Today Concordia Seminary celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dr. C.F.W. Walther. Born in Germany, October 25, 1811, Dr. Walther immigrated to the United States in 1839. Walther and his fellow immigrants sought freedom to preach and teach the Bible as the Word of God, something they could not do according to their convictions in Germany. To that end, Walther and the immigrants established a log cabin school where they could teach the Bible and other necessary subjects to the next generation. Today that school is known as Concordia Seminary, 173 years old.
Throughout his 76 years, Dr. Walther showed the heart of a pastor and teacher. He had personally experienced the relevance of the Bible, and he wanted generations after him to be pastors and teachers shaped by God’s Word to share God’s Word. He once said this to Seminary students, “I wish to talk the Christian doctrine into your very heart, enabling you to come forward as living witnesses with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. I do not want you to be standing in your pulpits like lifeless statues, but to speak with confidence and cheerful courage, offering help where help is needed.” (Law and Gospel, p. 9) Oh, don’t we need that encouragement today!
Comments