Contact: CTSFW Communications | communications@ctsfw.edu

Concordia Theological Seminary Breaks Ground for New Student Co-op

FORT WAYNE, Ind., October 14, 2026—Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), broke ground on a new Food & Clothing Co-op yesterday as part of its annual Donation Day, which celebrates a long-standing tradition of support for future pastors and deaconesses of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS).

Dr. Paul Grime, dean of the chapel, leads a short service at the groundbreaking.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held after the morning chapel service, which included Donation Day greetings and gift presentations from several Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) district presidents and words of thanks from Deaconess Katherine Rittner, director of the co-op, to the LWML, the CTSFW Seminary Guild, and other supporters who make the work of the co-op possible.

“What an honor it is for the co-op crew to care for students and their families,” said Rittner. “We do this because family cares for family. God knows our daily needs and always provides what we need, when we need it, through those who care.”

The new 13,000-square-foot building, which will be located on the northeast side of the campus near Wambsganss Gymnasium and the athletic fields, marks a new chapter for the co-op, which provides food, clothing, and household goods at no cost to students and families who come to Fort Wayne to prepare to serve congregations and mission fields. The co-op runs on the generosity of donors, including individuals, congregations, Sunday school classes, the LWML and other groups, and businesses.

A rendering of the exterior of the new co-op building, courtesy of Design Collaborative.

“Without the Food & Clothing Co-op—it’s no stretch to say—many of our students would be unable to afford to attend Concordia Theological Seminary. It’s simply critical to our mission,” said Dr. Jon Bruss, president of CTSFW. “The new building will allow the co-op to do better what it already does so well: support the future pastors, missionaries, and deaconesses so they can devote their time at the Seminary to their study of God’s Word.”

At the groundbreaking, several speakers addressed the gathered crowd, including a co-op beneficiary, Laura Clovis, whose husband is a seminary student, as is their son-in-law. Clovis said that the co-op has been “an incredible blessing” for their entire family, including children and grandchildren.

Representatives from CTSFW, the Campaign Steering Committee, Lutheran Women in Mission, and the Seminary Guild pray before ceremonially breaking ground for the new co-op building.

“Our co-op is much more than just a building. God uses it to provide our daily bread through people helping people,” Clovis said. “We are grateful for the caring people and congregations who make donations large and small, showing Seminary students and their families that we are not on this journey alone, but are supported every step of the way.”

CTSFW’s co-op started in a student’s basement in the 1970s. It now occupies two spaces on campus that, while functional, were not designed for activities such as shopping, accepting and sorting donations, and displaying goods. The spaces are cramped, hard to find, and not fully accessible.

The new building, designed by Design Collaborative and constructed by Michael Kinder and Sons, will be a welcome improvement. The one-level facility will include separate spaces for clothing and food shopping, a dedicated donation drop-off area, office space, and areas for sorting and preparing food items. Its design will harmonize well with the rest of the campus, which was designed in the 1950s by Eero Saarinen and Associates for Concordia Senior College.

The building is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027. For more information about the project, visit ctsfw.edu/new-co-op.LEARN MORE