The Board of Regents of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis voted to extend President Dale A. Meyer’s service through 2020 during its regular meeting held Aug. 14 at Concordia Publishing House.

Dr. Dale Meyer

The vote took place after the Board received a review of Meyer’s performance from Rev. Hal Senkbeil, review committee chair, per the Handbook of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The Handbook requires a review of seminary presidents every five years.

The Board appointed Meyer interim president beginning in November 2004 and together with three other electors chose him as 10th president in May 2005.

“The input we received through our review process from within and outside of the Seminary community has confirmed what our Board has learned firsthand: Dr. Meyer is a great president,’’ said Senkbeil and Board Chair Rev. Ralph Blomenberg in a joint comment. “He is a respected scholar, preacher, leader, teacher and churchman.”

“The full range of responses we received all provide helpful insights leading toward even greater effectiveness in the years ahead. Dr. Meyer and his wife, Diane, have contributed greatly to the vibrancy of our Seminary community. We are delighted that he will continue to lead the Seminary, helping form pastors and servants with a passion for the mission our Lord Jesus has given to His Church in these difficult times, giving hope and life in Christ.”

Highlights of Meyer’s tenure include the elimination of the Seminary’s long-term debt and the expansion of the endowment from $43 million to $113 million.

Except for the recession year of 2008–09, the Seminary has shown surpluses every fiscal year. Even in the recession, all student aid commitments were met, and in the years since, grants and scholarships have continued to increase.

The Seminary earned high marks from its 2014 accreditation visits and received several civic awards, most recently being named one of the top 100 work places in metropolitan St. Louis. It received top awards in 2008, 2010 and 2015 from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, which annually recognizes universities for “superior fundraising programs.”

A campaign for the future, “Generations,” will soon be publicly launched with the goal of renovating the library and further building endowment. With a conscious focus on the future, the faculty is involved in the first thorough revision of the Master of Divinity curriculum in decades.

“I am thankful to the Board of Regents,” Meyer said. “This job is humbling. It’s humbling because it’s hard, often worrisome work, but it’s also humbling to labor with people who have a passion for the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Our faculty and staff are the ones who make things happen under God’s grace, and the Seminary’s faithful supporters are a constant encouragement. Thank you! To me it’s all about Ps. 115:1. I believe nothing is more important for our Seminary and Church than to live in the fear and love of God. For the rest of my formal ministry and until I see my Savior face-to-face, I have no stronger desire than to serve Him through His mission at Concordia Seminary.”

Click here to read Meyer’s complete biography.

About Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary 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). Since its founding in 1839, Concordia Seminary has equipped more than 12,000 graduates to serve Church and world. Today, a world-renowned faculty teaches more than 600 students in the classroom, off-campus and online. Learn more at www.csl.edu.