Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, is pleased to announce that Rev. Jonathan P. Stein will serve as the Seminary’s first campus chaplain. Stein brings a distinguished, 45-year history of full-time pastoral ministry experience to his new position. He had been serving as a part-time member of the pastoral ministry staff at Zion Lutheran Church, Belleville, Ill., since 2004.

“I bring a pastoral heart and rich and happy pastoral experience to Concordia Seminary,” commented Stein. “I pray that my presence as campus chaplain will be a blessing to the Seminary community.”

Stein will be highly visible on the Seminary campus with the intention of making himself available to all members of the Seminary community, especially students and their families. The Seminary’s recent restructuring allows Stein the administrative freedom to spend his time and efforts in service to the Seminary community and not be burdened with administrative duties.

Care also was taken to ensure that students and members of the Seminary community could approach the campus chaplain in a comfortable, non-threatening atmosphere. “While the chaplain will be an integral part of our community life, he will not be part of the Seminary’s authority structure and he will not participate in student certification and placement,” commented Dr. Dale A. Meyer, president of Concordia Seminary. “He will be available for pastoral counsel, for confession and absolution, and for general conversation.”

Stein served as pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Howard City, Mich., and St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Amble, Mich. (1960-1961). In 1961, Immanuel and St. Peter’s merged into Bethel Lutheran Church, where Stein served as pastor until 1968. He was pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Flint, Mich. (1968-1976); pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Seward, Neb. (1976-1985) and pastor of Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church, North St. Louis County, Mo. (1985-2004).

He received the M.Div. degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (1960), and the M.A. degree from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich. (1967). He and his wife, Sandra, have four children, Susan, Sharon, Jeffrey, and Mark, and seven grandchildren.

For more information, contact the Communications Department, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105; (314) 505-7374; communications@csl.edu.