At a meeting today, the electors charged with calling the next president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis chose to issue a new call for candidates.

Also today, the Seminary’s Board of Regents named Dr. Daniel Preus interim president effective July 1. He will serve until the new president is called and takes office.

About Dr. Daniel Preus

“The Seminary is truly blessed to have Dr. Preus agree to serve us once again,” said Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn, chairman of the Board of Regents. “Daniel is a distinguished churchman with 40 years of parish service, making him well acquainted with the needs of future pastors. He is very familiar with Concordia Seminary: he literally grew up on campus, and more recently served for nine years on our Board of Regents. His steady demeanor and pastoral heart will serve the Seminary well as we continue our work forming pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and leaders for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) during this time of transition.”

Preus previously served, at various times, as the LCMS’ first, third, fourth and fifth vice president. He also has served congregations in Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado and Missouri. From 1995–2001, he served as director of Concordia Historical Institute, St. Louis, and from 2005–12, as director of Luther Academy, also in St. Louis, an organization devoted to promoting confessional Lutheran theology.

Preus was a leader in discussions resulting in the declaration of church fellowship between the LCMS and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya in 2004. In addition, Preus is the author of numerous articles for theological journals as well as the book Why I Am a Lutheran (Concordia Publishing House, 2004), which has been translated into six languages.

Born in Mayville, N.D, Preus graduated from the former Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1971 and from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1975, when it was located in Springfield, Ill. In 1989 he received a Master of Sacred Theology and in 2015, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity, both from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Preus and his wife, Linda, live in St. Louis. They have three sons, two daughters and 10 grandchildren.

Peperkorn noted that among its considerations in selecting the interim president, the board sought an experienced leader who would not be in consideration for the permanent role, to avoid preempting the nomination process and to allow the interim president to focus solely on the work at hand. Preus has advised the board that he will not allow his name to stand for nomination for election as seminary president.

About the new call for Seminary presidential nominations

The call for nominations is the second one issued for the presidency after the first round, originally issued in October, and the subsequent process resulted in a call that was declined last week. In accordance with the LCMS Bylaws, the board organized today’s meeting of the electors, who after deliberation determined to resume the search by calling for new nominations. Because this is a new call for nominations, previous nominations will not be carried over, so congregations wishing to nominate will need to submit new nomination forms.

The LCMS Handbook states that Seminary presidential nominations may be submitted only by LCMS congregations, the Seminary’s Board of Regents and the Seminary faculty.

A form for congregational nominations is available at csl.edu/president-search. While use of the form is optional, those submitting nominations in writing should include the name, city and district of the congregation; the date of the meeting at which the nomination was made; the name(s) and location(s) of the nominee(s); and the signatures and printed names of the pastor and two officers of the nominating congregation.

Nominations should be delivered to boardsecretary@csl.edu or Mark Stern, Secretary, Concordia Seminary Board of Regents, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105 by Aug. 31.

A list of nominees who meet the LCMS’ bylaw qualifications for the presidential office and who have consented to let their names stand for election will be published in an official LCMS periodical and posted on csl.edu by Sept. 15.

The new president will succeed President Dr. Dale A. Meyer, who will retire June 30. Meyer, who became the Seminary’s 10th president in 2005, announced in October his plans to retire.

Updates related to the presidential election are available at csl.edu/president-search.

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 csl.edu.