Dr. Paul J. Grime

Dr. Grime joined the CTSFW faculty in the fall of 2007. He serves as Dean of the Chapel, Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions, and Co-Director of the Good Shepherd Institute.

He is a native of northwest Ohio and attended Valparaiso University, graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance and church music. The following year he completed a Master of Music in organ performance at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. His organ instructors were William Eifrig (Valparaiso) and David Mulburry (Cincinnati). In 1982, he matriculated to Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he completed an MDiv in 1986. He stayed on for one additional year, serving as acting kantor at Kramer Chapel, graduating with an STM in 1987. Following studies at CTSFW, Grime moved to Milwaukee, where he began his doctoral studies at Marquette University. Concurrently, he received a call from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in West Allis, Wisconsin, where he served from 1987 to 1996. He was awarded a PhD in Religious Studies in 1994, writing his dissertation on the topic “The Doctrine of the Trinity in the Hymns of Martin Luther.” His doctoral advisor was Kenneth Hagen.

In 1996, Grime accepted a call to serve as executive director for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Commission on Worship. During his eleven years in that capacity, he served as project director, first for the development of Hymnal Supplement 98 and then for Lutheran Service Book and all of its companion volumes, which were published in 2006 and 2007.

He is married to Debra; they have two sons, Matthew and Nathan.