Oct 16, 2012 Print This Article

SMP Students Receive Calls

Fifteen students in the Specific Ministry Pastor Program (SMP) received their first calls during morning chapel on Friday, Oct. 12, at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Eight calls are still pending.

  • Bret Bierman, Trinity/St. Paul’s, Mansfield/Stratford, S.D.
  • Christopher Bruskiewicz, St. John’s, West Bend, Wis.
  • Jose Daniel Fenco, Somerset Hills, Basking Ridge, N.J.
  • David Forke, Call pending
  • Owen Scott Gary, Call pending
  • Kevin Guynn, Faith, Mentor, Ohio
  • Jeffrey Hesse, St. John’s, West Bend, Wis.
  • Bradford Hildebrandt, Somerset Hills, Basking Ridge, N.J.
  • Leon Jameson, Call pending
  • John Karay, Good Shepherd by the Lake, Stoughton, Wis.
  • David Kellerman, St. John’s, West Bend, Wis.
  • Keith Kinslow, Call pending
  • William Kyle Kirk, Trinity, Tyler, Texas
  • Jeffrey Klade, St. John’s, Okarche, Okla.
  • Johnathan Lewis, Call pending
  • Britt Nelson, St. John’s, Aberdeen, S.D.
  • Michael Nesbit, Zion, McHenry, Ill.
  • Benjamin Scheck, Crown of Life, Colleyville, Texas
  • Timothy Stein, Call pending
  • William Stevenson, Call pending
  • Jason Toman, St. Michael, Portage, Mich.
  • Richard VanBriggle, Call pending
  • Douglas Widger, St. Paul, Fort Worth, Texas

In addition, the following SMP calls were approved by the Council of Presidents during summer  2012:

  • King Crawford, Christ/Zion, Manhattan/Latimer, Kan. (DTEP)
  • DuWayne Olson, St. Timothy, Hyde Park, N.Y. (DTEP)
  • Dennis Roedemeier, Salem, Salem, Mo. (SMP)

The SMP program is designed to meet the needs of the church for pastors in mission and ministry opportunities where a pastor with a seminary degree may not be available. In order to be eligible for the SMP program men must be serving in a ministry of a Lutheran congregation which desires their service as a pastor. They must be nominated for the program by their District President. Based upon this nomination, and their previous ministry experiences, the men begin their academic work as concurrent-deferred vicars.

For more information, contact creative services, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105; 314-505-7379; [email protected].

In the photo: Front row, from left: Dr. David Wollenburg, Jeffrey Klade, William Kyle Kirk, Johnathan Lewis, Michael Nesbit, Bradford Hildebrandt, Britt Nelson, Douglas Widger; second row, David Forke, Owen Scott Gary, Timothy Stein, Christopher Bruskiewicz, Jose Daniel Fenco, John Karay, Jason Toman; third row, Keith Kinslow, Bret Bierman, Leon Jameson, David Kellerman, Kevin Guynn, Jeffrey Hesse, William Stevenson, Benjamin Scheck, Rev. Wayne Knolhoff.