Greetings to you and peace through our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

There is one day in a pastor's life he never forgets: Call Day; the day when he, as a seminary student, receives his first call to serve as a pastor. This year, the majority of our pastoral candidates will receive their first calls during special worship services on April 22 at Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis and April 23 at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne.

Join me in thanking the Lord of the Church for more than 210 eager and dedicated servants of the Word who await their first calls into the pastoral ministry this spring. They are answers to the prayers of God's people. Together, these many messengers will leave our seminaries to proclaim one message: Christ's victory over sin, death and the grave!

Our new pastors join the ranks of many messengers who have gone before them, more than 18,000 from our two seminaries combined over nearly 170 years. Consider how many people facing eternal death whom God has saved, how many lying in hospital beds He has calmed, how many standing at the gravesides of loved ones He has comforted through the message proclaimed by these servants. This one message was boldly proclaimed by St. Paul:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-9

I invite you to join me in offering a gift through The LCMS Joint Seminary Fund to our seminaries in thanksgiving for the many messengers God provides. Through your participation you support both seminaries and the formation of our future pastors. Our many messengers proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

May our gracious God continue to bless you in all things, and may He bless these new messengers of His Gospel, their families, those receiving their first calls on April 22 and 23, and the people whom they will serve!

Yours in the Risen Christ,
Rev. Glen D. Thomas                            Rev. Paul D. Kienker
Executive Director                               Vice President for Development
Board for Pastoral Education                  (800) 248-1930 Ext. 1675