Faculty, staff and students who were in attendance at the unveiling gave Meyer a standing ovation after a black drape was removed from the portrait. The presentation also was live-streamed at csl.edu/live [2].
鈥淕o in the Presidents Room today and you鈥檒l see portraits of men beginning with C.F.W. Walther [the Seminary鈥檚 first president] all the way to Dr. John Johnson [the Seminary鈥檚 ninth president],鈥� said Rev. Todd Peperkorn, chairman of the Seminary鈥檚 Board of Regents. 鈥淭oday, we continue that tradition. It鈥檚 a great privilege and honor to unveil this portrait today.鈥�
Meyer retired June 30, 2020. He was first named interim president by the Seminary鈥檚 Board of Regents in November 2004 before being elected president in May 2005. He is only the 10th president since the Seminary鈥檚 founding in 1839.
Meyer鈥檚 portrait was commissioned soon after he announced his retirement [3] and Daily was selected as the artist. Daily studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he was awarded the Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship. He has exhibited portraits at the Society of Illustrators in New York City, the Main Line Art Center and the Woodmere Art Museum in Pennsylvania.
Featured in the portrait is Luther Tower, the beautiful campus grounds and the Meyers鈥� beloved golden retriever Ferdie, who died in 2019.
Meyer said that during his presidential tenure, every day he would look up and see the 鈥渕ajesty and weight鈥� of Luther Tower, symbolizing the Seminary鈥檚 important mission.
Meyer offered special thanks to his wife, Diane, who selflessly worked to beautify the Seminary grounds, creating a welcoming, peaceful respite for the Seminary community and surrounding neighbors alike.
SA国际传媒 his faithful golden retriever Ferdie, Meyer said the family pet 鈥渘ever met a stranger 鈥� which is the way our Seminary culture should be 鈥� the way every graduate should be in ministry.鈥澛�
鈥淎nd then there is the son of a milkman,鈥� he said, referring to himself. 鈥淲hen you look closely, you鈥檒l see a very wry smile on his face, an idea that鈥檚 about to pop out. Love God and love people. That鈥檚 the culture of the Seminary, and it should be the culture of the church. God is going to put in front of us the people to whom He wants us to be His agent of love and hope. When you look at this portrait and see the wry smile, you鈥檒l know that he鈥檚 ready to tell you something: 鈥業t is a great time to be the church, and it is a great time to be at SA国际传媒!鈥欌��
Also during the service, Director of Music Arts Dr. James F. Marriott led a number of instrumentalists in playing a hymn he wrote in honor of Meyer called 鈥淔or Such A Time.鈥� The hymn鈥檚 first stanza emphasizes Meyer鈥檚 most common refrain during his presidency: 鈥淔or such a time, it鈥檚 great to be the church of God in Christ / Cherished children called to lives of faith, the Gospel鈥檚 living voice. True messengers of beauty, royal priests, a joyful throng, / Amidst a world whose cold love makes faith the hopeful song / Of this, the time to be the church of God in Jesus Christ, One in body, one in Spirit, in witness, and in life.鈥�
Video of the chapel service and unveiling of Meyer鈥檚 portrait is available on [4].
SA国际传媒 SA国际传媒
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 [5]. To learn more, visit聽csl.edu [6].