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The Concordia Theological Seminary is a
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
in
Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
. It offers professional, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees affiliated with training
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
and
deaconess The ministry of a deaconess is, in modern times, a usually non-ordained ministry for women in some Protestant, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox churches to provide pastoral care, especially for other women, and which may carry a limited l ...
es 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 Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
, began pastoral training of two young men. Wyneken took a call in 1845 to a congregation in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore wa ...
, and was replaced by
Wilhelm Sihler Wilhelm Sihler (November 12, 1801 – October 27, 1885) was a German American Lutheran minister. A proponent for Christian education, Wilhelm Sihler founded Concordia Theological Seminary, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Biography Wilhelm Sihler was b ...
, 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. The
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The L ...
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. Within the synod the seminary was referred to as the "practical seminary" because its purpose was to quickly provide pastors for congregations. It provided both pre-seminary and seminary instruction. The pre-seminary course of work was similar to that of a high school, and the seminary classes provided enough theological training to enable the graduates to serve the congregations. However, the seminary did not require knowledge of the Biblical languages (Greek and Hebrew).


Relocation to St. Louis

To protect its students from the draft during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, the seminary moved, in 1861, to the campus of the synod's academic seminary,
Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, Missionary, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Chur ...
, in St. Louis, Missouri. Missouri exempted theological students from the draft, while Indiana did not.
C. F. W. Walther Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (October 25, 1811 – May 7, 1887) was a German-American Lutheran minister. He was the first president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and its most influential theologian. He is commemorated by that ...
, 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.


Relocation to Springfield

In 1874, the 29 pre-seminary students of the practical seminary, along with one instructor, were moved to the campus of the former
Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...
in
Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest ...
. That campus had been purchased by Trinity Lutheran Church in that city in 1873 to start the Evangelical Lutheran Female College and Normal School, but inability to obtain suitable faculty had stopped those plans. In 1875, the practical seminary itself moved to the Springfield campus, with president F. A. Craemer and the pre-seminary instructor serving as the faculty. A third faculty member joined the staff in 1876. At that time there were no particular entrance requirements. It was not until 1918 that completion of eighth grade was required of prospective students, the same year that an additional year of instruction was added to the pre-seminary course of study. The additional courses made it possible for pastors to obtain teaching certificates in states where pastors were not automatically eligible to teach in parochial schools. However, even in the 1920s the pastors graduating from the seminary generally had, except for the pastoral training, only the equivalent of a high school education. In view of the relatively low level of academic training provided by the seminary, resolutions to close the seminary were introduced in the 1932 and 1935 synodical conventions; the one in 1935 initially passed by a 266 to 265 vote, but was then reconsidered and defeated, 283 to 256. Nevertheless, the seminary began making changes: Greek was made a required course; new students had to have had at least two years of high school, and accreditation by the state of Illinois was sought. Starting in 1941, all entering students had to be high school graduates, allowing the seminary to discontinue all high school classes. Academic requirements were further strengthened in subsequent years. Entrance requirements were again raised, first to completion of two years of college, and again to prefer college graduates. Expectations for the faculty were also increased with the aim that all professors would have doctoral degrees. The American Association of Theological Schools accepted the seminary as a member in the fall of 1968. The Bachelor of Divinity degree which the seminary had awarded its graduates became fully accredited, and was replaced by the Master of Divinity degree in 1973.


Return to Fort Wayne

The seminary remained in Springfield until the synod reorganized its system of pastoral training and merged the program of
Concordia Senior College Concordia Senior College was a liberal arts college located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). It was founded in 1957 and closed in 1977. The senior college was a new type of institution for th ...
of Fort Wayne with Concordia College in
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all ...
. In 1976, the seminary returned to Fort Wayne, where it inherited the Senior College's award-winning campus, designed by
Eero Saarinen Eero Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1910 – September 1, 1961) was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer noted for his wide-ranging array of designs for buildings and monuments. Saarinen is best known for designing the General Motors ...
. The campus suffered some damage, mostly to trees, from an
F2 tornado The Fujita scale (F-Scale; ), or Fujita–Pearson scale (FPP scale), is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation. The official Fujita scale category is deter ...
that struck Fort Wayne in May 2001.


