Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and the Saint Louis University School of Social Work are now offering a dual master’s degree program for students interested in pursuing careers as deaconesses and social workers. This program is offered in collaboration with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS).

Saint Louis University and Concordia Seminary are working together to offer a Master of Social Work and a Master of Arts in Deaconess Studies in order to foster an ongoing collaboration between the church’s ministry and service to the community, especially through the ministries and service organizations recognized by the LCMS. The program provides the framework, skills, and resources for church workers to engage in social work practice in service to the church and community. Internships will normally be fulfilled in connection with a Lutheran Social Service Agency.

“We are very excited about the new opportunities that this relationship with Saint Louis University offers to our students and the church,” said Dr. Erik Herrmann, director of deaconess studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. “As workers dedicated full-time to the church’s ministry of compassion, charity, and human care, deaconesses trained as social workers will be able to help the church on both the local and national level to better embody the vision of the church as a community that is known in the world by its love for others.”

Deaconesses are called by congregations and into foreign missions, employed by hospitals, nursing homes, and social ministry institutions. Expanding the deaconess skills, experience, and qualifications through the field of social work brings a new set of opportunities for servants of the church to work toward bringing justice, caring for the poor, and ministering to hurting communities.

For more information about the program, please contact the admissions department at Concordia Seminary at 800-822-9545, or the Master of Social Work program at Saint Louis University at 314-977-2752.