2026 February — The Lutheran Foundation Signs Lease With Concordia Theological Seminary | Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: CTSFW Communications, communications@ctsfw.edu

The Lutheran Foundation Signs Lease with Concordia Theological Seminary

FORT WAYNE, Ind., February 6, 2026—The campus of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will be the new home of The Lutheran Foundation, currently located at 3024 Fairfield Avenue in downtown Fort Wayne. The Foundation has signed a long-term lease with the seminary and plans to construct a new building on the southeast corner of the campus.

The Foundation, established in 1995 with proceeds from the sale of Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, has devoted itself to community well-being, providing grants to Lutheran congregations, schools, and organizations in its 10-county service area in northeast Indiana as well as scholarships for students pursuing nursing and other health care professions. CTSFW President Dr. Jon Bruss says the new partnership will give the seminary a good opportunity to support that work.

The Lutheran Foundation’s new building on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary will echo the style of existing campus buildings, most of which were designed in the 1950s by renowned architect Eero Saarinen. (Image courtesy of Design Collaborative)

“The impact that The Lutheran Foundation has had on the ministries of Lutheran churches in the area, including congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, is tremendous,” said Bruss. “With this agreement, CTSFW is able to help the Foundation in a material fashion to continue to support healthy proclamation of the Gospel.”

The seminary will benefit from the new partnership, as well. “We see the Foundation as a valuable part of the Lutheran community, and we want to be part of that,” said Lance Hoffman, Chief Operating Officer at CTSFW. “Having them on our campus will bring more Lutherans to the seminary and strengthen our ties to other Lutheran organizations in our area.”

Over the past year, Bruss and Hoffman have worked with Mark Dixon, President and CEO of the Foundation, to secure approval for the move from the boards of both organizations as well as the Board of Directors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, which owns the seminary campus. The seminary leases space on its 192-acre campus to several other organizations, including Worship Anew, radio station Star 88.3, and the International Lutheran Council, but the Foundation will be the first to construct a new building that incorporates no existing seminary facilities.

Mark Dixon (center), President and CEO of The Lutheran Foundation, shakes hands with CTSFW President Dr. Jon Bruss after signing the lease agreement between the Foundation and CTSFW. CTSFW’s Chief Operating Officer, Lance Hoffman, also attended the lease signing.

“This move tells the story of who we are,” said Dixon, who has worked to strengthen the Foundation’s focus on the church during his tenure as president. “Our priority is to support our churches, schools, and affiliated Lutheran organizations. Our current building is three-and-a-half times larger than what we need. This is a good time to make a change.”

The Foundation plans to donate its current building to Redeemer Classical School, operated by Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne. In June of 2025, it gifted another part of its property, a 13-acre park that was once the site of Lutheran Hospital, to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne.

“I’m delighted that our new facility will be on the beautiful CTSFW campus, and we intend for it to enhance the beauty of the campus a little more,” said Dixon.

The Foundation, a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the LCMS, hopes to assume operations in its new building at CTSFW in 2027.

“Our seminary is so pleased to have the Foundation coming to our campus, and we really look forward to a mutually beneficial working relationship that will advance the Gospel not just in northeast Indiana, but around the world,” said Bruss. “We’re combining the concentration of the Foundation with the worldwide reach of CTSFW, and that will contribute to the ongoing vitality of both organizations and the church at large.”