Fifteen parish pastors and several spouses attended the Fall 1998 Sabbatical Week Oct. 19-23 at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. This year’s Sabbatical Week, entitled “Leadership: Pastor, People, Parish, Public,” featured presentations by Professors William Utech and Dean Nadasdy of the Seminary faculty. Dr. Norbert Oesch of the LCMS Pastoral Leadership Institute and Rev. Stephen Wagner, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Carrollton, Tex., also were presenters.

The event allowed parish pastors the opportunity to get away from their day-to-day parish responsibilities for study, reflection and growth. Participants stayed on campus and participated in daily chapel services at the Seminary, ate in the Seminary dining facilities and heard presentations on the main topic. A special aspect of the week was the opportunity for “self-guided study” involving significant amounts of time for participants to use the Seminary’s resources to research topics of personal interest and need.

“We are delighted with the response to this Sabbatical Week,” commented Rev. John Oberdeck, Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Continuing Education and Parish Services at Concordia. “Pastors from as far away as California and Florida were in attendance, and the evaluations of the event indicate that it was very beneficial for these pastors.”

The next Sabbatical Week will be held April 26-30, 1999, on the Seminary campus with the theme “Bioethical Dilemmas: The Pastor and Family-Life Decisions.” For more information, contact Rev. John Oberdeck at 314/505- 7105 or via e-mail at oberdeck@mo.net.