Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 101

2026 Convention Workbook
66 
OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
to establish endowments for scholarships and recruiting activities. 
We’re 
starting to see the results of these efforts, with an incom-
ing 2026–27 class that is expected to be significantly larger than in 
recent years. Thanks be to God!
Producing enough pastors is critically important. Even more 
important is producing faithful confessional Lutheran pastors who 
will conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Const. Art. III 
1), strengthen congregations with their bold witness (Art. III 2), and 
support all other objectives of the Synod through their work in our 
congregations. That’s part of our charge too, and we’re committed 
to keeping these aims at the forefront in all our strategic activities.
Highlights from the 2023–26 Triennium: 
Building on the Past and Planning for the 
Future
The first year of the past triennium was the last year in office 
for Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr., who faithfully served the seminary 
as president for 13 years. Under Rast’s leadership, the seminary 
introduced full tuition coverage for residential formation students, 
completed the Wayne and Barbara Kroemer Library, completed a 
successful capital campaign, increased the endowment, and insti-
tuted a disciplined strategic planning process.
Highlights from 2023–24:
•	 Added two new faculty chairs, the Reverend Victor H. and 
Lydia Dissen Chair in the Lutheran Confessions and the Ro-
emer-Baese Chair in Pastoral Ministry and Missions
•	 Significantly upgraded the fiber and data infrastructure on 
campus
•	 Celebrated the 25th anniversary of Christ Academy
•	 Completed a comprehensive Facilities Condition Assess-
ment, which provided the groundwork for the campus mas-
ter plan
Notable Activities from 2024–26:
With the election of a new president in 2024, the seminary 
ramped up its planning efforts and has made top-notch residential 
formation a foremost goal. Notable activities include:
•	 Developed a comprehensive campus master plan
•	 Developed an aggressive strategic plan for 2024–29
•	 Installed three faculty members and a new director of dea-
coness formation
•	 Revised the mission statement as part of the strategic plan-
ning and curriculum revision processes
•	 Established Munderloh Endowments in support of recruiting 
•	 Launched a new website
•	 Executed several campus improvement projects, guided by 
the campus master plan
In addition, the seminary continues to play a pivotal role in 
strengthening confessional Lutheranism domestically and inter -
nationally, supporting 2023 Res. 1-01A, concerning training for 
witness, and Res. 2-02A, which encourages collaboration with the 
LCMS Office of International Mission. Activities in this area in-
clude:
•	 Responding to the steady demand from international part-
ners for theological education in their locations
out to our classrooms, to our campus life together, to the broader 
church, and to the ends of the earth.
On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff of Concordia Sem-
inary, thank you to the people of the LCMS for the privilege of 
serving with you. Thank you for entrusting future church workers 
to us for instruction and formation. Thank you for your enthusiastic 
financial support. Thank you for your prayers, for your witness, and 
for your work in Jesus’ name.
Thomas J. Egger, President
R13.2
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort 
Wayne, Indiana
Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne was established 
in 1846 to meet the urgent need for pastors in Lutheran congrega -
tions. Our work remains the same today, and we go about it with a 
strong sense of purpose and faith in the promise that “Christ is risen 
indeed!” In the past triennium, after the election in 2024 of Rev. Dr. 
Jon S. Bruss as CTSFW’s 17th president, the seminary revised its 
mission statement to more clearly convey who we are and why we 
exist: “Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), is 
an institution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod committed 
to the Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and the liturgical 
life of the Church, forming servants in Jesus Christ who teach the 
faithful, reach the lost, and care for all.”
We give thanks to our Lord and Savior, who continues to bless 
CTSFW through the faithful support of alumni, friends, and donors 
who have enabled the seminary to carry out this mission for the 
sake of the church and the world. In what follows, we share high-
lights from the past triennium and discuss our strategic goals for 
the future. 
Forming LCMS Pastors for LCMS 
Congregations
As one of the two seminaries entrusted by the LCMS with the 
duty to form faithful pastors for its congregations, CTSFW’s activi-
ties are guided by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod as well 
as directives from the Synod in convention. The foremost purpose 
of the seminary is to recruit and form pastors, which addresses Ob-
jective 3 of Constitutional Article III. CTSFW offers five pastoral 
formation programs, with the most comprehensive and in-depth be-
ing the residential Master of Divinity program. We encourage men 
preparing for ministry to enroll in the residential M.Div. program 
if possible (consistent with 2023 Res. 6-02A and 6-03A) but offer 
additional paths to ministry, including the Alternate Route certifi -
cate program and the Specific Ministry Pastor program, to accom -
modate students with considerable experience in church work or an 
interest in serving a particular congregation that might otherwise 
have difficulty securing a pastor.
  
Much has 
been said in the past triennium about the pastor short-
age in the LCMS, which can largely be attributed to demographic 
shifts, retirements, and insufficient numbers of seminary graduates 
to fill calls. We recognize that challenge and have been working 
hard on the recruiting front, collaborating with the Synod on its 
Set Apart to Serve initiative as well as with Concordia Seminary, 
St. Louis, on recruitment activities supported by a grant from the 
Lilly Foundation. Additionally, we received a multimillion-dollar 
gift from the Munderloh Foundation in 2025, which has been used