This summer, Concordia Seminary staff are representing us at nearly three dozen District conventions. I’m traveling to several of these myself. Every three years the people of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod meet as districts to encourage one another in the faith and to encourage the Synod to walk together in the truth of the Gospel and in our Lord’s mission.

District conventions present another opportunity for us at Concordia Seminary to remember that all we do is for the sake of the church. St. Paul encouraged the church, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4:15 ESV). Concordia Seminary is the church’s seminary. Our chief aim is to speak the truth in love and thus to grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head of the church.

Thanks be to God that He has called you into His family. He gave His own Son to be the propitiation for your sins. God has washed you in the waters of Holy Baptism and made you His own child. In all of this, God has gathered you into His people. As a member of His church, you are in fellowship with Old Testament believers, New Testament saints, Lutheran forefathers, and every believer whom God has called to Himself. Together, He has given us beautiful work to do and promised us that our work matters: “I chose you (plural) and appointed you (plural) that you (plural) should go and bear fruit and that your (plural) fruit should abide” (John 15:16 ESV).

God has called us into a blessed fellowship called The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Our Synod exists for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Concordia Seminary exists to train servants of this Gospel for the LCMS. By God’s grace our Seminary will continue to be a place where the Gospel reigns and where all are encouraged to grow into Christ, who is the head of His body, the church, by hearing and speaking the word of truth. God grant it for Jesus’ sake.

In Christ’s love,

Thomas J. Egger
President