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Students who received a theological diploma as part of SA国际传媒鈥檚 Commencement activities gather on Chapel Plaza after the diploma service Friday, May 20, 2022.

The 183^rd academic year at came to a close聽 during the 2022 Commencement exercises, which took place on a sunny Friday on the Seminary campus.

The Seminary recognized 82 graduates and six honorees during Commencement. Of those graduates, 45 earned a Master of Divinity, nine earned a Master of Arts and 10 a Master of Sacred Theology. Additionally, seven graduates earned a Doctor of Ministry and eight earned a Doctor of Philosophy. The Seminary also recognized three students who earned a pastoral certificate upon completion of the Residential Alternate Route Program.

A full list of graduates and their degrees may be found at .

President Thomas J. Egger referred to the Seminary鈥檚 academic theme from Ps. 119:105, 鈥淵our Word is a Lamp to my Feet,鈥� as he addressed the students.

鈥淵our feet came to St. Louis and very soon your feet will be walking away again,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l send you away with a diploma and credentials. We鈥檒l send you away with a lot of learning and reflecting and preparing and practice. We鈥檒l send you away with a strong fabric, I pray, of friendships and brotherhood or sisterhood with one another and a deeper familiarity and love for your church and for one another.

鈥淲e will send you away with the Word of our Lord, which stands forever,鈥� Egger said. 鈥淵our Word, oh Lord, is a lamp to my feet. What is most important of all that you take with you from this place is that which brought you here in the first place 鈥� the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. May this mighty gracious Lord and His mighty gracious Word be your light now as you enter into a new life of service.鈥�

The day began with the annual Theological Diploma Service in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. Students eligible to receive a call as a pastor or deaconess in The Lutheran Church鈥擬issouri Synod (LCMS) received their theological diplomas as part of this service. Dr. Douglas L. Rutt, the Seminary鈥檚 provost and chief academic officer, delivered the sermon based on John 16:5-15.

鈥淓ven though you have learned many things here 鈥� it鈥檚 not about you,鈥� Rutt told the students. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about what the Spirit will do through you. He will strengthen you and give you His strength and wherewithal to remain faithful and firm in the faith. So take heart because Jesus has sent His Spirit, the Spirit of truth, that will lead us into all the truth.鈥�

Commencement exercises took place on the Main Quadrangle Friday evening. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry, retired president of Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, and Ann Arbor, Mich., delivered the Commencement address titled 鈥淗ere We Stand鈥� based on Rom. 5:1-2.

鈥淲e are all blessed because of the Reformation,鈥� Ferry said. 鈥淏ut [Martin] Luther鈥檚 moment is not ours. [Dr. C.F.W.] Walther鈥檚 moment is not our moment. Our moment is now and it鈥檚 time to go. And it might be hard and it might be risky but this is precisely what you are prepared to do, what you are called to do. Let鈥檚 do this. Let鈥檚 go.鈥�

The Seminary鈥檚 faculty presented the Christus Vivit Award to Ren茅e Gibbs for her decades of distinguished Christian service on the Seminary鈥檚 campus, throughout the greater St. Louis area and across the globe. She is an advocate for life-affirming causes at every age and has worked as a special education instructor at public and Lutheran schools, as well as at summer camps. She co-founded the SA国际传媒 Life Team with her husband, Professor Emeritus Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs, and has served on the board of directors for Lutherans for Life and Coalition for Life St. Louis.

The faculty also presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award to the Rev. Eloy Gonza虂lez (鈥�01) of Mission, Texas; and an honorary Doctor of Divinity to Dr. Patrick T. Ferry of Leander, Texas; an honorary Doctor of Letters to Dr. Joseph Herl of Seward, Neb., and Urara Masaki of Kobe, Japan; and an honorary Doctor of Laws to Dr. Erni虂 W. Seibert of Cotia, Brazil. More information about each honoree is available at .

This year鈥檚 graduates join more than 7,000 called leaders of the LCMS around the world and more than 13,000 individuals who have received degrees from SA国际传媒 in the school鈥檚 history.

At the end of the Commencement exercises, Egger closed the 183^rd academic year, and the assembly recited the Lord鈥檚 Prayer in unison. The graduates departed during the recessional hymn, 鈥淭he Church鈥檚 One Foundation.鈥�

SA国际传媒鈥檚 184^th academic year, with the theme 鈥淪haring the Gospel, Sharing our Lives鈥� from 1 Thess. 2:8, will begin with Opening Service Aug. 26, 2022.

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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.