Concordia Seminary Newsroom
Former Concordia Seminary Chaplain Rev. Jonathan Stein enters rest
Stein began serving at Concordia Seminary in 2006 as the chaplain. The creation of the chaplain role was meant to encourage personal spiritual care and development for students and all members of the Seminary community. His position was uninvolved with students’ certification and placement, ensuring a safe space for students to receive pastoral counseling and conversation, and to receive Confession and Absolution. Stein retired in May 2016.
“My words are inadequate to express the abundance of blessings God gave His Church and Seminary through Pastor Jonathan Stein,” said Seminary President Dr. Dale A. Meyer. “As the Seminary’s first chaplain, he counseled students in complete confidentiality while modeling pastoral presence and churchmanship in his countless public interactions with our campus community. Hundreds of graduates are better pastors and deaconesses because of his loving care. We deeply miss him.”
Prior to his service at the Seminary, Stein was as a part-time member of the pastoral ministry staff at Zion Lutheran Church, Belleville, Ill. (2004-06). He previously served as pastor of Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church, St. Louis, Mo. (1985-2004); pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Seward, Neb. (1976-85); pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Flint, Mich. (1968-76); pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church (1961-68); and pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Howard City, Mich., and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Amble, Mich. (1960-61).
Stein received his Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary (1960). He also held a master’s degree from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich. (1967).
A funeral service will be held Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Cary, N.C. Visitation is at 9 a.m. followed by worship and interment beginning at 10 a.m. The family is requesting memorials to Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105.
Stein is survived by his wife, Sandra; four children; Susan, Sharon, Jeffrey and Mark; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
The faculty, students and staff of Concordia Seminary have been blessed by Stein’s ministry and pastoral heart. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’” (Rev. 14:13-14 ESV).
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.