Rev. Laokouxang (Kou) Seying, the Lutheran Foundation Professor of Urban and Cross-Cultural Ministry, associate dean for Urban and Cross-Cultural Ministry, and associate professor of Practical Theology聽at SA国际传媒, St. Louis, entered eternal rest in Christ Jesus Nov. 23, 2019. He was 55 years old.
Visitation is set for 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 9907 Sappington Road, St. Louis, MO 63128.
Visitation also will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus at SA国际传媒, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105, followed by a service at 9:30 a.m. Members of [1] clergy are invited to vest in white stoles and be a part of the procession.
The service will be live streamed at csl.edu/live [2].
鈥淚 am deeply saddened by the passing of our brother and colleague, Professor Kou Seying,鈥� said Seminary President Dr. Dale A. Meyer. 鈥淭hrough his intense battle with cancer, he witnessed to us his confident trust in our Lord Jesus and thereby why he was so passionate about Jesus鈥� mission to all peoples. Of his many legacies, that passion to share Jesus will long live on campus and in all who graduate from our Seminary. In confidence of the resurrection and heavenly reunion, we extend our Christian sympathies to his wife Maykou and their children, Grace, Sarah, Seth and Malachi.鈥�
Seying was the first ordained Hmong pastor in the LCMS. Over the course of his ministry, he served as a parish pastor, missionary-at-large, mission developer and professor.
Born in Laos, Seying and his family members were among the very first Christian converts in the country. Seeking refuge during the Vietnam War, his family left Laos when Seying was 12 years old. They resettled in Indianapolis through the co-sponsorship of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and St. Peter Lutheran Church.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been with the Lutheran church ever since,鈥� said Seying in a 2017 [3] article, speaking about the transition to America. 鈥淔or us from a communal society, plucked out of that into new life in America, it was not easy, especially for my parents. But we were loved by the church, and that gave us new life and new identity.鈥�
Seying attended Lutheran schools, earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon (1987), and a Master of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), Ind. (1991). He also studied systematic theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. (1995鈥�98). Seying was in the process of pursuing his Ph.D. in missiology at CTSFW.
In 2004, Seying was called to serve the LCMS California-Nevada-Hawaii District (CNH) as a deployed mission developer/strategist of Joy of Harvest Ministries through St. Paul Lutheran Church in Merced, Calif., where he pastored the Hmong congregation. He also developed church plants at Greenhaven Lutheran Church in Sacramento, Calif., and Peace Lutheran Church in Fresno, Calif.
Besides serving in the LCMS CNH District for more than a decade, he served as pastor of Hmong Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minn. (1991鈥�95). He also taught religion and theology at Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn., (1992鈥�2004), and was the missionary-at-large for the LCMS Minnesota South District (1995鈥�98). In 2015, he joined the faculty of SA国际传媒, St. Louis.
Seying was involved in early discussions within the LCMS that led to pastoral training programs for immigrant and nontraditional students. He served on several Seminary committees including as chair of Multiethnic Symposium Committee and Cross-Cultural Certificate Program Development Committee.
In addition to writing devotional materials, mission articles and frequently giving presentations on missiology, Seying was the editor-in-chief for various major theological works in the Hmong language. His published works included 鈥淗Mong Mission in LCMS鈥� and 鈥淗Mong Spiritism鈥� in聽Missio Apostolica听(苍辞飞听Lutheran Mission Matters) and 鈥淒iversity and Unity in a Multicultural Church: God鈥檚 Dream for the Twenty-First Century鈥� in聽Concordia Journal.
A sought-after speaker, Seying [4] July 23, 2019, during the 67th LCMS Convention, held in Tampa, Fla.
鈥淭o be joyfully Lutheran is 鈥� to expose the Gospel in its purity to a world that desperately needs to hear this good news of Jesus Christ,鈥� Seying said.
He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Maykou (nee Kue); and four children, Grace, Sarah, Seth and Malachi.
On behalf of the family, SA国际传媒 will collect contributions toward education expenses for the Seyings鈥� children. Please make checks payable to 鈥淪A国际传媒鈥� with 鈥淪eying Memorial鈥� noted on the memo line and mail them to the Seminary at 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105 or you can make your gift online at csl.edu/give [5] and write 鈥淪eying Memorial鈥� in the 鈥淥ther鈥� field. (Please note that such gifts are not tax deductible.)
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SA国际传媒, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of [6]. To learn more, visit [7].