by Roland Lovstad What does it take to be an LCMS pastor? And what makes the seminaries that form those pastors so unique? What comprises a seminary curriculum? Pastoral ministry students at the LCMS seminaries—Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS), Fort Wayne, and Concordia Seminary (CSL), St. Louis—can be divided into two categories: residential and contextual (distance …
LCMS Seminaries: Magnets for Worldwide Lutheranism Read More »
Concordia Publishing House Synod’s Publisher From coal-fired steam presses in 1869 to the most advanced digital technology today, the purpose of Concordia Publishing House has remained the same: to provide the churches, schools and homes of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod with resources that are faithful to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. CPH is …
by Kim Plummer Krull We were spending a lot more than we were receiving,” says South Wisconsin District (SWD) President Rev. John Wille, explaining as simply as possible why that district had fallen into an operating deficit of $880,000 and a capital indebtedness of $5.5 million when he became president in 2006. Today, the SWD …
by Kim Plummer Krull How much has the capital campaign raised, and what’s left to go? The capital fund-raising campaign Fan into Flame has led to blessings as well as challenges. That’s important for LCMS members to know, says LCMS President Rev. Matthew C. Harrison, because “in order for us to solve our financial challenges, …
by Kim Plummer Krull In 1971, a peak high of more than 350 LCMS missionary families dedicated their lives to serving the Lord in foreign fields. Today, 59 such career missionary families (which often include both a husband and wife with calls to serve) work in other countries. But instead of focusing on decline, Dr. …
by Albert B. Collver III and Kim Plummer Krull Throughout its history, LCMS World Relief and Human Care (WR-HC) has cared for people in body and soul in response to disasters, hunger, poverty and other needs. Apart from disasters, some of the best-supported programs involve the care and help of children, such as the 1001 …
Join with us in celebrating the incarnation—and Christ’s death and resurrection too—in the December issue of The Lutheran Witness.
A commentary by Rev. William Weedon on life, death, Lent and Japan.
by Rev. Kevin Vogts Some theologians, ancient and modern, have suggested that Christ’s resurrection was not physical, but only either symbolic or spiritual. Sadly, in many church bodies today, this view is not only tolerated but, in some cases, even predominant. Already in the New Testament era, there were false teachers at Corinth casting doubt …
by Rev. Dr. Greg Wismar The date makes the difference. That simple observation is true for many situations, especially so for annual calendar celebrations. It is not always so great to have a special day near a bigger special date. People who have birthdays within a week or three of Christmas (like me) know that …
by Rev. Terry Cripe When was the last time you gathered with family and friends to celebrate the Russian Revolution or the signing of the Magna Carta? Those events, along with many others, don’t seem to have much relevance for most of us. But what about Easter? Christians don’t gather on that day simply to …
by Rev. Dr. Jerald C. Joersz Q: In 2 Cor. 12:7, Paul mentions that he was given a “thorn in the flesh,” a“messenger of Satan” sent to “torment” him. Do we know what Paul’s ailment was? A: Stretching all the way back to the second-century church father Tertullian—who thought Paul suffered from headaches— there has …