Applications for admission to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, by those seeking to serve as pastors in The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) continue to arrive at record levels. For the week ending on June 13, 2003, Concordia Seminary received a total of 235 applications for admission to its master of divinity (M.Div.) and certificate programs. This compares with 192 last year and 159 two years ago. Applications have been arriving at levels 20 percent above last year and 40 percent above two years ago for the past six months.

The Seminary is projecting 150 new students this fall who will prepare to serve as pastors in its residential programs. This follows three consecutive years of dramatic increases in new student enrollment, the three best years since the early 1970s.

This enrollment surge has produced an urgent need for financial aid funds. "We are committed to our full-tuition partnership program, which covers tuition costs for our future pastors through a partnership between their home congregation, home district and Concordia Seminary," commented Dr. John F. Johnson, president of Concordia Seminary. "We believe it is the right thing to do and that it is producing powerful results. Concordia Seminary's portion of the full-tuition partnership is $10,400 per year for each student. We are appealing to congregations, groups and individuals throughout our church for support."

Recently, the Seminary received a $1 million matching grant from a Lutheran couple who wish to remain anonymous. The matching grant was expanded to $1.5 million thanks to other generous donors who want to increase the capacity of the Seminary to match gifts received for the financial assistance of future pastors. Gifts received prior to June 30 and designated for financial aid, will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by the matching grant funds. Gifts will be used exclusively to provide full-tuition support for resident Concordia Seminary students preparing to serve as pastors.

Donors can take advantage of the matching grant by contacting the Seminary via its toll-free phone number, 1-800-822-5287 or by using the Seminary's new online donation function on its Web site (www.csl.edu/donate.htm). A credit card may be used to make an offering for full-tuition assistance and donors can designate that their gift be matched, doubling the effectiveness of their gift.

For more information, contact Communications, Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105; 314.505.7374; communications@csl.edu. Details of the Seminary's financial assistance program are available at www.csl.edu/finaid.htm.