Nominees for Concordia Seminary President Announced

[Randy Bosch]

I think Dave deliberately sabotaged Lehenbaurer with his endorsement in order to get his family connection into the job.

So, there is affirmation of a counter-culture to the mysterious United List, call it the Umbilical List.  Widespread force of family relationships focused on securing sinecures in the church.  Oh, wait!  That's nothing new!  Overlap not counter-culture?  :-)

[FrPeters]

He may have tainted Egger with his endorsement!

[Harry Edmon]

Dr. Egger has been unanimously called to be the next President of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.

[Randy Bosch]

Dr. Egger has been unanimously called to be the next President of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.

Please join in lifting up prayers that the Lord would bless Dr. Eggers in his new ministry as Seminary President, and the faculty, staff, and seminarians now under his care.

[Dave Likeness]

Dr. Egger has been on the faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis since 2005.
Currently, he is chairman of the Exegetical Theology Department.  His call to
become President of Concordia Seminary sounds like a comfortable fit for both
Dr. Egger and the Seminary.  With 15 years experience as a professor he
will know both the strengths and weaknesses of the Seminary.

May the Lord bless Dr. Egger as he deliberates his Call.  This will be a great
challenge to lead the Seminary further into the 21st century.

[Dave Benke]

Well, Dr. Egger is not actually my second cousin (as far as I know - this is the Missouri Synod, so it's within the realm of possibility), but he should indeed have our prayers.   When a candidate is selected to run an organization from within the organization - in this case a faculty member of a seminary - in a sense it's a leadership challenge because of the existing interwoven relationships.  At least that's the way it works in other organizations with which I've been affiliated. Certainly the faculty and administration will welcome one of their own and lend assistance in the beginning days.  Remember that three of the seven original finalists were from within, not including Egger, who was a late addition to the final two selectees. 

I'm sure the electors knew this as board leaders and stakeholders, and determined that an internally united faculty and staff were important to the seminary's future not only immediately but in the mid-term.  In a sense then it's a "win" for the faculty and staff, who will bring a strong bond to their efforts in recruitment as well as vision and mission.  And then that makes it easier on the Board of Regents, who won't have to involve themselves in micromanagement, since the team is already in place.

I would, if I were the new president coming from the exegetical department, enlist past President Dale Meyer in a heartbeat to assist in the transition particularly when it comes to relationships in the fundraising and development arena, hastening to add that I neither am the new president nor come from the exegetical department.

As Dave Likeness states appropriately, this is a Divine Call to service, so we pray for the Spirit's guidance on Professor Egger in making the decision to accept or decline, which belongs to him.

Dave Benke

[peter_speckhard]

Well, Dr. Egger is not actually my second cousin (as far as I know - this is the Missouri Synod, so it's within the realm of possibility), but he should indeed have our prayers.   When a candidate is selected to run an organization from within the organization - in this case a faculty member of a seminary - in a sense it's a leadership challenge because of the existing interwoven relationships.  At least that's the way it works in other organizations with which I've been affiliated. Certainly the faculty and administration will welcome one of their own and lend assistance in the beginning days.  Remember that three of the seven original finalists were from within, not including Egger, who was a late addition to the final two selectees. 

I'm sure the electors knew this as board leaders and stakeholders, and determined that an internally united faculty and staff were important to the seminary's future not only immediately but in the mid-term.  In a sense then it's a "win" for the faculty and staff, who will bring a strong bond to their efforts in recruitment as well as vision and mission.  And then that makes it easier on the Board of Regents, who won't have to involve themselves in micromanagement, since the team is already in place.

I would, if I were the new president coming from the exegetical department, enlist past President Dale Meyer in a heartbeat to assist in the transition particularly when it comes to relationships in the fundraising and development arena, hastening to add that I neither am the new president nor come from the exegetical department.

As Dave Likeness states appropriately, this is a Divine Call to service, so we pray for the Spirit's guidance on Professor Egger in making the decision to accept or decline, which belongs to him.

Dave Benke

Sometimes the danger, though, is that the reason an internal promotion seems important to everyone on the inside is that the institution is struggling and everyone is already invested in a particular approach to the future. Someone coming in from the outside would see the warning signs and potentially upset the apple cart with an approach to the future that addresses the institutional struggles in ways that those on the inside would rather avoid. Either way-- promoting from within for continuity or bringing in a fresh set of eyes-- can be the right way. I just hope that those who have all the internal numbers and information chose from within because the institution is healthy and they wanted to stay the course and not because the institution is unhealthy but everybody prefers a little pain and limping over a major but necessary surgery.   

[Rob Morris]

Well, Dr. Egger is not actually my second cousin (as far as I know - this is the Missouri Synod, so it's within the realm of possibility), but he should indeed have our prayers.   When a candidate is selected to run an organization from within the organization - in this case a faculty member of a seminary - in a sense it's a leadership challenge because of the existing interwoven relationships.  At least that's the way it works in other organizations with which I've been affiliated. Certainly the faculty and administration will welcome one of their own and lend assistance in the beginning days.  Remember that three of the seven original finalists were from within, not including Egger, who was a late addition to the final two selectees. 

I'm sure the electors knew this as board leaders and stakeholders, and determined that an internally united faculty and staff were important to the seminary's future not only immediately but in the mid-term.  In a sense then it's a "win" for the faculty and staff, who will bring a strong bond to their efforts in recruitment as well as vision and mission.  And then that makes it easier on the Board of Regents, who won't have to involve themselves in micromanagement, since the team is already in place.

