From the President: Cross-Country Conversations
Dear Friends in Christ,
Our Opening Service for the 2025–2026 academic year is right around the corner—September 8. We look forward to welcoming back last year’s vicars, who are already trickling onto campus, along with forty-some new residential students. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His harvest.
This summer, I attended thirteen of the thirty-five LCMS district conventions. It was a blessing to be able to thank delegates for their faithful work in the Lord’s vineyard and for their continued support of our seminary. It was also a great opportunity to encourage pastors and advisory and lay delegates to continue having the conversations we know are so critical in raising up future pastors who have the God-given gifts for that office. Quantity matters, of course. We need more pastors. But equally, if not more, important are the qualities, or fitness for ministry, needed in our future pastors. Our strategic plan expresses those qualities in these terms: “students capable of the robust education and formation” offered at CTSFW so that they can fulfill the biblical qualifications of their high office — men of faith in Christ, of character and integrity, of intelligence and commitment to the people of God (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:6-9). Look for more information on this topic in the fall issue of For the Life of the World.
At the conventions and various other events, I’ve also been making the case for residential education and formation. CTSFW issued a long form of that case in a May 7 email, “A Statement on Unsanctioned MDiv Programs,” in concert with communications from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis (CSL) and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The support we’ve received for those communications and our seminary has been overwhelming. This is good for our congregations and the LCMS ministerium: support for the residential formation at our seminaries will continue to uphold the faithful preaching and teaching of the Gospel in all its articles and the administration of the Sacraments according to Christ’s command.
Speaking of the ministerium: This summer’s LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans and the three Higher Things conferences provided opportunities to talk to young LCMS Lutherans about coming to the seminary. At the Youth Gathering, our Assistant Vice President of Admission, Rev. Matt Wietfeldt, was a Bible study leader, and I taught six breakout sessions. Best of all, we had hundreds of conversations with LCMS youth about our seminary and the church work professions, especially the pastoral office. We had similar conversations at Higher Things.
At both events, we gave challenge coins (see photo below) to young men interested in the pastoral office. Their challenge? To continue to pray that the Lord would use them in the pastoral office, to visit us at CTSFW, and to remain in conversation with us on their path to discernment.
All of this work is made possible by your fervent prayers and generous financial, material, and moral support. Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel. Let us pray for one another.
+ pax domini +
J.S. Bruss
President
CTSFW unveiled plans for a new Food and Clothing Co-op at the LWML (Lutheran Women in Mission) Convention June 26–29 in Omaha, Nebraska. Adding to the excitement: news that CTSFW was chosen to receive a $100,000 LWML mission grant to support the two deaconess formation students from Tanzania. Thank you, LWML!
CTSFW hosted an Evangelism Enclave organized by Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Robinson, Indiana District executive for outreach, human care, and stewardship, July 1–2, with representatives from both LCMS seminaries, the LCMS Office of National Mission, and the South Wisconsin, Central Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Kansas Districts attending.
Dr. Bruss made the case for the Lutheran Confessions at this year’s Making the Case Conference hosted by Issues, Etc. at Concordia University Chicago July 18–19. He and Dr. Thomas J. Egger, president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, participated in a Q & A moderated by Issues, Etc. host Rev. Todd Wilken after their presentations.
Dr. Bruss talks to a Youth Gathering participant after giving him a challenge coin. The front side of the coin includes CTSFW’s name and logo, while the back says “VDMA,” the acronym of the original motto of the Wittenberg Reformation: Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum, “the Word of the Lord endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25).
The week after the Youth Gathering, President Bruss and Rev. Wietfeldt traveled to the Higher Things Conference, “All Things New,” held July 29–August 1 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. Bruss has agreed to serve as the keynote speaker at one of next year’s Higher Things Conferences. Keep an eye out for more information.