Concordia Seminary, St. Louis will begin its 182^nd year with an Opening Service at 10 a.m. CDT Aug. 28 in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. Due to social distancing measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic, in-person attendance will be limited to service participants; new students, their spouses and children; faculty and staff members who are being installed or ordained; and deans, department chairs and program directors. The service will be available for all to watch via livestream at csl.edu/live.

The Opening Service serves as an official welcome to new students and marks the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year. The theme for the new academic year is “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” and is based on Heb. 13:8.

During the service, Interim Seminary President Dr. Daniel Preus will preach. The service also will include recognition of new staff members and the installations of Preus;  Dr. Philip Penhallegon as professor of Exegetical Theology; Dr. Thomas Egger as the Gustav and Sophie Butterbach Professor of Exegetical Theology, who replaces Dr. Andrew Bartelt, who retired earlier this year; Rev. Micah Glenn as director of Recruitment; and the ordination of Dr. James Marriott, the Kreft Chair for Music Arts, who received his Residential Alternate Route certificate in May and a call to serve at the Seminary.

Vicarage and internship assignments also will be announced for pastoral and deaconess students in the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Program, Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT) Program, Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS) Program and the Cross-cultural Ministry Center.

The Opening Service caps Orientation week, which begins Aug. 25. During Orientation new students will be familiarized with their programs. Residential Ministerial Formation students will attend Orientation on campus while all distance education students and Graduate School students will participate in online Orientation.

Everyone is encouraged to join in the celebration of the new academic year by using the hashtags #CSLorientation, #JesusChristForever and #CSLtogether, and sharing photos and information on social media with their friends and family.

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.