC District as a mission developer in Galloway Township, N.J. (1992-2000).

The additional training from an advanced degree is helpful for pastors as they encounter parishioners’ tough theological questions such as, How can Jesus be both human and divine?

Why is there evil in this world?

“JOEL BRINGS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO THE JOB, ESPECIALLY WITH THE VAST AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIP TO HIS NAME.”

-DR. BETH HOELTKE

“Providing an in-depth answer is important so that we don’t just give pat answers to questions people are asking — but answer the actual question they’re asking,” Elowsky said. “Parishioners want somebody who has thought through these questions.

“It’s a testimony to the fact that our Graduate School here prepared me very well. And I think it has served a lot of our students very well. When you see a degree from Concordia Seminary, you’re seeing something that has bona fides — it has some meat to it; some heft — it’s proven to be worthwhile.”

Sarah Maney is a communications specialist at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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Board of Regents elects new officers

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The Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Board of Regents recently elected new officers to fill leadership vacancies.

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The board elected Rev. W. Max Mons, campus pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel in Iowa City, Iowa, to serve as chairman.

Mons has been serving on the board since 2016 and was previously serving as vice chairman. He succeeds the board’s former chairman, Dr. Todd A. Peperkorn, who accepted a call, effective Aug. 16, to serve as assistant professor of pastoral ministry and missions at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. Mons earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) from Concordia Seminary (’96, ’05). He has served two parishes: St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Luzerne, Iowa (1996-2001); and St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel in Iowa City (2001-present).

He also serves as the first vice president of The

Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Iowa District East.

The board also elected Dr. Tyler Arnold, senior pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Platte Woods, Mo., as vice chairman. Arnold joined the board in 2019.

Arnold earned an M.Div. from Concordia Seminary (’99) and his Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. (’19). He has served two parishes: Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, Ill. (2004-06); and Christ Lutheran Church in Platte Woods, Mo. (1999-2004, 2006-present). He also serves as a collegium fellow for DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel.

The LCMS Board of Directors is expected soon to appoint a new regent to fill the vacancy and serve out the remainder of Peperkorn’s term, which runs through 2025.

Concordia Seminary Press debuts preaching series Lutheran theologian and scholar Dr. Dean Nadasdy advocates for the artfulness of preaching in The Beautiful Sermon: Image and the Aesthetics of Preaching, the first title in The Conversations in Preaching Series from Concordia Seminary Press, the publishing arm of Concordia Seminary. The series debuted this fall.

“Each book in the series will take up one topic relevant to the preaching task and begin a conversation. At the heart of the conversation will be a Lutheran sensibility of preaching,” said Dr. David Schmitt, the editor of the series and the Seminary’s Gregg H. Benidt Memorial Professor of Homiletics and Literature. “Preaching is the authoritative public proclamation of the faith, normed and guided by the Scriptures, centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ for forgiveness, life and salvation, for the benefit of the hearers in their relationship to God and to others.”

In The Beautiful Sermon, Nadasdy highlights preachers who have contributed significantly to aesthetic theology such as Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards. Nadasdy explores seven elements that contribute to the beautiful sermon and the various approaches to using images in preaching. He includes three sermons, 18

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with commentary, to illustrate the power of imagery in sermons to carry truth and provide beauty. Throughout the book, beautiful works of art are included to display their powerful impact on preaching.

“It’s exciting to see the first book in The Conversations in Preaching Series come to fruition,” said Dr. Erik Herrmann, dean of Theological Research and Publication. “It’s our prayer that this series will be another helpful resource for busy pastors and will aid their growth in preaching.”

The Beautiful Sermon: Image and the Aesthetics of Preaching is the first title in The Conversations in Preaching Series.

The Beautiful Sermon is available in paperback for $19.95 in the Seminary’s online Campus Store at csl.edu/store, at cph.org and on Amazon.

NEWS WORTH NOTING

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The campus community enjoyed ice cream treats in celebration of #GiveGreenandGold Day Sept. 27.

Photo: Sarah Maney

#GiveGreenandGold Day raises record- breaking $49K

Advent Sermon Series features OT narratives

Scores of donors came out in full force Sept. 27 to support Concordia Seminary on the third annual #GiveGreenandGold Day. The event raised $49,845, nearly doubling the campaign goal of $25,000, by 284 supporters — the highest number of donors on a single day of giving to date.

Finding Christ in the Old Testament is the focus of the 2021 Advent Sermon Series, “The Bible, Our Book of Advents,” from Concordia Seminary Press. The series, now available as a downloadable PDF, includes four sermons drawing from Old Testament texts that prefigure the advents of Christ.

