The Rev. Dr. Dale A. and Diane C. Meyer “Helpers of Joy” Endowment was announced at the Generations Campaign celebration gala held Dec. 2, 2017. The Meyers established the endowment.
Gifts to this endowment are a tribute to the ministry of the Seminary’s beloved president and first lady and will ensure that future generations will always have the opportunity to know of their remarkable leadership and loving, servant hearts.
Seminary highlights under the leadership of Dr. Meyer, who became the Seminary’s 10th president in 2005, include:
The Seminary’s long-term institutional debt was eliminated.
The Seminary’s endowment increased by 300 percent.
The largest fundraising campaign in the Seminary’s history, the Generations Campaign, exceeded its $180 million goal.
Confessional Lutheranism was advanced through enhanced partnerships with Lutheran church bodies and seminaries around the world.
Access and affordability of a Seminary education has been maximized.
Student loan indebtedness has been reduced as a result of significant donor gifts for student aid.
The Master of Divinity curriculum was updated and implemented in 2017-18, ensuring graduating students are equipped with practical skills for ministry formation in the 21st century.
Awareness of the church’s role in recruiting pastors and other church workers has been expanded.
The name of the endowment refers to a quote by Dr. C.F.W. Walther, the first president of the Seminary and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, who extolled his students and pastors to be “helpers of joy” (2 Cor. 1:24 KJV).
Gifts to this endowment will be considered unrestricted income and earnings will be used where needed most to support the mission of Concordia Seminary. At press time, nearly $6 million has been raised for the endowment.