I would, if I were the new president coming from the exegetical department, enlist past President Dale Meyer in a heartbeat to assist in the transition particularly when it comes to relationships in the fundraising and development arena, hastening to add that I neither am the new president nor come from the exegetical department.

As Dave Likeness states appropriately, this is a Divine Call to service, so we pray for the Spirit's guidance on Professor Egger in making the decision to accept or decline, which belongs to him.

Dave Benke

Sometimes the danger, though, is that the reason an internal promotion seems important to everyone on the inside is that the institution is struggling and everyone is already invested in a particular approach to the future. Someone coming in from the outside would see the warning signs and potentially upset the apple cart with an approach to the future that addresses the institutional struggles in ways that those on the inside would rather avoid. Either way-- promoting from within for continuity or bringing in a fresh set of eyes-- can be the right way. I just hope that those who have all the internal numbers and information chose from within because the institution is healthy and they wanted to stay the course and not because the institution is unhealthy but everybody prefers a little pain and limping over a major but necessary surgery.   

I promised Dr. Egger would have my prayers were he called and he does.

Here's the wierdest wrinkle in all this... take a look at the press release from CSL: https://www.csl.edu/2021/02/egger-called-as-11th-seminary-president/  Note the make-up of the search committee... out of 11, 7 were faculty members from CSL. That search committee did not bring Dr. Egger forward as a finalist candidate. The electors re-added his name over the recommendation of the search committee. If he accepts the call, he will be the president at an institution where a committee that included 7 of his faculty did not forward his name to be president...

So, factor that in to the dynamic challenge that always results when "one of us" becomes the head honcho.

If I were an organizational consultant for CSL or the LCMS, there would be many questions to ask about this dynamic.

I am not - I am a rostered pastor in the Synod... as Dr. Egger prayerfully considers the call, he has my prayers for God's true guidance and wisdom.

(Nota bene: I am not implying anything untoward has happened - all of this has unfolded in good order according to the established bylaws, etc. I am not sitting in judgement on Dr. Egger's capacity and gifting to lead in this way. I am only pointing out a very odd dynamic.)

[FrPeters]

But there is this:

Egger was originally nominated for the presidency by all three sources that Synod Bylaws allow to submit nominations:  the faculty of Concordia Seminary, the Board of Regents of Concordia Seminary and numerous LCMS congregations.

[Rob Morris]

Yeah - saw that.

Like I said, there is not a sniff of anything untoward. It's just odd on the face of it. If a congregation followed the same process, there would be questions to ask. There may be perfectly clear explanations (I said upstream - a change of heart or circumstance on Dr. Egger's part could be one example of a completely innocuous explanation, wherein he removed himself from consideration by the search committee but was once again available for consideration after the search committee had voted on their list of 7).

As I said, organizationally, it's a bit of an odd duck situation. But he has my prayers regardless.

[FrPeters]

Actually I have seen congregations bypass the choice of the call committee and pull up a name they had rejected and the whole congregation agree to call that man.  I don't know how often it happens or why but I know it does.

[peter_speckhard]

I'd guess that Egger originally asked not to be nominated or declined to be considered, but then got talked into it. That sort of thing probably happens all the time.

Either way, taking charge of an old church/education institution has got to feel like leading the cavalry against the tanks at this point, so hopefully Egger is granted something similar to having his eyes opened to the angelic chariots and horsemen of the angel host.     

[Dave Benke]

But there is this:

Egger was originally nominated for the presidency by all three sources that Synod Bylaws allow to submit nominations:  the faculty of Concordia Seminary, the Board of Regents of Concordia Seminary and numerous LCMS congregations.

Egger was nominated in that way among the other interior candidates, Larry, not in a way unique to him.  And from the list of 44, there were about a dozen internal candidates.  Which is a lot.
To the points made above,
a) let's remember that the first selectee, who declined, was not an interior candidate. 
b) that the list of seven contained three internal candidates, meaning there was a pare-down, and Egger did not make that list, is a fact that will lead to conversation - why wouldn't it?  Especially since in the end those three internal candidates were not chosen for the final two slots but another internal candidate from the wider list was. 
c) any "organizational consultant" would lift up the concerns listed and very specifically because of the lack of enrollment at both LCMS seminaries, in combination with the overall picture of congregational health and need.  It's a tall order, and we have the former head of the exegetical department to fill it, should he accept the call and challenge.

Dave Benke

[FrPeters]

Egger was nominated in that way among the other interior candidates, Larry, not in a way unique to him.

Scratching my head... was not that the point of my post?  He was initially nominated by the faculty .

My words were in response to this:

That search committee did not bring Dr. Egger forward as a finalist candidate. The electors re-added his name over the recommendation of the search committee. If he accepts the call, he will be the president at an institution where a committee that included 7 of his faculty did not forward his name to be president...

What did I say other than to point out he was not an outside name added but on the original list and brought forward by ALL the electors to be one of two and then the one selected?

[PrTim15]

Biggest issue at Seminary enrollment...I'm never sure how to handle the comment that I heard not long ago, "well God's not calling men to be pastors like he was." Put that enrollment number on a wall in everybody's office. Pray for it, strategize toward it and watch God open door after door.

This number would sure be a great one to drive other change in LCMS. The conversation could go away from "well we have 40 guys ready to go and 80 churches that need them." Could be something more like, "Well here's 150 candidates who are ready to serve and go into the harvest field, and COP we need 80 more calls to parishes." I'm fairly sure nobody who lives within spitting distance of inside of the 270 Beltway would know how to have the conversation yet. The pressure on the system if we had more church workers may cause it to pop.