Recovery begins after St. Louis tornado

Lutheran Early Response Team volunteers worked Saturday, May 17, to remove trees and debris caused by a tornado that touched down on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, the previous day. (LCMS/Frank Kohn)

By Brianna Dehn

On Friday, May 16, a storm system that included at least two tornadoes moved through the greater St. Louis area, causing a handful of deaths and dozens of injuries. An estimated 5,000 buildings were damaged, and thousands of St. Louis residents were left without power.

One of the tornadoes touched down on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL), in Clayton, Mo. According to the National Weather Service, it was an EF3 that gained strength, reaching maximum winds of more than 150 mph, as it continued through the north part of St. Louis where Bethlehem Lutheran Church is located. The tornado crossed the Mississippi River and entered Illinois before lifting near the campus of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Ill.

Earlier in the day, at 10 a.m. under sunny skies, the seminary had held its Theological Diploma Service. Following the service, students, families, guests and faculty mingled and took pictures outside the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. Then the weather turned, and at around 2:45 p.m., the tornado hit the CSL campus, lasting only around 5–10 minutes.

No one on the seminary property was hurt, but the campus sustained extensive damage. In that short amount of time, approximately 150 trees or large limbs fell, covering the campus in debris. Other notable damage included downed powerlines, tree limbs falling on faculty and student housing, and a stained-glass chapel window that broke due to a tree falling into it. As a result, CSL’s Friday evening commencement ceremony had to be postponed.

Meanwhile, Bethlehem also sustained significant damage to the church building as well as to member homes and vehicles. In the days since the tornado, the congregation has been reaching out to the surrounding community, offering meals, child care, assistance with cleanup and the love of Christ. Food insecurity was already an issue in North St. Louis, but it is amplified in the wake of the tornado. Bethlehem, being one of the few buildings in the area with electricity, is giving away 250 meals three times a day to help those who are hungry. The congregation is also offering temporary shelter to those who need it.

“The past few days, Bethlehem has really served as a light to our city,” said the Rev. Dr. Gerard Bolling, Bethlehem senior pastor.

From left, the Rev. Dr. Gerard Bolling, senior pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, St. Louis, prays with church members Kala and Tracey Webb and the Rev. Chris Knepper, Bethlehem associate pastor, on May 20 in St. Louis, following a May 16 tornado. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

On Saturday morning, May 17, the Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson, director of Disaster Response for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), joined a group of volunteers from Lutheran Early Response Teams (LERT) to assist with cleaning up the CSL campus. ““This is a big project,” he said. “We are prioritizing areas. … We’re going to try and clean this up as soon as possible so life on campus … [and] the ministry on campus can continue.” Approximately 50 LERT volunteers came from five LCMS districts — Iowa East, Missouri, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Central Illinois — on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, the volunteers included CSL students like Joshua Teggatz, a fourth-year seminarian. “We were supposed to graduate last night,” said Teggatz. But, he added, “We love [this seminary] and we want to give back what we’ve been given [by helping with the disaster response.]” Commencement was held Saturday night even as much of the seminary campus, including faculty housing, remained without power.

Kris Schuldt, district disaster response coordinator for the LCMS Missouri District, has visited Bethlehem Lutheran, CSL and other areas impacted by the storm. Asked why he is involved in disaster response, he said it’s “because I have been truly blessed, and I feel like I want to give back. [LERT helps with natural disasters] all over the country. … It’s very rewarding.”

“We are very grateful for the way people in the seminary community have been pitching in to clean up,” said the Rev. Dr. Thomas Egger, president of CSL. “Our seminary staff and now a number of volunteers from the Synod and from the community are on campus, and we are very grateful for their help.”

The same storm system that impacted Missouri and Illinois also affected Kentucky and Indiana, and another storm system moved across the middle of the country on May 19, impacting even more people. Meanwhile, multiple parts of the country continue recovering from past events, including torrential rain, wind, flooding and wildfires.

As with any disaster, there are three ways you can help:

Pray for those affected and for those who are offering assistance.

Volunteer at lcms-lert.org.

Financially support the response with your gifts. Visit lcms.org/disaster for more information. Readers in Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana and other zones of impact can also contact their respective districts for information about how to donate toward response efforts.

Brianna Dehn ( brianna.dehn@lcms.org ) is a staff writer for LCMS Communications.

Posted May 21, 2025