FORT WAYNE, December 13, 2023—Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), is pleased to announce the establishment of two new faculty chairs: The Reverend Victor H. and Lydia Dissen Chair in the Lutheran Confessions and The Roemer-Baese Chair in Pastoral Ministry and Missions. The new endowed chairs, approved by the CTSFW Board of Regents in November, are funded by the Walter C. Dissen Trust in honor of his family.

“Walter and I had discussed his desire to establish these chairs for a long time,” said CTSFW President Lawrence R. Rast, Jr. “We had hoped he would be here with us in person to celebrate this day. He will be missed, but he has ensured that his family’s work and legacy for our church will be long remembered and continue to have impact for years to come.”Dr. Walter C. Dissen, Esq.
November 20, 1931–August 2, 2023

In establishing the chairs, Dr. Dissen wished “to ensure that the rich historic, biblical, and confessional heritage of the Evangelical Lutheran Church be taught in the classrooms of the Seminary and shared throughout the world.” Dr. Dissen, a former board member at both seminaries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), entered his heavenly rest August 2, 2023, just months after being honored by CTSFW with a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, in recognition of long and faithful service to the cause of confessional Lutheranism and his strong support of our seminaries.

“At the heart of a faithful seminary is a faculty committed to the teaching of the Scriptures as stated in the Lutheran Confessions,” said CTSFW Provost Dr. Charles Gieschen. “This generous gift of two endowed chairs will ensure the support of two faithful faculty members who will be used to form faithful servants for the church for the decades ahead.”

Systematics Professor Dr. Naomichi Masaki has been appointed The Reverend Victor H. and Lydia Dissen Professor in the Lutheran Confessions. “Dr. Masaki has distinguished himself on our faculty and throughout the world as a teacher of biblical doctrine as stated in the Lutheran Confessions,” said Dr. Gieschen. “Appointing him to hold this chair both honors his exemplary service and proclaims this seminary’s rigorous commitment to the study of what Lutherans believe, teach, and confess.” 
Dr. Naomichi Masaki
The Reverend Victor H. and Lydia Dissen Professor in the Lutheran Confessions

Dr. Masaki joined the CTSFW faculty in the spring of 2001. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he serves as Director of the PhD in Theological Studies Program (PhDTS), Director of the Master of Sacred Theology Program (STM), and Director of the Lutheran Leadership Development Program of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). A seasoned theological educator, Dr. Masaki has visited over 25 countries on behalf of CTSFW and the LCMS, teaching regularly in Africa, Nordic countries, and Asia.

Dr. K. Detlev Schulz of the department of Pastoral Ministry and Missions has been appointed The Roemer-Baese Professor in Pastoral Ministry and Missions. He has served on the CTSFW faculty since the fall of 1998; prior to his call to the Seminary, he served for several years as a missionary in Botswana. Dr. Schulz, who also serves as Dean of Graduate Studies and Director of the PhD in Missiology Program, was recently installed as General Secretary of the ILC. 
Dr. K. Detlev Schulz
The Roemer-Baese Professor in Pastoral Ministry and Missions

“Dr. Schulz is known internationally for his teaching in missiology, his confession of Lutheran theology, and his tireless commitment to reaching lost sinners around the world,” Dr. Gieschen noted. “His appointment to this new chair in Pastoral Ministry and Missions is an important way to honor his many contributions and further the impact of his service.”

The new chairs will be dedicated during the daily chapel service on Monday, January 15, 2024, the day before CTSFW’s annual Symposia Series begins. The celebration will include public lectures in the evening by Dr. Masaki and Dr. Schulz.

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.