Walther Society brochure 2016-17

We are Walther Society To learn more about becoming a member of Concordia Seminary’s Walther Society, please call 800-822-5287, email advancement@csl.edu or visit www.csl.edu/walthersociety.

801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105 | 314-505-7000 | www.csl.edu

A giving society honoring Concordia Seminary’s most faithful and generous supporters

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I feel like I’m walking with my donors because they are invested in what I am doing. I truly do believe they are part of my ministerial formation.

Matt Bohlmann (‘19)

WALTHER IETY CO N T I N U E T H E L E G AC Y

Dr. C.F.W. Walther was a towering figure of 19th-century Lutheranism. His knowledge of and unwavering commitment to the Lutheran Confessions and the theology of Martin Luther provided a firm foundation for the growth and development of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Top photo from left to right: The faculty of Concordia Seminary in 1880. The stained glass window in Wartburg Hall. The original log cabin schoolhouse built in 1839.

Concordia Seminary’s Walther Society has been created to honor the storied commitment of Walther to the Church for the sake of the Gospel, evident in his leadership of our church body and the Seminary’s founders, among whose first endeavors was to construct a school for the purpose of educating future church leaders.

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Concordia Seminary is all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is for all people, and now especially for Dr. Dale A. Meyer coming generations.

President

MEMBERSHIP IN T H E WA LT H E R S O C I E T Y

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

The Walther Society honors the Seminary’s most faithful donors and recognizes the annual stewardship commitment by these supporters of the Seminary. The Society is the cornerstone of annual giving to the Seminary.

Donors making annual, cumulative gifts beginning at $1,000 or more join together through the Walther Society in support of the mission of the Seminary. Your financial gifts support the ongoing operational needs of the Seminary. Your gifts also provide resources for the recruitment and preparation of the students who will be our future church leaders — those who will shepherd us, our loved ones and our descendants for generations to come on the heavenward journey.

PA R T N E R S I N T H E M I S S I O N O F T H E S E M I N A R Y

The 1946-47 graduating class.

Our generous donors help Concordia Seminary carry out its mission: to serve 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 (LCMS).

Recognition

Designation

$10,000+

Walther Society Ambassador

$5,000+

Walther Society Benefactor

$2,500+

Walther Society Patron

$1,000+

Walther Society Circle

P R E PA R I N G S E R VA N T S Walther Society members bless God’s Church with gifts that help to ensure that the Seminary provides students with a world-class theological education.

The Seminary’s residential Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is the signature program for pastoral formation in the LCMS. Women are prepared for diaconal ministry through our

Deaconess Studies program, and we offer advanced degree programs for those seeking deeper theological knowledge and training.

Your annual, ongoing gifts strengthen our ability to provide this formation experience for the shepherds who will lovingly minister to God’s people and reach the lost.

H O W TO J O I N

R E CO G N I T I O N O F M E M B E R S

To join or renew your membership, make a cumulative gift of $1,000 or more. An annual gift may be made outright or in the form of pledges that can be fulfilled by each year end.

Both restricted and unrestricted gifts will be applied to your total annual cumulative gift.

With thankfulness to God and in grateful recognition of the generous support Walther Society members provide to the Seminary, it is our pleasure to honor Society members with invitations to campus events, special recognition at Seminary activities, a complimentary subscription to Concordia Seminary magazine and other special benefits.

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Michael Van Beek Donor Edwardsville, lll.

How could we not feel excited to support this vitally important ministry that will carry the Gospel message to our children, our grandchildren and our greatgrandchildren?

T H E L E G AC Y O F D R . C . F. W. WA LT H E R The Walther Society continues the legacy of Dr. C.F.W. Walther, the first president of Concordia Seminary and The Lutheran Church—Missouri

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Synod (LCMS).

The son of a pastor, Walther left Saxony, Germany, in 1838 and immigrated with a group of about 800 people to the United States out of a deep desire to preserve orthodox Lutheranism. One year

The Gospel does not say, ‘You must do good works.’ Rather, it fashions us into human beings, into creatures who cannot help but serve God and fellow human beings. Without a doubt, a precious effect!

Dr. C.F.W. Walther Law & Gospel: How to Read and Apply the Bible: A Reader’s Edition

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later, Walther helped build a log cabin school house and found Concordia Seminary in Perry County, Mo., about 100 miles south of St. Louis.

Walther, a man of deep conviction, was a pastor who left the security of his homeland to become one of the most influential and important theologians of the LCMS. He vigorously pursued faithfulness to the Word of God and the Lutheran Confessions. He laid a firm foundation for the education of church leaders that continues to this day.

Dr. C.F.W. Walther, President Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (1850-87)

Left: Professor Dr. Joel Biermann leads a systematic theology course.

Right: The 1864 graduating class.

As a member of the Walther Society, you can become a part of Walther’s legacy and join in Concordia Seminary’s mission to prepare pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and leaders who will bear witness to the Gospel within their communities for generations to come.

LEADING WITH THE GOSPEL This is an historic time in the history of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. In a time when the truths of God’s Word are quickly dismissed by many people, we will graduate better teachers of truth, of Law and Gospel, of sin and grace — servants who can teach the Scriptures effectively to young people, new Christians and longtime believers. The Seminary must train pastors who can effectively bring the Scriptures to both seasoned Christians as well as to a generation with little or no biblical awareness.

For more than 175 years, Concordia Seminary has provided theological training and formation for pastors and other church leaders. Our graduates enter the mission field ready to lead with the Gospel. God’s people can help make a Seminary education a reality for those whom He has called to ministry.

With your help, we will fulfill our promise to our students and build upon the tradition of excellence that has defined the Seminary. Your membership in the Walther Society will support the formation of faithful pastors who love our Lord and who love His people — and who share the Gospel message in ways that advance the Great Commission.

Inside cover image: Call Day 2015

SOC

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I feel like I’m walking with my donors because they are invested in what I am doing. I truly do believe they are part of my ministerial formation.

Matt Bohlmann (‘19)

We are Walther Society To learn more about becoming a member of Concordia Seminary’s Walther Society, please call 800-822-5287, email advancement@csl.edu or visit www.csl.edu/walthersociety.

801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105 | 314-505-7000 | www.csl.edu

A giving society honoring Concordia Seminary’s most faithful and generous supporters