On May 1, calls to serve as pastors in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) were issued to 81 students at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, during a worship service in The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. These students join more than 12,500 who have been prepared to serve as pastors, missionaries and chaplains during the 173 years of Concordia Seminary’s existence.

In a separate service held earlier that day, 69 students received assignments to serve as vicars. Vicarage is a one-year internship that M.Div. and Alternate Route students preparing to serve in the pastoral ministry must complete.

Concordia Seminary also celebrated four deaconess students who were assigned internships.

The Missouri District received the most vicars from Concordia Seminary, with nine vicars assigned, followed by the Florida-Georgia District with seven. The Texas District issued the most calls with 10, followed by the Missouri District with nine.

The Office of Vespers and Assignment of Vicarages took place at 3:00 p.m. in the Seminary’s Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. Rev. Keith Kohlmeier, president of the Kansas District of the LCMS, served as preacher.

The Service of Praise and Assignment of Calls, also held in The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus, took place at 7:00 p.m. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler, president of the Southeastern District of the LCMS, served as preacher. Officiants for the services included Dr. Dale A. Meyer and Rev. Robert P. Hoehner, the Seminary’s director of placement. The calls were presented to the students by Dr. Larry A. Stoterau, chairman of the Council of Presidents of the LCMS and president of the Pacific Southwest District.

Nearly 6,000 people from 47 states and 20 foreign countries – spread over five continents – participated in one or both of the services via the video feeds provided on callday.csl.edu. Several calling congregations were able to celebrate and participate in the services with Concordia Seminary by connecting a projector and speakers in their church so the services were able to be seen and heard. Many also browsed the call lists and explored the interactive maps, contributing to a day with more than seven times the typical web traffic for the evening.

A complete listing of the calls and vicarages issued is available on the Seminary’s special Call Day website at callday.csl.edu.