Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, announces the promotion of Rev. Dr. Wallace M. Becker as its new director of ministerial recruitment and Rev. Kyle D. Castens as associate director of ministerial recruitment. Previously, they served as associate director of ministerial recruitment and admission counselor, respectively. Both will assist the Seminary’s Office of Admission in the work of identifying, informing and encouraging appropriate candidates for the pastoral ministry in The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

“We are blessed to have Revs. Becker and Castens meet with prospective students who are feeling the desire to serve the Lord of the church in the pastoral ministry,” commented Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for seminary relations at Concordia Seminary. “Both have served as parish pastors and are able to provide prospective students with informed and meaningful answers to questions concerning the pastoral ministry. Their promotions are a recognition of the distinguished service they have rendered to date and a reflection of our confidence that they are both ready to assume even greater responsibility.”

Rev. Becker is a 1973 graduate of Concordia University, Seward, Neb. He served as a director of Christian education at Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, Mich., (1973-80) and First Lutheran Church in Placerville, Calif. (1980-85). In 1988, Rev. Becker received the master of divinity degree at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He served as assistant pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield, Ill. (1988-89), and later as its senior pastor (1989-96). He then served as associate pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Springfield, Mo., until 2001, when he joined the Seminary community as admissions counselor. He became associate director of ministerial recruitment in 2003. Rev. Becker and his wife, Alvina, have two children.

Rev. Castens received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ill., and his master of divinity degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, (2000). Prior to joining the Seminary community, he served as associate pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Everett, Wash., and of Chapel on the Hill Lutheran Church in Granite Falls, Wash. He and his wife, Jennifer, have one son, Daniel.

Revs. Becker and Castens began their new responsibilities on Jan. 1.