Statement of nominations: President, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne

Nominations for the 17th president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), closed Dec. 31, 2023. Forty-two individuals were nominated for the office by congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the CTSFW Board of Regents and the CTSFW faculty, per Synod bylaws.
The following 19 men have allowed their names to stand for consideration.
Rev. Dr. Geoffrey R. Boyle               Rev. Dr. Todd A. Peperkorn
Rev. Dr. Jon S. Bruss                       Rev. Dr. Paul A. Philp
Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III             Rev. Dr. David R. Preus
Rev. Dr. Burnell F. Eckardt Jr.          Rev. Dr. Jeffrey H. Pulse
Rev. Dr. Charles A. Gieschen          Rev. Dr. Geoffrey L. Robinson
Rev. Dr. Gifford A. Grobien              Rev. Dr. Gregory N. Todd
Rev. Dr. Jamison J. Hardy               Rev. Charles E. Varsogea
Rev. Dr. Chad D. Kendall                  Rev. Matthew J. Wietfeldt
Rev. Dr. Adam C. Koontz                 Rev. Dr. Lucas V. Woodford
Rev. Dr. Martin R. Noland
In the first phase of the search, prior to the nomination deadline, the Presidential Search Committee conducted surveys and personal interviews to assist them in drafting a report for the four presidential electors on the needs of the seminary, the requirements of the Synod, and the required and desired qualifications of the nominees.
In the next phase of the search, the Presidential Search Committee will evaluate each of the candidates and will recommend at least five candidates from the list of nominees to the four electors. The electors are the members of the CTSFW Board of Regents as a group with one vote (the district president on the board not voting with the board); the district president elected to the board, with a distinct vote; the chair of the LCMS Board of Directors, with one vote; and the Synod president, with one vote. The election of the president, which requires three of the four elector votes, is scheduled for May 18, 2024.
The new president will succeed the Rev. Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr., who will retire from the presidency at the end of the 2023–2024 academic year and return full-time to his role as CTSFW professor of historical theology.
Anyone wishing to offer comments about any of the nominees or to ask questions about the search may do so by contacting the search committee secretary, Rev. William Cwirla, at presidentialsearch@ctsfw.edu.
For updates on the presidential search, visit ctsfw.edu/presidential-search or navigate to the “About” page at ctsfw.edu.
Posted Jan. 29, 2024