Concordia Seminary Newsroom
Alumni highlight from the class of 1996 … Rev. Robert Donovan
Pastor Robert Donovan serves as the senior pastor at St. James Lutheran Church and School in Chicago. Serving St. James since 1999, Donovan is responsible for charting the vision and managing the ministry of the church.
For Donovan, pastoral ministry was a second career. Before entering the ministry, he spent 17 years working in marketing and strategic planning in Boston. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire and his Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in 1996.
He currently serves as a member of the Seminary’s Alumni Council. Passionate about the Seminary’s mission, he believes by being involved with the council, it helps keep him engaged and active with his alma mater. One of the things he remembers most about his time as a student is the way “being on campus felt like home and community.”
St. James Lutheran Church and School is located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, surrounded by historic homes. In the thriving neighborhood, Donovan works hard to share the message of Jesus with an ever-changing population. At St. James, where the average congregant is 30 years old, Donovan leads a traditional service hoping it will better acquaint his congregants with the catechism.
At the school once per week, Donovan leads a worship service with the students.
The school’s mission is to provide inquiry-based learning with a Christian worldview to prepare students for success throughout life. The education process is founded in the truth of Jesus Christ as Savior as presented in the Holy Bible. The hope that can only be found in Christ is shared with the children, through the church and through Donovan’s steadfast ministry.
In a recent blog post on the church’s website, Donovan wrote how bad news seems to be “just around the corner.”
“But, we have Christ, who on the Cross took our trouble upon Himself and paid the price for us,” he wrote. “We have Christ, who on the Cross felt the same pain that we do, suffered the same agony that we feel, endured the same humility that presses us down. In fact, He felt so much more in that while He is enduring my suffering, He is also enduring yours and everyone else’s all at once.”