St. Louis sem to celebrate its 175th anniversary

A special chapel service, lectures, exhibits, tours and entertainment are scheduled as part of the 175^th anniversary celebration of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Seminary students, faculty, staff, local congregations and other supporters are invited to participate in a daylong celebration set for Friday, Oct. 10.

All events will be held on the seminary campus at 801 Seminary Place, Clayton, Mo. While the activities are free, RSVPs are required through the seminary’s website at csl.edu. Wristbands will be provided.

The events are:

• 9:35 a.m. — special chapel service in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus.

• 1-8 p.m. — library exhibit, rare-book display and book fair at the seminary library.

•  1:30-2:30 p.m. — campus tours, beginning at the steps on the chapel plaza.

• 1:30-2:30 p.m. — “The Lutheran Confessions for the Next Generation,” the Rev. Dr. Charles Arand, professor and Schuette Chair of Systematic Theology, President’s Room.

• 1:30-2:30 p.m. — “The Centrality of the Scriptures for the Next Generation,” the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Kloha, professor of Exegetical Theology, Werner Auditorium.

• 2:45-3:45 p.m. — “The Next Generation of Lutheranism and the International Context,” the Rev. Dr. Leopoldo Sánchez, associate professor of Systematic Theology and Krause Chair of Hispanic Ministries, President’s Room.

• 2:45-3:45 p.m. — “Days of Future Past: Listening to the First Generations of the Church,” the Rev. Dr. Joel Elowsky, associate professor of Historical Theology, Werner Auditorium.

• 4-4:45 p.m. — “The True Light Shines: Concordia Seminary 1839–2014,” the Rev. Dr. Gerhard Bode, associate professor of Historical Theology, and the Rev. Dr. Erik Herrmann, associate professor of Historical Theology, Werner Auditorium.

• 4-8 p.m. — “Kids Corner” with bounce houses, pumpkin decorating and caramel apples, by the log cabin.

• 4-8 p.m. — expo booths with local Lutheran partners, near the library pool and fountains.

• 4 p.m. — Witten Eva Cup soccer game, Concordia Seminary vs. Covenant Seminary, soccer field.

• 5-6:30 p.m. — food tent, Wartburg Commons.

• 5:30-8:30 p.m. — entertainment with Joe Pollach and the St. Louis Express Band, main quad.

German immigrants in Perry County, Mo., founded Concordia Seminary in 1839.

After the Synod was formed in 1847, the seminary was presented as a gift to the Synod and moved to a more central location, on South Jefferson in St. Louis. As the city of St. Louis grew, so did the seminary, which moved to its current 72-acre location in Clayton in 1926.

Since its founding, Concordia Seminary has prepared more than 12,000 LCMS church professionals, including pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and church leaders. Over the years, the seminary has started many programs to address the needs of a changing world, including MissionShift, the Center for Hispanic Studies, the Deaf Institute of Theology and the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology.

During the 2013 Synod convention, delegates endorsed a resolution giving “God praise and glory for Concordia Seminary’s 175th anniversary.” After they adopted the resolution, delegates rose and sang the Doxology in honor of Concordia Seminary’s long history.

For more information, email the seminary at sem175@csl.edu.

To learn more about the events or the seminary, visit csl.edu or follow the seminary on Twitter at @ConcordiaSem or on Facebook at facebook.com/ConcordiaSem.

Posted Sept. 3, 2014 / Updated Sept. 23, 2014