Concordia Theological Seminary

Concordia Theological Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It offers professional, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees affiliated with training clergy and deaconesses for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS).

History

Formation in Fort Wayne

In 1844, Frederick C. D. Wyneken, pastor of the Lutheran church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, began pastoral training of two young men. Wyneken took a call in 1845 to a congregation in Baltimore, Maryland, and was replaced by Wilhelm Sihler, who continued the training. Wyneken had earlier written to Wilhelm Loehe in Germany, requesting help in providing pastors for German Lutheran immigrants to the United States, and in August 1846 eleven theological students and their instructor arrived in Fort Wayne, having been sent by Loehe. The seminary was formally organized at that time, with Sihler becoming the first president. Classes were held in the parsonage, and a four-room house was rented for use as a dormitory.

thumb|Concordia Theological Seminary in [[Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1860]]

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod was organized in 1847, and in response to the new synod's request, Loehe transferred ownership of the seminary to the synod. He continued to support the seminary by sending money, books, and students from Germany. Two years later the seminary purchased about east of Fort Wayne and erected the first building on its new campus. C. F. W. Walther, who was already the president of the St. Louis seminary, became president of the practical seminary as well. However, there was friction between the two institutions among both faculty and students, in part due to the differences in academic rigor and purposes. In addition, the growth in enrollment in both seminaries led to overcrowding of the campus.

{| class="wikitable"

!No.

!Name

!Term

| 1

| Wilhelm Sihler

| 1846–1861

| 2

| C. F. W. Walther

| 1861–1875

| 3

| Friedrich August Crämer

| 1875–1891

| 4

| Reinhold Pieper

| 1891–1914

| 5

| Richard Daniel Biedermann

| 1914–1921

| 6

| Henry Adam Klein

| 1922–1935

| 7

| Henry B. Hemmeter

| 1936–1945

| 8

| G. Christian Barth

| 1945–1952

| 9

| Walter A. Baepler

| 1952–1958

| 10

| George Beto

| 1959–1962

| 11

| J. A. O. Preus II

| 1962–1969

| 12

| Richard J. Schultz

| 1970–1974

| 13

| Robert D. Preus

| 1974–1989

| Norbert H. Mueller

| 1989–1992

| Robert D. Preus

| 1992–1993

| 14

| David G. Schmiel

| 1993–1995

| 15

| Dean O. Wenthe

| 1996–2011

| 16

| Lawrence R. Rast Jr.

| 2011–2024

| 17

| Jon S. Bruss

| 2024–present

Academics

Concordia Theological Seminary is divided into four departments: Exegetical Theology, Historical Theology, Pastoral Ministry and Mission, and Systematic Theology.

The seminary is theologically conservative, emphasizing study of the Bible and the Book of Concord. It is a liturgical community following the practice of praying the divine offices each day, including Matins, Vespers and Compline, as well as celebrating the Lord's Supper each week.

Notable alumni

Dan Cloeter, Lutheran pastor and marathon runner
Patrick Ferry, president of Concordia University Wisconsin from 1997 to 2021
Daniel L. Gard, Deputy Chief of Chaplains for Reserve Matters of the United States Navy Chaplain Corps (2013–2019), president of Concordia University Chicago (2014–2019)
Matthew Harrison, president of the LCMS (2010–present)
Joel D. Heck, professor of theology at Concordia University Texas
Scot Kerns, member of the Montana State Legislature
Gerald B. Kieschnick, president of the LCMS (2001–2010)
Donald K. Muchow, Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy (1994–1997)
Andrew Schulze, Lutheran pastor and civil rights activist
Andrew Steinmann, professor of theology and Hebrew at Concordia University Chicago
Gordon Winrod, Lutheran pastor, and later, a Christian Identity minister

Publications

The seminary publishes a journal for professional theologians, a magazine for laity and for the seminary community, and books.

Concordia Theological Quarterly, a continuation of The Springfielder, is a theological journal of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, published for its ministerium by the faculty of the seminary. CTQ is published in January, April, July, and October, and is indexed by the ATLA Religion Database.
For the Life of the World is the official magazine of Concordia Theological Seminary.
Concordia Theological Seminary Press has published numerous books, including works by Martin Luther, Johann Gerhard, F. C. D. Wyneken, C. F. W. Walther, Walter A. Maier, and Robert Preus.