Dr. Thomas J. Egger, the Gustav and Sophie Butterbach Professor of Exegetical Theology and chairman of the Department of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, has accepted the call to serve as the 11th president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Egger announced his formal acceptance of the call after chapel service today.

“It is with a lot of joy and anticipation, and also with some trembling and prayers to God for grace and wisdom, that I announce today the acceptance of this call,” he said. “The Lord has been so kind to me, in calling a poor, miserable sinner to speak in His name, and to serve His bride, His dear church, first as a parish pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Storm Lake, Iowa. Those were wonderful years that I will never forget. For the last 16 years as an Old Testament professor here, studying the sacred Scriptures with many of you — also wonderful years that I will never forget. And now, He has called me to serve His dear church as Seminary president, and to lead this renowned Seminary into the heart of the 21st century.”

Egger also recorded his acceptance of the divine call in a video.

Egger will transition to his new role in mid-March, and his formal installation is expected to be in August.

Electors extended the call to Egger after a unanimous vote on the first ballot Feb. 6.

Egger will succeed President Emeritus Dr. Dale A. Meyer, who retired June 30, 2020, after serving 15 years as president. Dr. Daniel Preus has been serving as interim president of the Seminary since July 1.

“What a joyful day for Concordia Seminary,” said Board of Regents Chairman Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn. “God is good and gracious, and continues to provide for His church, and for Concordia Seminary. The Board of Regents is thrilled to begin this new chapter of Concordia Seminary with Dr. Egger. He brings academic rigor, biblical and confessional fidelity, and a pastoral heart together in a way that reflects who we are as a community. Christ our Lord will bless both him and us in the years to come.”

Egger, an associate professor of Exegetical Theology and the academic adviser for first-year students at the Seminary, has been a faculty member since 2005, having been installed at the same service at which Meyer was installed as president.

Egger earned his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) at Concordia Seminary (1997), and received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English and German from Central College in Pella, Iowa (1993). He completed his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at Concordia Seminary in 2019. His dissertation focused on the phrase “visiting iniquity of fathers upon sons” from the book of Exodus.

Before being called to Concordia Seminary, Egger served as pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Storm Lake, Iowa (2000–05).  

In addition to his Seminary duties, Egger currently serves on the Board of Regents for Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill., where he was elected by his fellow board members to serve as a member of the executive committee, and on the Concordia Historical Institute (CHI) Awards Committee. He served three terms on the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations and was part of the seven-member LCMS Catechism Revision Committee, which prepared the 2017 revision of the Synod’s explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism. He served for 10 years on the Board of Directors of Providence Classical Christian Academy, a K–12 school in St. Louis, Mo.

Egger and his wife, Victoria, have been blessed with six children.

For information about the president search, visit 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.