News Worth Noting

Rev. W. Max Mons

Dr. Tyler Arnold

Board of Regents elects new officers

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

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

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

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

#GiveGreenandGold Day raises recordbreaking $49K

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.

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

“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 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.

$49K

GOAL $25K

Advent Sermon Series features OT narratives

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.

“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.”

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Dr. Horace Hummel

Hummel 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.

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.

“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.”

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).

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. L. Dean Hempelmann

Hempelmann enters rest

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

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).

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.

“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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BY JAN. 7, 2022 FEE: $50, INCLUDES LUNCH

Pre-Lenten Workshop

You Meant It For Evil, But God Meant It For Good: Sermons Based on Luke 22:1-24:12

user Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs clock 9 a.m.-4 p.m. map-marker-alt Presidents Room, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis laptop csl.edu/pre-lenten-workshop/

JAN 27-29

REGISTER

BY JAN. 14, 2022 FEE: $100

Faith and Film Festival

map-marker-alt Concordia Seminary, St. Louis laptop csl.edu/faith-and-film-festival

FEB 12

REGISTER

BY JAN. 31, 2022 FEE: $20

Lay Bible Institute

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

user Dr. Dale A. Meyer clock 10 a.m.–3 p.m. map-marker-alt Sieck Hall 202, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis laptop csl.edu/lbi

LENTEN

SERMON SERIES

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.

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 3-4

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 csl.edu/multiethnic-symposium/ laptop

SEPT. 20-21

32ND ANNUAL THEOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM

csl.edu/symposium laptop

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