From the mission field: Seminary has new director

Deaconess Danelle (Putnam) Schumann, LCMS missionary to the Latin America and Caribbean region, presents a gift to the Rev. Sergio Fritzler after he was installed as director of Concordia the Reformer Seminary in the Dominican Republic. (LCMS/Jana Inglehart)

On Sunday, Sept. 10, Concordia the Reformer Seminary in the Dominican Republic celebrated the installation of the Rev. Sergio Fritzler as the seminary’s new director. Pastors from five countries participated in a special service, with seminarians, missionaries, deaconesses, Dominican Lutheran church members, Concordia Lutheran school children and faculty joining in the festivities.

“We are grateful that the Lord of the harvest provides experienced and capable men to lead a seminary in preparing pastors and deaconesses at a time such as this,” said the Rev. Ted Krey, director of the LCMS Latin America and the Caribbean region. “The impact of Concordia … continues to grow as her men are sent out to all corners of Latin America. Pastor Fritzler brings a wealth of experience and a clear dedication to the task of preparing confessional pastors as evangelists, shepherds and teachers who would preach the Gospel.”

Fritzler is a missionary pastor from Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a Bachelor of Theology from Concordia Seminary, Argentina, and a master’s degree in Pastoral Theology from the Instituto Ecumênico de Pós-Graduação em Teologia in Brazil. Before arriving in the Dominican Republic with his family in 2017, he served in various capacities in Chile and Argentina as a pastor, professor and director of Concordia Seminary in Argentina.

In the Dominican Republic, Fritzler also serves as a church planter at Lamb of God Lutheran Church in Licey, where his work involves supervising seminary field workers, making evangelism visits and planting new mission starts in nearby communities. In addition, he has served Concordia the Reformer Seminary as a professor and provost since 2017, overseeing residential students’ affairs as well as distance learners in partnership with Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.

Fritzler is also an accomplished musician, using his musical talents on the keyboard, flute and accordion to enhance worship services. He served on the committee that developed the new Lutheran hymnal in Spanish (Himnario Luterano), which was rolled out in 2022. Fritzler is married to Lilian, a nurse, and they have two sons, Enzo and Martín.

Posted Nov. 10, 2023

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Cheryl Magness

Cheryl Magness is managing editor of the print and online versions of Reporter, the official newspaper of the LCMS. She has written for a variety of publications, including The Federalist, Touchstone and The Lutheran Witness, and is a contributor to the book He Restores My Soul from Emmanuel Press. She has degrees in English and music and enjoys playing piano and spending time with her family.