The dedication of the renovated Clara and Spencer Werner Auditorium on the Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, campus took place on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 3:00 p.m. A "Rite of Dedication," held at the entrance to the auditorium, was followed by a ribbon-cutting and an hour of entertainment designed to highlight many of the auditorium's new features.

Entertainers taking part in the hour-long celebration all have Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod connections. Rev. Clifford Frederich, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church, Elgin, Ill., presented a dramatic monologue as Mark Twain. Carol Beth True, a member of Concordia Lutheran Church, Kirkwood, Mo., and Bobby Schroeder, music director at St. John Lutheran Church, Ellisville, Mo., provided instrumental music. Erin Bode, a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, Minn., provided vocal music.

The renovated auditorium marks the completion of the first item in the Seminary's 15-year campus master plan, adopted in 2000 by the Seminary's Board of Regents after a comprehensive study. Improvements to the renovated auditorium include seating, lighting, acoustics, and heating and air conditioning. Two "high-tech classrooms" are now included in the space which used to serve as the balcony.

"Visitors familiar with the original auditorium were amazed at the way the space has been modernized and made much more comfortable and appealing for audiences," commented Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for seminary relations at Concordia Seminary. "They also were impressed with the new, high-tech features of the auditorium as they participated in guided tours of the space following the entertainment."

The Clara and Spencer Werner Auditorium is located in the Seminary's Wyneken Hall and was known as "Wyneken Auditorium" by many. It was an original component of the Seminary campus and had not been renovated since the 1926 dedication of the campus.

The Clara and Spencer Werner Foundation of Paris, Ill., made the renovation possible through a gift to Concordia Seminary. "We are deeply grateful for the leadership and generosity demonstrated by the Clara and Spencer Werner Foundation," commented Leonard Fiedler, vice president for development at Concordia Seminary. "The future pastors of the church and those taking part in special events on our campus will benefit from this renovation for generations to come."

For more information, contact Seminary Relations, Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63105; 314.505.7370; semrelations@csl.edu.