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Contact: CTSFW Communications, (260) 452-3153, communications@ctsfw.edu

CTSFW Board of Regents Extends Faculty Call, Approves Honorary Doctorate Recipients

FORT WAYNE, IN, February 8, 2023—The Board of Regents of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), called Dr. Carl Beckwith to serve as Professor of Historical Theology at its meeting January 20. Beckwith, who currently serves as Professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, in Birmingham, Alabama, has accepted the call and will make the transition to Fort Wayne this summer.

“Dr. Beckwith brings to the CTSFW faculty wonderful academic expertise, seasoned experience as a theological professor, and 14 years of being an LCMS parish pastor,” said CTSFW Provost Dr. Charles Gieschen. “He will be a great blessing to our students, his colleagues, and the wider church."

Beckwith holds a PhD in history of Christianity/historical theology from the University of Notre Dame, an MA in history of Christian doctrine from Yale University, an MPhil in church history from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and a BA in history and ancient studies from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota. Prior to his appointment at Beeson Divinity School, he taught at Thiel College, Greenville, Pennsylvania, and the University of Notre Dame. His many scholarly works include Hilary of Poitiers on the Trinity (Oxford UP, 2008); The Holy Trinity, Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics, vol. III (Luther Academy, 2016); and Martin Luther’s Basic Exegetical Writings (CPH, 2017), which he edited.

Beckwith joined the pastoral ministry of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) through colloquy in 2009 and has served two congregations, Hope Lutheran Church in Birmingham, Alabama (2009-2016), and Trinity Lutheran Church in Hanceville, Alabama, where he has served as associate pastor since 2016.

“It is with great joy that I accept the call to join the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary,” said Beckwith. “I’m grateful for this opportunity and look forward to serving our Lord and his church by advancing in every way I can the mission of CTSFW to form servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost, and care for all.”

Honorary Doctorates Approved

The Board of Regents also acted on recommendations for two honorary doctorates, approving the awarding of an honorary Doctor of Laws to Mr. Walter Dissen and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Dr. Leo S. Mackay Jr. The honors will be presented at CTSFW’s commencement ceremony May 19, 2023.

Dissen (JD, University of Akron School of Law) is a retired corporate attorney with a long record of service to the church, including membership on the Board of Regents of both CTSFW and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He has been president and chairman of the Editorial Board of the Lutheran Concerns Association (LCA) since 2010 and has served on LCA’s Board of Directors since 1994. Dissen has attended all but two synod conventions of the LCMS since 1962.

Mackay (PhD, Harvard University) is senior vice president of Ethics and Enterprise Assurance for Lockheed Martin Corporation. A member of the CTSFW Board of Regents since 2010, Mackay has been a Kennedy Fellow, Harvard MacArthur Scholar, Graduate Prize Fellow, and a Research Fellow at the Center for Science and International Affairs. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Mackay spent three years flying the F-14 and graduated from the U.S. Navy’s Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). Mackay was deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving as the designated chief operating officer of the second-largest U.S. cabinet agency.

Planning for the Future

In other business, the CTSFW Board of Regents engaged in scenario planning about the future of pastor and deaconess formation, identifying critical uncertainties and possible responses. The board’s discussion was part of a larger scenario planning effort at CTSFW designed to position the seminary well to meet the needs of LCMS congregations and the church at large in the years ahead. In keeping with this aim, the board also considered several possible campus improvements, including significant upgrades to housing and assistance for single and married students. “We’re always looking for ways we can improve and respond to the needs of our students and the congregations they’ll serve,” said CTSFW President Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr. "As we care for the campus and resources we've been given today, we're also preparing to meet the needs of the church tomorrow."

About Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne

Founded in 1846, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, forms servants of Jesus Christ in a vibrant, Christ-centered theological community that engages and resources the church and the world, domestically and internationally, with distinctively Lutheran teaching, practice, and worship. To learn more, visit ctsfw.edu.