FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: CTSFW Communications, communications@ctsfw.edu

Rast to retire from presidential service at Concordia Theological Seminary

FORT WAYNE, September 28, 2023— Seminary President Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr. has announced his decision to retire from the presidency of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), following the completion of the 2023/2024 academic year. Rast informed the Seminary’s Board of Regents about his decision yesterday at their fall meeting, then shared the news this morning with the campus community gathered in Kramer Chapel.

“I love this seminary. I have been incredibly blessed and honored to serve as president for the past thirteen years alongside the faithful and gifted people of the CTSFW community. I know this decision may come as a surprise to some, but it comes after much thought and prayer,” said Rast. “We have a great team here at CTSFW committed to carrying out our mission to form servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost, and care for all. We are blessed with many partners who support our work so that the Gospel of Christ may continue to be proclaimed throughout the world. I am proud of all that our Lord has accomplished through this wonderful seminary and am confident that He will continue to guide us in the years ahead.”

Rast was elected president in May 2011. He was reappointed by the Board of Regents in 2016 and 2021 to additional five-year terms and is only the sixteenth president since the Seminary’s founding in 1846.

“Anyone who knows me understands the passion I have for the history of our Lutheran church,” Rast added. “Stepping down from the presidency now will enable me to finish writing the books that I have not had the time to complete as president and to spend more time in the classroom teaching students. This excites me. Doing this now will enable me to be a better historian, professor, author, husband, father, and grandfather and to devote myself to these vocations.”

Rast’s intent to continue his service as a faculty member at CTSFW was wholeheartedly affirmed by Dr. Scott Murray, chair of the Board of Regents. “President Rast is respected across the Synod and globe for his theological leadership and understanding of pastoral and diaconal formation, in particular,” said Murray. “While we will miss him as president, we know that it is critically important for Dr. Rast to continue to serve Christ’s church with his gifts. His unique expertise on the Lutheran church in America requires him to write and to teach with lasting impact long into the future.”

CTSFW Provost Dr. Charles A. Gieschen echoed the high praise for Rast. “Speaking on behalf of the faculty and staff, I want to express what a great blessing President Rast's theological and administrative leadership has been to this seminary,” Gieschen said. “He has fully given of himself in so many ways to further the mission of this seminary and Christ's church throughout the world, especially through the formation of many faithful Lutheran pastors and deaconesses that takes place here daily. It has been a joy and privilege to serve with him during his presidency. We continue to hold him in the highest esteem.” Gieschen further reflected, “While a transition is ahead for him and the seminary in 2024, the faculty is very thankful that he will continue his teaching here in the years ahead as professor of Historical Theology.”

During Rast’s tenure, the Seminary completed several building projects, including the library expansion, eliminated its institutional debt, and tripled its endowment while also moving to a 100% tuition guarantee for all pastoral and diaconal residential students. CTSFW updated and expanded its academic offerings, revamping its Master of Divinity curriculum and Doctor of Ministry program and adding a Master of Arts in Deaconess Studies, a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, a Spanish-track Specific Ministry Pastor program, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies. CTSFW continued to expand its global impact through its partnership with Seminario Luterano El Reformador in the Dominican Republic, the development of the Gothenburg, Sweden STM extension site, and cooperation in the Lutheran Leadership Development Program utilized by the partner churches of the International Lutheran Council.

“CTSFW is about to take its next deep dive in strategic planning for the future, which will include a new campus master plan. It makes sense for the man who will see these projects through to completion to be at the helm in the planning stages,” said Rast. “I am excited about the future for CTSFW because the Lord is in this place. He has seen us through many changes and challenges over the past 178 years, and He will continue to guide our work in the years to come.”

The Board of Regents and the faculty will form a committee to search for Rast’s replacement. The board will also issue a call for nominations through the appropriate LCMS channels. For questions about the search process, please contact Carrie O’Donnell, chief of staff, at (260) 452-2284 or carrie.odonnell@ctsfw.edu.

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.