Concordia Seminary

Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary on March 5, 2008
TypeSeminary
Established1839; 185 years ago (1839)
Religious affiliation
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
Endowment$163.6 million (2020)[1]
PresidentThomas J. Egger
Academic staff
27 (full time)
Students582 (2022)[2]
Location
Clayton[3]
(St. Louis postal address)
,
Missouri
,
United States

38°38′18″N 90°18′41″W / 38.6382°N 90.3113°W / 38.6382; -90.3113
Websitecsl.edu

Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri.[3] The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Founded in 1839, the seminary initially resided in Perry County, Missouri. In 1849, it was moved to St. Louis, and in 1926, the current campus was built.[4]

The St. Louis institution was at one time considered the "theoretical" (academic) seminary of the LCMS while Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne was considered the "practical" seminary, although those distinctions no longer exist. Concordia Seminary currently offers a Master of Divinity degree leading to ordination, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Sacred Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The seminary is considered theologically conservative. It does not train women for ordination as pastors. However, it does offer a program by which women may be rostered as deaconesses (a category of "ministers of religion" within the LCMS). It promotes historical-grammatical[5] interpretation of the Bible. It is an accredited member of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Radio station KFUO-AM had its studios on the seminary campus until they were relocated to the LCMS International Center in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, MO although the station continues to use a transmitter tower on the campus. For many years the nationally broadcast Lutheran Hour originated from this LCMS radio station.

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. ^ "Concordia Seminary profile". Association of Theological Schools. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Clayton city, MO" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 17, 2024. Concordia Smry
  4. ^ Meyer, 1965)
  5. ^ James Voelz, What Does this Mean? (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1997)