The Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., has announced his intent to retire at the end of his current five-year appointment. Therefore, the Board of Regents of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., with the approval of the president of the Synod, seeks nominations for the position of seminary president. The deadline for nominations is April 8.
“Concordia Theological Seminary exists to form servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost, and care for all” (the seminary’s mission). The duties and responsibilities of the president as the “spiritual, academic and administrative head” of the institution are described in the Synod Handbook (Bylaw 3.10.4.6). The successful discharge of these duties and responsibilities in the service of the seminary’s mission requires that the man called to this office have the following qualifications and experience:
He shall be an ordained clergyman of the Synod who has consistently and publicly demonstrated his commitment to the Holy Scriptures and the primacy of the Gospel in teaching and practice, his loyalty to the Lutheran symbolical books, and his dedication to the ministry of the Word and Sacraments.
He shall have had pastoral experience in the parish, since the primary function of the seminary is training pastors to shepherd God’s people and preparing deaconesses to serve God’s people in the congregations of the Synod. He shall, therefore, be a good model for faithful pastors and deaconesses.
He shall be a man who both understands and has demonstrated that our Lord’s Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) is as valid and urgent today as it was in the days of the apostles. His experience will have included participation in congregational outreach ministries or worldwide mission efforts. It is desirable that he be a man who is sensitive to and appreciative of multicultural mission work.
He shall be able to communicate the seminary’s mission and lead the faculty and staff. He shall have demonstrated competence and ability as a strategic thinker and administrator who can work effectively with the seminary’s Board of Regents.
He shall be experienced and competent in fundraising and able to interpret the seminary, its capacities and its needs to individual donors, constituencies and the community. Fundraising will take a considerable amount of his energy and time, and he shall be willing and able to pursue this endeavor with joy.
He shall willingly implement the centrality of worship in the life of the seminary community and be able to serve the spiritual needs of the community.
He shall be an experienced theologian with a proven ability to understand and respond creatively and evangelically to theological issues in the seminary and the church. He shall have the academic background, educational experience and vision to develop and guide efforts to ensure the superior quality of theological education in the seminary community, which the needs of the church require. To that end, he shall possess an earned academic doctorate in an area of theological study or a related field of study.
He shall be a churchman who knows and understands the structure of the Synod and its history, especially as they pertain to the seminary and its governance structure.
He shall possess personal leadership qualities that elicit the response, confidence and cooperation of students, faculty, clergy, academic and ecclesiastical leaders, and benefactors of the seminary.
He shall be a competent communicator who is able to articulate the Gospel clearly, candidly and persuasively.
According to the Bylaws of Synod (3.10.4.6.2(a)), nominations for the president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, may be put forward only by the following entities: congregations of the Synod, the Board of Regents of Concordia Theological Seminary, and the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary. Individuals, including pastors, may not place names into nomination.
Please send nominations by April 8 to Janet Johnson, Secretary, Concordia Theological Seminary Board of Regents, 6600 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996.
Posted Jan. 27, 2011