Presidents

Concordia has had 17 different presidents. *
Wilhelm Sihler Wilhelm Sihler (November 12, 1801 – October 27, 1885) was a German American Lutheran minister. A proponent for Christian education, Wilhelm Sihler founded Concordia Theological Seminary, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Biography Wilhelm Sihler was b ...
, 1846–1861 *
C. F. W. Walther Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (October 25, 1811 – May 7, 1887) was a German-American Lutheran minister. He was the first president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and its most influential theologian. He is commemorated by that ...
, 1861–1875 * F. A. Crämer, 1875–1891 * R. Pieper, 1891–1914 * R. D. Biedermann, 1914–1921 * H. A. Klein, 1922–1935 * H. B. Hemmeter, 1936–1945 * G. C. Barth, 1945–1952 * W. A. Baepler, 1952–1958 *
George Beto George John Beto (January 19, 1916 – December 4, 1991) was a director of the Texas Department of Corrections (TDC), a criminal justice expert in penology, a professor, and a Lutheran minister. He was previously the president of Concordia Luthe ...
, 1959–1962 *
J. A. O. Preus II Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus II (January 8, 1920, Saint Paul, Minnesota – August 13, 1994) was a Lutheran pastor, professor, author, seminary president and church denominational president. He served as the eighth president of the Lutheran Church ...
, 1962–1969 * Richard J. Schultz, 1970–1974 * Robert D. Preus, 1974–1989 (retired by the Board of Regents) * Norbert H. Mueller, interim president 1989–1992 * Robert D. Preus, 1992–1993 (reinstated by Synodical Convention resolution, with Michael Stelmachowicz as C.E.O.) * David G. Schmiel, 1993–1995 * Dean O. Wenthe, 1996–2011 * Lawrence R. Rast Jr, 2011–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 The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
and the
Book of Concord ''The Book of Concord'' (1580) or ''Concordia'' (often referred to as the ''Lutheran Confessions'') is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since ...
. It is a liturgical community following the practice of praying the divine offices each day, including
Matins Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning. The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which was originally celebrated ...
,
Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
and
Compline Compline ( ), also known as Complin, Night Prayer, or the Prayers at the End of the Day, is the final prayer service (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours, which are prayed at fixed prayer times. The English ...
, as well as celebrating the
Lord's Supper The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institut ...
each week.


Notable alumni

* Dan Cloeter, Lutheran pastor and marathon runner *
Patrick Ferry Patrick Ferry is an American academic administrator and pastor, serving as the president of Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin, from 1997 to 2021. The higher education institution is affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Mis ...
, 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 The United States Navy Chaplain Corps is the body of military chaplains of the United States Navy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is "to promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the mem ...
(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 Concordia University Texas is a private university in Austin, Texas. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and online degrees as well as an adult degree program for part-time and returning students. Concordia University Texas is affi ...
*
Scot Kerns Douglas Scot Kerns II, also known as Scot Kerns, is a Lutheran theologian and Republican politician who was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the current representative of House District 23 of the Montana State Legislature and a candidate mi ...
, member of the Montana State Legislature * Gerald B. Kieschnick, president of the LCMS (2001–2010) *
Donald K. Muchow Donald K. Muchow (born October 20, 1937 in Framingham, Massachusetts. He graduated from Concordia Senior College and Concordia Theological Seminary.) is a former rear admiral and Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy. In 1960, he married Mo ...
,
Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy (CHC) is the highest-ranking military chaplain in the United States Navy and head of the United States Navy Chaplain Corps. As part of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Department o ...
(1994–1997) * Andrew Steinmann, professor of theology and Hebrew at Concordia University Chicago * Gordon Winrod, Lutheran pastor, and later, a Christian Identity minister *
Christian Zimmerman Benjamin Christian Zimmerman is an American pastor, former politician, retired United States Air Force pilot, and commercial pilot from Idaho. Zimmerman was a Republican member of Idaho House of Representatives. Early life On April 14, 1940, Z ...
, Lutheran pastor


Publications

The seminary publishes a journal for professional theologians, a magazine for laity and for the seminary community, and books. *''
Concordia Theological Quarterly ''Concordia Theological Quarterly'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of theology published for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod by the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the c ...
'', a continuation of ''The Springfielder'', is a theological journal of the
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The L ...
, 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 Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
, Johann Gerhard,
F. C. D. Wyneken Friedrich Conrad Dietrich Wyneken (May 13, 1810 in Verden an der Aller – May 4, 1876 in San Francisco, California) was a missionary pastor in the United States. He also served for fourteen years as the second president of the Lutheran Church–Mi ...
,
C. F. W. Walther Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (October 25, 1811 – May 7, 1887) was a German-American Lutheran minister. He was the first president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and its most influential theologian. He is commemorated by that ...
,
Walter A. Maier Walter Arthur Maier (October 4, 1893 – January 11, 1950) was a noted radio personality, public speaker, prolific author, university professor, scholar of ancient Semitic languages and culture, Lutheran theologian and editor. He is best known as ...
, and Robert Preus.


Further reading

* Baepler, Walter A. ''A Century of Blessing: 1846–1946''. Springfield, IL: Concordia Theological Seminary, 1946. * Heintzen, Erich H. ''Prairie School of the Prophets: The Anatomy of a Seminary, 1846-1976''. St. Louis: Concordia, 1989. * Lücke, M.
Zum 50 jährigen Jubiläum des praktischen evang.-lutherischen Concordia-Seminars zu Springfield, Ill. 1846–1896
'. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1896. * Smith, Robert Ernest. ''Shepherds for Christ's Sheep: Concordia Theological Seminary Meets a Need''. Fort Wayne: Concordia Theological Seminary, 2001.


References


External links


Official siteSaarinen's Village: The Concordia Campus Through Time
{{authority control Education in Fort Wayne, Indiana Seminaries and theological colleges in Indiana Lutheran seminaries Educational institutions established in 1846 Eero Saarinen structures Buildings and structures in Fort Wayne, Indiana Universities and colleges affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Lutheranism in Indiana 1846 establishments in Indiana Lutheran buildings and structures in North America