To the Reader

It’s not difficult for us to think well of ourselves and what we’ve accomplished in this life. We’ve gone to the best schools, we tell our friends, the most well-known colleges, the most prestigious universities. Never mind that our friends, who went to different schools and colleges and universities, say the exact same thing.

But what is it about education that makes it good and well-known and prestigious? Why is it worthwhile and impactful and valuable?

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther, as with many things, has an answer: “I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign supreme.”

In February’s Lutheran Witness, we unpack Lutheran education and the philosophy from which it stems, focusing on the joy of residential seminary education, instructing Christ’s little ones and teaching the faith in the home.

Roland Lovstad’s “The Making of a Pastor” showcases on-campus seminary education, which has formed pastors in the LCMS for more than a century-and-a-half. The Rev. Dr. Joel D. Heck and Dr. Angus J. L. Menuge, both professors in the Concordia University System, unpack what sets Lutheran education apart from the pack in “Learning at the Foot of the Cross.”

The Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan describes “Pastoral Care in the Country,” revealing a significant mission field in rural, unchurched settings. And the Rev. Travis J. Scholl’s “Learning Is the Bridge” challenges us to be ever curious about our Lord and what it means to be Lutheran.

We LCMS Lutherans are respected leaders in the field of education, administering the largest Protestant school system in the world, two seminaries and 10 colleges and universities. But our schools’ value doesn’t come from being the best, the most well-known, the most prestigious. It comes from Christ, from His Word, from learning without limit at the foot of His cross.