#GiveGreenandGold Day donors were able to double their gifts dollar-for-dollar up to the first $10,000 raised, thanks to a generous benefactor.

“True Advent challenges us, but there is much in our surrounding culture that subtly wears down messages of Christ’s advents,” said the series author, President Emeritus Dr. Dale A. Meyer, in the series’ introduction. “Advent is about anticipation, less of the manger and more about the final revelation of Christ when He leads His ransomed to the inheritance reserved in heaven.”

“We are immensely grateful to all of the donors who gave so generously in support of the Seminary,” said Vicki Biggs, senior vice president of Seminary Advancement and chief communications officer. “Their joy and enthusiasm is especially energizing as the Seminary continues its important mission $49K of forming future pastors and deaconesses to shepherd our congregations and to share the Gospel worldwide.” #GiveGreenandGold Day has raised $102,908 since its inception in 2019. Concordia Seminary celebrates three annual days of giving: #GiveGreenandGold Day, Giving Tuesday and GiveSTL Day.

GOAL $25K

The sermons in “The Bible, Our Book of Advents” invite listeners to consider biblical narratives that are not always the focus of the Advent season. Instead, Meyer contemplates anew the stories of Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Joshua with an eye toward the advent and arrival of God among His people, then and now. In each sermon, Meyer encourages pastors to adapt the content and rhetoric to their own style and pastoral needs.

After each sermon, a “Supplemental Thought” section provides suggested hymns, Scripture and prayers.

The downloadable PDF is available for $14.95 in the Seminary’s online store at csl.edu/store.

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Alumni Reunion welcomes class of ’71 Graduates of Concordia Seminary’s class of 1971 and their spouses pose for a photo during the Alumni Reunion, which took place Oct. 14-15 on campus. More than 150 people attended the event, which included a presentation by Dr. Mark Schuler of Concordia University, Saint Paul, Minn., on the Ein Gedi archaeological excavation in Israel; a “Taste of St. Louis” supper; a performance by the Seminary choir Laudamus; and a campus update from Provost Dr. Douglas L. Rutt. Photo: Rebekah Lukas

CSL/CUW partner for third online continuing ed leadership course Concordia Seminary partnered with Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon (CUW) for a third online continuing education course for ordained pastors, commissioned church workers and lay leaders earlier this fall.

The course, “Four Leadership Approaches Every Leader Should Know and Use,” ran from Sept. 14 through Oct. 26. The course was taught by Dr. Benjamin Haupt, associate provost and associate professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary; Dr. Luke Schnake, pastor emeritus of Christ Lincoln Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Neb.; and Dr. Ryan Peterson, vice president of administration at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich.

D.Min. Program debuts updated curriculum Concordia Seminary recently converted its Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Program to an online format and updated the program’s curriculum to meet the needs of pastors who are currently serving in ministry.

“The advancement of technology has provided us with more innovative ways to deliver the academic experience,” said Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program Dr. Mark Rockenbach. “I believe that pastors who participate in the Doctor of Ministry Program at Concordia Seminary will be reinvigorated by the experience, and it will deepen their ability to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ within the context they have been called to serve.”

The D.Min. Program equips men in parish ministry with a higher level of competence in the practice of pastoral ministry. Students gain the skills to apply rigorous scholarship and theology to contemporary issues within their ministry context and to enhance their expertise as scholar-practitioners in their ministry field.

More than 60 church workers enrolled for the class, which counted for one Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for pastors.

D.Min. students can choose from five concentrations: General Pastoral Ministry, Homiletics, Missional Leadership, Military Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care.

The online course included a leadership assessment and covered topics on leading through the frame of human resources, symbolism, structure and politics.

For more information, visit csl.edu/dmin or contact Enrollment at 800-822-9545 or gradschooladm@csl.edu.

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u eH rac o H Dr.

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NEWS WORTH NOTING

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Dr. L.

Hummel enters rest

Hempelmann enters rest

Dr. Horace D. Hummel, professor emeritus at Concordia Seminary, entered eternal rest in Jesus Oct. 7 in Vista, Calif.

He was 93 years old.

Dr. L. Dean Hempelmann, a former professor and academic dean of Concordia Seminary and former president of Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton, Canada, entered eternal rest in Jesus Aug. 29. He was 82 years old.

A memorial service took place Oct. 14 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Escondido, Calif.

Hummel faithfully served the church as a pastor, theological educator and scholar.

A private visitation and burial was held Sept. 10. A public memorial service took place Sept. 29 at Faith Lutheran Church in Georgetown, Texas.

