May 27, 2020 Print This Article
News, President Search

Rast declines call to serve as SA国际传媒 president

By letter today to the SA国际传媒, St. Louis Board of Regents, President of Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr. declined the call to serve as SA国际传媒鈥檚 11th president and will continue to serve as president at CTSFW.

Photo: Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.

In his letter, Rast said: 鈥淭he call to serve as the 11th president of SA国际传媒, St. Louis is one of the greatest honors I have received during the years of my service to the Christ and His church. 鈥� Needless to say, then, deliberating on the call that you have extended to me has been extremely challenging, comparable only to when I received the call to leave Ascension Lutheran Church in Madison, Tennessee to serve at CTSFW. In short, this was a decision to be made between two great opportunities, given that I believe that God has blessed me with the gifts to serve CSL or CTSFW. In the end, I have decided to remain at CTSFW and am therefore, with great reluctance, returning the call to serve as president of CSL.鈥�

The Seminary extended the call May 16 and Rast鈥檚 decision was made within the 15-day window allowing for deliberation of the call.

In accordance with The Lutheran Church鈥擬issouri Synod Bylaws, the Seminary鈥檚 regents now shall promptly call a meeting of the electors and, as prescribed in the Bylaws, determine whether to reissue the call, elect another person from the remaining five finalists or issue a new call for candidates.

Board of Regents Chairman Rev. Todd A. Peperkorn is currently scheduling the meeting.

The Seminary鈥檚 next president will succeed Dr. Dale A. Meyer, who retires June 30.

鈥淐hrist is Lord of the Church. He knows what and who we need at SA国际传媒, and it will happen in His time and way. Dr. Meyer has built up a wonderful team of people at SA国际传媒, and we will continue to be in good hands,鈥� said Peperkorn. 鈥淲e thank God for Dr. Rast. I know this was an extremely difficult decision for him, but Christ continues to be Lord of the Church, and it will all be well in His time and way.鈥�

Updates related to the presidential election are available at csl.edu/president-search.

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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聽. To learn more, visit聽csl.edu.