Campus clips: Concordias welcome new staff, report growth

(From left) Concordia University Chicago (CUC) President Dr. Russell Dawn, the Rev. Simeon Raddatz and LCMS Northern Illinois District President Rev. Dr. Allan R. Buss are pictured following Raddatz’s installation as CUC chaplain on Oct. 23. (CUC/Eric Matanyi)

The monthly “Campus Clips” column includes brief reports from LCMS day schools, universities and seminaries.

New campus chaplain

Concordia University Chicago (CUC), River Forest, Ill., welcomed the Rev. Simeon Raddatz as CUC chaplain this fall. In this role, Raddatz will oversee all campus worship; shepherd students, faculty and staff with pastoral care and counseling; facilitate all spiritual life activities; and serve as dean of the chapel and director of the pre-seminary program.

Raddatz was formally installed during a service in CUC’s Chapel of Our Lord on Oct. 23. Attendees included the Rev. Mark Raddatz, Chaplain Raddatz’s father, who also delivered the sermon; pastors from throughout the LCMS Northern Illinois District (NID); and NID President Rev. Dr. Allan R. Buss, who conducted the installation rite.

Prior to serving at CUC, Raddatz served Trinity Lutheran Church in Pekin, Ill., for six years as sole pastor. He is a 2013 alum of CUC’s pre-seminary program. Raddatz and his wife, Lauren (a 2014 CUC alum), have four children.

Preparing future administrators

Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), Seward, Neb., recently launched a Master of Educational Administration for Christian Schools graduate program. Beginning in Spring 2024, the new program will enable educational professionals aspiring to become qualified as school administrators to concentrate their educational administration studies toward the specific needs of Christian schools.

“Our Christian schools need dedicated and successful leaders,” said Corrie Johnson, assistant director of CUNE graduate recruitment. “This program prepares future administrators with principles and techniques for organizing and leading their school; supervising instruction; developing great teachers; and managing finances, school law and more. This program has been carefully designed to emphasize and explore how the Christian school environment might affect some aspects of administrative leadership and management.”

Learn more about Concordia’s graduate programs.

Townsend Institute welcomes new dean

Dr. Margaret Christmas-Thomas has been appointed dean of the Townsend Institute for Counseling and Leadership at Concordia University Irvine (CUI), Irvine, Calif. CUI Provost Scott Ashmon said Christmas-Thomas “brings years of experience leading academic programs and counseling services in K–12, university, national and international settings.”

Christmas-Thomas, who most recently served as the Townsend Institute’s interim dean and associate dean, was a leader in starting the institute. She was instrumental in the program’s design, helped launch each of the programs in the institute, and was most recently faculty sponsor of the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision.

Dr. John Townsend, founder of the Townsend Institute, said, “I am very excited that [Dr. Christmas-Thomas] will be our dean. … Her authentic warmth and care for others, her high level of competence and leadership, and her personal and spiritual maturity make her a great fit for the task.”

Before joining the CUI faculty, Christmas-Thomas provided national leadership, technical assistance, training and consultation for ResCare, a home- and community-based provider of comprehensive health services for those in need of specialized care. Early in her career she also served as a school principal with at-risk and juvenile justice populations.

“I feel truly blessed to be a part of Concordia University Irvine,” said Christmas-Thomas. “It is an honor to help shape and equip the future counselors, coaches, leaders and counseling educators that will touch thousands of lives.”

“My favorite part of my role,” she continued, “is that I get to lead a multidisciplinary team of highly talented, creative and thoughtful leaders, coaches and counselors. Our calling is to help our students … impact the world around them in ways that heal, help and support.”

Breaking records

The leadership of Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA), Ann Arbor, Mich., is pleased to announce another record enrollment year on multiple fronts. According to Fall 2023 census data, total enrollment at CUAA has increased to 1,351 students — a new all-time high. CUAA is up 95 students at the undergraduate level and 55 students at the graduate level, a 10% and 22% increase, respectively, from last fall. Among those populations, the number of students who are pursuing church work degrees is growing as well. The largest jump yet was seen among CUAA’s 2023 new student population. A record 354 new students (freshmen and transfer students) joined the CUAA community this year, a 36% increase over last year. Overall, CUAA’s enrollment has climbed an impressive 80% since 2013, the year it merged with Concordia University Wisconsin.

Most church work students

Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor (CUWAA) is celebrating overall enrollment growth this year, thanks to record high numbers on the Ann Arbor, Mich., campus and an increase among new traditional undergraduate students and graduate populations on the Mequon, Wis., campus. Recently released Fall 2023 census data shows that CUWAA is up 4% in total enrollment from last year.

The Mequon campus saw noticeable growth among its graduate populations, with 17% more students enrolled in Fall 2023 than in Fall 2022. The Mequon campus is also trending toward increases among its undergraduate population, as it welcomed more new students at the start of the academic year than last year. The 2022–2023 Concordia University System report shows that Mequon’s Lutheran commitment is strong as well, serving 1,640 Lutheran students and currently training the most workers for the LCMS, with 339 church work students enrolled.

Committed to helping

Beginning Fall 2023, the CSP Pell Commitment at Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP), St. Paul, Minn., will now cover the full tuition balance remaining for recipients after the Federal Pell Grant and Minnesota State Grant have been applied. Whether students are pursuing their degree on campus or online, the CSP Pell Commitment will help them minimize their debt and boost their career opportunities. Learn more.

New theology podcast

This fall, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL), debuted a new podcast that encourages listeners to deepen their theology and live out their faith in Christ. “Tangible: Theology Learned and Lived” features discussions with CSL faculty about the ways in which theology permeates all aspects of life.

Jessica Bordeleau, CSL coordinator of digital publishing, serves as host of each episode and facilitates topical discussions with one to three faculty members. New 30-minute episodes are released on the 15th and 30th of each month.

“Tangible: Theology Learned and Lived” can be found on most streaming services, concordiatheology.org/podcasts and scholar.csl.edu/podcasts.

Schulz appointed to ILC

The Rev. Dr. Klaus Detlev Schulz, professor of pastoral ministry and missions at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), has been appointed the new general secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), an international association of confessional Lutheran church bodies.

“We thank God for Dr. Schulz and his willingness to serve as general secretary,” said ILC Chairman Rev. Dr. Juhana Pohjola. “Dr. Schulz is an excellent theologian, outstanding seminary professor and experienced missionary who is well acquainted with confessional Lutheran churches around the world. I’m sure that I speak on behalf of all ILC churches when I say we look forward to working closely with Dr. Schulz in the future and benefiting from his leadership in these challenging times, as together we give a good confession to Christ and His Word.”

Schulz succeeds the Rev. Dr. Timothy Quill, who recently announced his decision to step down as ILC general secretary. “I am wholly grateful that the Lord has gifted Dr. Detlev Schulz to the ILC as general secretary,” said Quill. “He is ideally suited to meet the complex ecumenical demands and challenges on the international scale that this role brings with it.”

Originally from South Africa, Schulz holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; a Master of Divinity from the Lutherische Theologische Hochschule in Oberursel, Germany; a Master of Sacred Theology from CTSFW; and a Doctor of Theology from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Posted Dec. 14, 2023