“We thank God for the many blessings He has brought to us and to His church through Dr. Hummel’s life of service, scholarship and teaching,” said Seminary President Dr. Thomas J. Egger. “We eagerly await the great day of reunion and resurrection, when Christ our Savior appears.”

Hempelmann devotedly served the church as a pastor, theological educator and administrator, seminary president and executive of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. His 12 years of parish ministry included serving at Peace Lutheran Church in Selah, Wash. (1966-70), and St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Salem, Ore. (1970-78).

Hummel retired from Concordia Seminary in 1995. He joined the Seminary in 1974 as associate professor of Exegetical Theology and was advanced to professor in 1979. He served as chairman of the Department of Exegetical Theology (198195) and as an instructor (1956-58). He also served as a guest professor at Seminario Concordia, Porto Alegre, Brazil (1983), and Lutheran Theological Seminary, Novosibirsk, Russia (1997).

He joined Concordia Seminary in 1978 as director of admissions and ministerial recruitment. He served at the Seminary for 16 years and taught in the Practical Theology department, and served various roles including as acting director of Seminary Relations, academic dean and director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. In 1990, before Dr. John F. Johnson became the Seminary’s ninth president, he served as acting president.

Concordia Seminary Emeritus Professor of Exegetical Theology Dr. Andrew Bartelt praised Hummel in a recent issue of Concordia Journal as “a teacher and a colleague who has influenced so many in the study of the Hebrew Scriptures, but also as one who has championed the richness of the biblical record and helped us understand and appreciate the theological heritage that is ours.”

“Dr. Hempelmann was such a dignified, lovable man who encouraged us with his genuine interest, his joy in Christ, his laughter and his calm confidence that the Lord would care for His people and care for His church,” said Seminary President Dr. Thomas J. Egger. “It was always a pleasure to be with him and a great blessing to know and learn from him. His faithful labors in parish ministry and in pastoral education will continue to bear fruit for many years to come.”

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Pre-Lenten Workshop

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LENTEN

SERMON SERIES

1.

NEWS WORTH NOTING

Nearly 300 attend Theological Symposium After a one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 31st Annual Theological Symposium took place Sept. 21-22 at Concordia Seminary.

The theme, “Whatever is Lovely: The Role of Beauty in Theology and Ministry,” was chosen in conjunction with the stained glass that has recently been installed in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. For the first time, symposium attendees had the option to participate inperson or online.

The event also featured an LCMS Foundation-sponsored golf outing, an art exhibit in the Kristine Kay Hasse Memorial Library and the annual Dr. Jack Dean Kingsbury lecture, presented by Dr. James W. Voelz.

2.

More than 300 people including clergy, lay leaders, faculty and students attended the symposium.

1. Dr. David Schmitt, the Seminary’s Gregg H. Benidt Memorial Professor of Homiletics and Literature, presented the plenary “Holy Wonder: Credal Contemplation and the Experience of Beauty,” Sept. 21 during the Theological Symposium.

Photo: Harold Rau 2. During the Theological Symposium, the Seminary honored Dr. Jack Dean Kingsbury, second from left, with a special display in the library. From left: Dr. James W. Voelz, Kingsbury, Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs, President Dr. Thomas J. Egger and Dr. Bruce Schuchard.

Photo: Jill Gray 3. Dr. James K.A. Smith, an award-winning author and the Gary and Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview at Calvin University, presented the plenary “The Art of Hope: Imagining Another World in a World That Breaks Our Hearts” Sept. 21 during the symposium. Photo: Jill Gray

Save the date MAY

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3.

MULTIETHNIC SYMPOSIUM: Rise and Enter the City: The Hopeful Church in the Multiethnic City

Registration: $50, includes Tuesday lunch and dinner, Wednesday breakfast and lunch Deadline: April 8, 2022 laptop csl.edu/multiethnic-symposium/

SEPT.

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FRIEDRICH FAMILY CSL ALUMNI 1923-1986

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Friedrich family: Supporting the Seminary from one generation to the next

BY REBEKAH LUKAS

Dr. Brian Friedrich looks at the wall above his office desk to a portrait of his grandfather, Rev. Walter Friedrich.

The oldest son of William and Christine Friedrich, Walter grew up in Alta, Iowa. At that time, the Friedrich family had a tradition: The oldest son belonged to the Lord.

He would become a pastor and serve the Lord and His church. So, Walter attended Concordia High School and College in Saint Paul, Minn. (now Concordia University, Saint Paul), and continued on to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, graduating in 1923. He spent his entire ministry from 1923-77 in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Iowa District West.

