Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, announces that it received a gift in excess of $15,000 from the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML). The gift will be used to provide financial assistance for students preparing to serve in the pastoral ministry of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). The gift is the result of an offering taken during the 30th biennial LWML Convention, held June 19-22 in Oklahoma City, Okla. The offering was divided equally between the two LCMS seminaries.

"The decision of the LWML to dedicate one of its convention offerings for financial aid to seminary students is a wonderful example of the mission of this organization at work," commented Dr. John F. Johnson, president of Concordia Seminary. "This support is greatly appreciated."

The LWML offering arrived prior to June 30 and was matched by funds in the $1.5 million student financial aid matching grant the Seminary had received earlier. "This generous gift of more than $15,000 was doubled thanks to the matching grant funds," commented Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for seminary relations at Concordia Seminary. "This means that more than $30,000 in financial assistance will be available for our students as we continue our full-tuition partnership program for the future pastors of the church."

Thomas believes there is a connection between the Seminary's full-tuition partnership and its dramatic enrollment increase. "Our full-tuition partnership has been in effect over the past four years, and the past three years have witnessed the strongest new student enrollment since the early 1970s," commented Thomas. "I don't think this is a mere coincidence."

This fall's enrollment will likely eclipse all incoming classes since the early 1970s. The Seminary now has 238 applications for the coming academic year, compared with 197 last year and 165 two years ago at this time.

"Gifts such as the one we received from the LWML, as well as other gifts from congregations, groups and individuals throughout the church, are having a powerful impact as we help the church address the serious pastoral shortage," continued Thomas.

For information on how congregations, groups and individuals can participate in the full-tuition partnership, contact Development, Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63105; 314.505.7352, develop@csl.edu. Online gifts may also be made on the Seminary's Web site (https://stg.csl.matchbox.host/donate.htm).