Concordia Seminary, St. Louis President Dr. Dale A. Meyer announced a $180 million fundraising campaign Friday before 150 alumni, donors and other supporters at a formal gathering held at the Seminary.

Generations: The Campaign for Concordia Seminary — the largest in the Seminary’s 176-year history — will build endowment, increase annual support, and expand library and learning technology initiatives.

“The campaign aims to ensure future generations have healthy, loving, Gospel-proclaiming congregations to nurture and sustain them in their heavenward way,” Meyer said. “Our singular mission is to prepare pastors who are ready for ministry, who can proclaim the Gospel in a relevant and compelling way, and who love the people God calls them to serve.”

Seminary President Dr. Dale A. Meyer, center, raises a toast as he announces the public phase of the Generations Campaign on
Sept. 25 during a gala in Koburg Hall.

Meyer kicked off the campaign at a gala held in Koburg Hall. The event featured guest speakers, multimedia presentations, testimonials and music. Many multigenerational church worker families were recognized, including Rev. Bob Hoehner (’72) of St. Charles, Mo., and his son, Rev. Mark Hoehner (’00) of St. Peters, Mo.

The Hoehners shared how important the Seminary formation experience has been to them, their families and their congregations.

So far, the Seminary has raised more than $111 million in gifts and pledges toward the Generations Campaign’s $180 million goal.

“Thanks to generous friends and alumni, Generations is on track to be transformational,” said Vicki Biggs, senior vice-president for Seminary Advancement. “Gifts to this campaign will ensure the financial viability of Concordia Seminary for generations to come, allowing us to focus on the intellectual and spiritual development of pastors, deaconesses and missionaries who will make an eternal difference in the world.”

Craig and Jane Olson of Orange, Calif., are serving as co-chairs of the campaign.

“We have a whole generation of young people who are seeking meaning and purpose in life, and the church must be the place where they ultimately find it,” said Craig Olson, retired CEO of a global baking company. “Concordia Seminary is shaping pastors who will lead this evangelical effort. Producing high-caliber pastors for ministry in today’s world is not simple and it comes at a price worthy of sacrifice. Your participation through prayer, service and generosity is essential.”

Founded in 1839 in Perry County, Mo., by German Lutheran immigrants, Concordia Seminary moved to St. Louis in 1849 to be closer to the growing number of German settlements in the area and the city’s transportation corridors.

With about 600 students today, Concordia Seminary is among the largest denominational seminaries in the United States. In 2014, the Seminary was cited for its excellent management of resources by the Association of Theological Schools.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper listed Concordia in its 2015 “Best Places to Work” survey, citing a “family atmosphere, high accountability and positive work environment.”

The Seminary’s last comprehensive fundraising campaign, How Will They Hear?, concluded in 2010 and raised $80 million.
To learn more about the Generations Campaign or to make a gift, visit www.csl.edu/generations.

About Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit www.csl.edu.