Walter and his wife, Alma, had six children. All four of their sons graduated from Concordia Seminary: Rev. Martin Friedrich (’49), Rev. Henry Friedrich (’53), Rev. William Friedrich (’55) and Rev. Robert Friedrich (’62). Two of their grandsons also entered the ministry, graduating from Concordia Seminary: Dr. Brian Friedrich (’86) and Rev. Mark Friedrich (’86). Two grandsons-in-law also serve in the ministry, graduating from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.: Rev. Henry Witte (’79) and Rev. David Baumgarn (’96).

“My parents saw to it that we were all baptized and instructed in the Word,” says Rev. Henry Friedrich, Dr. Brian Friedrich’s father, as he ponders his parents’ lives.

“Their attitude was always to keep us in the faith and to encourage and inspire us [their sons] to consider going to the Seminary as well. We became pastors because of the interest and encouragement our parents gave to us.” At that time, finances often were not great for those in the ministry, and yet, “whenever my brothers and I came home,” Henry remarks appreciatively, “we never left empty-handed.”

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Henry proudly reflects on his father’s ministry. “He was a one-on-one kind of person, making a lot of calls and visits,” Henry says. And Walter wasn’t doing this ministry alone. “My siblings and I wanted to not only honor Dad, but also the one who was there next to him, helping him all along,” he says. “My grandma was the quintessential pastor’s wife,” Brian adds with a smile. Alma was beside her husband throughout his ministry, supporting and helping him in everything.

Walter and Alma’s influence reached beyond their own children and grandchildren. “My dad was pastor of the family in a way,” observes Henry. “It was at a family reunion when my siblings and I brought up establishing an endowment, and many of our extended family members really liked that idea. My parents were really respected by the family.” In 2014, “The Walter H. and Alma Thraum Friedrich Family Endowment” was established by Rev. Henry Friedrich and his siblings “as testimony to Walter Friedrich’s ministry and to honor the memory of Walter and Alma Friedrich.” This kind of fund is created for the purpose of generating perpetual earnings and ongoing, increasing worth — a way of giving that furthers the mission of Concordia Seminary.

“God is faithful,” says Henry. “Without Him, we have nothing. We thank Him for His power and His provision.”

This thankfulness and praise to God is seen even within the endowment itself, which states that the student financial aid endowment “is established as a testimony to the greatness of the Triune God, who has bestowed rich and gracious blessings, both temporal and eternal, upon His beloved children. To Him be all glory, honor and praise.”

SUPPORT SUPPORT YOUR YOUR SEM SEM

Title

Above, from left: Walter H.C. Friedrich, Martin H. W. Friedrich, Henry W. A. Friedrich, William E. Friedrich, Robert A. Friedrich, Brian L. Friedrich and Mark D. Friedrich.

The benefits of CHARITABLE BEQUESTS A charitable bequest is an easy way for you to support Concordia Seminary’s ministry!

Here are some of the benefits of bequest giving:

Below: The Friedrich family at Walter and Alma’s 50th wedding anniversary.

First row, from left, Alma and Walter; second row, Caroline, Henry, William and Christine; and third row, Martin and Robert. Photos: Courtesy Friedrich family

It costs you nothing today to make a bequest.

The Great Commission, the mission of the Seminary and the Friedrich family’s endowment is a part of all of that. Giving to the Seminary is one way of pressing forward, preparing the current and next generations of servants, Brian asserts. “I think about how the Great Commission is seeded into the mission of the Seminary, and the thrust of the Great Commission is the forward movement,” Brian says. “We ought to be forward-going people within Jesus’ mission.

That’s what He called His first disciples to do 2,000 years ago. That’s what He continues to call us to do until we’re home with Him in heaven. Anything on this side of eternity that we can do, we want to be helping to move that mission forward.”

Your bequest can be changed down the road.

You can still benefit your heirs with specific gifts.

Brian glances again to his grandfather’s portrait. “I look at him every day,” he says.

Walter and Alma left a legacy of generosity to the church. Their children, in honoring that legacy, have left their own legacy. “The endowment is a way to give witness to Walter and Alma’s lives of service,” Brian says, “and to encourage and support the next generations of those who also are giving their lives into service of Christ’s church.

It is our prayer that many others would be moved to join in that forward mission.”

Deaconess Rebekah Lukas is a communications specialist at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

TAX

A bequest may produce estate tax savings.

You can leave a legacy through a bequest.

Learn more: csl.edu/support CONCORDIA SEMINARY, ST. LOUIS

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Trusting God’s plan STUDENT FINDS FREEDOM IN CHRIST

BY SARAH MANEY

Idonis King’s path to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis began with a wrong turn.

