Dear Colleagues,

In board action shortly after their May meeting on campus, the CTSFW Board of Regents adopted a new mission statement:

Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), is an institution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod committed to the Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and the liturgical life of the Church, forming servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost, and care for all.

The new mission statement is the shared work of a committee composed of faculty and staff, the faculty itself, and the Board of Regents, who made final adjustments during their meeting on campus in May and, finally, in early June.

The goal of the new mission statement is to say more without saying too much. You’ll recognize the memorable core of the earlier mission statement, the formation of “servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost, and care for all.” Added are several items that are key for the present (and future) context in which CTSFW, by the grace of God, will continue to serve the church.

The first addition is a designation of affiliation, governance, and ownership: CTSFW is of, by, and for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and CTSFW’s commitments are those of the LCMS.

The second addition foregrounds the source of all our teaching, preaching, education, and formation: the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the Word of God.

The third addition expresses our commitment to a Lutheranism determined by the Book of Concord. The last, the liturgical life of the Church, recognizes our commitment to living according to the rhythms and patterns of the church of all times.

There are a few other items worth mentioning. Expressions such as “institution” and “liturgical life of the Church” stand as a bulwark against contemporary pressures against residential education. The mission statement also serves as a defense against economic pressures to which other—most other—seminaries have succumbed: most erstwhile denominational seminaries are now open to a wide variety of confessions.

From this point on, please use the new mission statement in place of the old. We’ll soon be developing guidelines about when, how, and in what contexts the mission statement could be shortened. Until then, please use the entire statement, and if you have questions about particular cases, please direct them to my office.

The Lord’s blessings!

jsb