In a service held in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus today, 23 students were recognized for their vicarage and internship assignments as part of their preparation for ministry in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). These students represent four distinct programs at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis: 12 students in the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) [1] Program, one pastoral student and eight deaconess students in the Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS) [2] Program, and two students in the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center (CMC) [3] Program. This milestone marks an important step for these students as they move closer to becoming pastors and deaconesses in the LCMS.
Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP)
The SMP Program is a four-year distance-education program in which men receive theological education in the setting in which they will continue to serve — as pastors of congregations or in other ministries of the LCMS — following certification, call and ordination. Local pastor-mentors work with SMP students to provide day-to-day guidance, encouragement and prayer.
“Those entering into the SMP Program as vicars will be adding course work and vicarage responsibilities to their already full and busy lives of work and family responsibilities and other life vocations God has given to them,” said SMP Program Director Dr. W. Mart Thompson [4]. “While the program is demanding and requires significant sacrifice and commitment, their hard work will certainly bear fruit for the sake of the Gospel as they are formed for the Office of the Ministry to become pastors in the LCMS.”
The following SMP students received vicarage assignments:
- Jarred Burns, Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, Ind., LCMS Indiana District
- Jamie Dennis, Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church, Saint Peters, Mo., LCMS Missouri District
- Franklin “Frank” Field, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Marion, N.C., LCMS Southeastern District
- David Gallagher, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Federal Way, Wash., LCMS Northwest District
- Aaron Hedlund, Christ Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb., LCMS Nebraska District
- Joshua Henry, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Webster, Wis., LCMS North Wisconsin District
- Matthew Johnson, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Temple and Belton, Texas, LCMS Texas District
- Christopher Reed, Resurrection Lutheran Church, Cary, N.C., LCMS Southeastern District
- David Runkel, Summit of Peace Lutheran Church, Thornton, Colo., LCMS Rocky Mountain District
- Collins Sita, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Englewood, Fla., LCMS Florida-Georgia District
- Benjamin Strohschein, Orange Lutheran High School, Orange, Calif., LCMS Pacific Southwest District
- Brad Thomas, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and School, Eastpointe, Mich., LCMS Michigan District
Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS)
The CHS is a distance-education program that offers theological education and leadership in the Lutheran tradition from and for U.S. Hispanic/Latino communities. Instruction is in Spanish and considers the rich diversity of Hispanic cultural contexts in its theological and pastoral reflection.
“For the past 38 years, the CHS Program has been preparing men to serve as pastors and women to serve as deaconesses in Hispanic/Latino communities across the U.S.,” said Associate Dean for Urban and Cross-Cultural Ministry and Director of the Center for Hispanic Studies Dr. Ely Prieto [5]. “We hope and pray that the CHS Program will continue this vital work for many years to come. We thank God for these students and pray for the Lord’s blessings upon their ministries as they serve Hispanic communities throughout our nation.”
The following CHS student received his vicarage assignment:
- Roberto Espitia Gomez, Grace Lutheran Church, Arlington, Texas, LCMS Texas District
The following CHS students received deaconess internship assignments:
- Angélica Cepeda Martínez, Iglesia Luterana Confesional Conexión, Naples, Fla., LCMS Florida-Georgia District
- Yrida Gómez, Pelican Lutheran Church, Naples, Fla., LCMS Florida-Georgia District
- Marilyn Hernández, Pelican Lutheran Church, Naples, Fla., LCMS Florida-Georgia District
- Lucia Jaimez Cortez, Grace Lutheran Church, Arlington, Texas, LCMS Texas District
- Rosy Portillo Rubio, Faith Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas, LCMS Texas District
- Betsy Ramírez, Iglesia Luterana Confesional Conexión, Naples, Fla., LCMS Florida-Georgia District
- Gloria Velásquez, Iglesia Luterana Confesional Conexión, Naples, Fla., LCMS Florida-Georgia District
- Gilma Zepeda, Iglesia Luterana Confesional Conexión, Naples, Fla., LCMS Florida-Georgia District
Cross-cultural Ministry Center (CMC)
The Cross-cultural Ministry Center, established by Concordia University, Irvine, Calif., exists in conjunction with Concordia Seminary and with the LCMS Pacific Southwest District, for service in the sociocultural contexts of specific ethnic populations and multicultural communities.
“The Cross-cultural Ministry Center (CMC) prepares faithful missionary pastors who can initiate and develop culture-crossing ministries in the rapidly changing demographics of 21st-century America,” said Prieto. “We thank God for providing these men to be trained and sent to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a multicultural America.”
The following CMC students received vicarage assignments:
- Wesenachin Asfaw, Christ Lutheran Church, Costa Mesa, Calif., LCMS Pacific Southwest District
- Jonathan Kopecky, Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church, Seattle, Wash., LCMS Northwest District
The Seminary recognizes and celebrates calls throughout the year although the campus’ primary Call Day [6] celebration typically is held in April. During call celebrations, students receive their first calls to ministry as well as assignments for vicarages and deaconess internships. The Seminary’s next primary Call Day is set for April 30, 2025.
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) [7]. To learn more, visit csl.edu [8].