It was 2014. It was a typical day for King, who had been out driving. Missing his turn, he saw the stone pillar greeting visitors at the edge of campus: “Concordia Seminary.”

He remembered that he had been praying for God’s direction in his life. King got out of his car, found his way to the admissions office and asked, “What type of school is this?”

The admissions staffer explained that he was on the campus of one of two seminaries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The staff member asked whether King was Lutheran or if he had a bachelor’s degree. While the answer was no to both questions, he wasn’t discouraged. He uttered a quick prayer. Was he supposed to come to Concordia Seminary one day?

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“I was just trusting God. He was guiding me,” King said.

His favorite verse, Prov. 3:5-6, came to mind: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

With a desire to help, the admissions representative gave King the name of an LCMS church near his home and encouraged him to visit. The path was clear. King headed to Hope Lutheran Church in St. Ann, Mo., where he was welcomed by the now-retired Pastor Tim Ostermeyer, who listened to King’s story, and invited him to church and to catechumen class.

A GIFT OF GOD

Before visiting Hope Lutheran, King had never stepped into a Lutheran church. He grew up attending a church in a different denomination that focused on believers and their ability to not sin — or they would lose their salvation. Faithful followers needed to be saved, time and again. To King, it felt like a no-win, vicious cycle: He was too sinful to grace Heaven’s gates.

But then he learned about Lutheran theology during his catechumen class. “The way Lutherans teach about

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Idonis King, M.Div. student, is thankful God led him to Concordia Seminary. Photo: Sarah Maney

salvation — that distinction of knowing that grace saves me versus what I can do — is what brought me to Lutheran theology,” said King, smiling.

“It was a burden lifted off me.

Man, I love Lutheran theology.”

ON TO SEMINARY

King moved forward, trusting in God’s plan. He became a member at Hope Lutheran and finished his bachelor’s degree at Columbia College– St. Louis. In 2019, King began the Master of Divinity Program at Concordia Seminary.

“All of the professors have been a blessing to me,” King said. But it was Dr. Timothy Dost, professor of Historical Theology, who was “out of the gate, down to earth,” offering some assistance with one of King’s papers. “You know how sometimes you write how you talk? Well, that’s what I did. Dost slayed my paper, helping me through it. I appreciate him for that.”

King enjoys seeing the professors in action and watching how they teach their courses. During his homiletics, or preaching, course with Dr. David Schmitt, the Seminary’s Gregg H. Benidt Memorial Professor of Homiletics and Literature, he marveled as Schmitt gave a 45-minute sermon “without looking at anything,” King recalled.

In another course, Worship and the Word, taught by Dr. Kent Burreson, the Seminary’s Louis A. Fincke and Anna B. Shine Professor of Systematic Theology, King said he “appreciated Burreson’s artistic way of incorporating the liturgy and the church year into a worship service.”

King has thought much about the freedom that God gives us, having recently read Creation and Fall by Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In the book, Bonhoeffer explains that God made everything out of His freedom, but to be made in His freedom is to be bound to everything. “To recognize your freedom is to recognize that you are part of the creation and that you are a creature, and you have responsibility as far as

being made in the image of God,” King said. He takes that responsibility seriously; it stands in contrast to the addictive drug use that he often sees in his St. Louis neighborhood.

King grew up in relative stability and is thankful that he wasn’t influenced by the drug culture growing up, unlike many of his friends.

“Where I’m from, I know so many guys who use drugs all day. I can’t just go to them and preach at them,” King said.

“These guys who use drugs, they go home and it’s all they see: Their mamas doing drugs, their daddies doing drugs.

Their uncles or big brothers use drugs.”

It is another no-win, vicious cycle — a cycle that only the Good News of the Gospel can break. King is always looking for opportunities to “plant a seed,” and being a witness with his actions and, when the time is right, sharing words of hope in Jesus.

King says he is looking forward to continuing his path toward vicarage.

“Wherever I’m placed, I hope to have enough knowledge and understanding to serve my future congregation well,” he said. “I also pray that it will be a blessing to my wife and kids.” King is married to Alexis and he is the father of three children: Jordan, Alana and Ilijah.

“To recognize your freedom is to recognize that you are part of the creation and that you are a creature, and you have responsibility as far as being made in the image of God.” — Idonis King King’s journey to the Seminary may have begun with a missed turn, but he continues to trust God and to “lean not on his own understanding.” He knows God will make his path straight.

Sarah Maney is a communications specialist at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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