Dr. William Utech accepted a call to Concordia Seminary after serving as pastor of Holy Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Bloomington, Minn. from 1987 to 1996, where he led a declining congregation through the changes and challenges necessary for it to become a mission-driven, outreach-oriented presence in the community. Working with the congregation and its leadership, he was instrumental in the formation and founding of Open Arms Christian Early Childhood Center, a ministry of Holy Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
Born in Merrill, Wis., where he attended grade school and graduated from high school with honors, Dr. Utech is a 1981 graduate summa cum laude of Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn., with concentrations in American History and Biblical Greek. He received both the Master of Divinity (1985) and the Master of Sacred Theology (1988) degrees from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. In 2006 he received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological Seminary of St. Louis, Missouri.
As a member of Concordia Seminary’s faculty, Dr. Utech’s teaching responsibilities lie in the areas of pastoral ministry, pastoral leadership, and homiletics. As Director of Resident Field Education, he works with 120 plus congregations and pastors in the greater St. Louis area, placing and monitoring the progress of all first-, second-, and post-vicarage seminary students at these numerous sites. When, as a result of the curriculum review and design process, it was determined that the seminary’s Resident Field Education program needed to be redesigned and expanded, Dr. Utech effectively led the department, its supervising pastors, and the student body through the change process. As Director of Resident Field Education, Prof. Utech is responsible for handling the department budget, finances, and personnel matters.
Since 1989, Dr. Utech has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Lutheran Haven Retirement Center of Oviedo, Fla. He also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Grace Place Lutheran Retreats.
William is married to the Lori (Luckwaldt), a family physician, and they have two grown daughters.
Position:
- Associate Professor of Practical Theology
- Director of Resident Field Education
Degrees:
- B.A., Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn.
- M.Div., S.T.M., Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.
- D.Min., Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.
Contact Information:
Concordia Seminary
801 Seminary Pl.
St. Louis, MO 63105
Office phone: 314-505-7113
Email: utechw@csl.edu