Dr. Richard H. Warneck, professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, retired at the close of the 2007-2008 academic year after 23 years of distinguished service. With his retirement, he brings to a close a long and distinguished career within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), serving in numerous capacities and in various positions of leadership.
Warneck, a graduate of Concordia Seminary (B.A., 1957; S.T.M., 1968; Ph.D., 2000), was ordained in 1961 at St. John LutheranChurch, Ellisville, Mo. He served as assistant pastor (1961-1962) and senior pastor (1962-1974) of St. John’s Lutheran Church,Ellisville, Mo. Warneck joined the Seminary faculty for the first time in 1974, serving as assistant professor of practical theology and director of field education and vicarage until 1977. He then served as pastor of Village Lutheran Church, Ladue, Mo., from 1977 to 1981, while he continued as part-time instructor at the Seminary, and as senior pastor of Grace Lutheran Chapel, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo., from 1981 to 1992, at which time he rejoined the Seminary faculty.
“It will be almost impossible to replace someone of the stature of Dick Warneck,” commented Dr. James Voelz, dean of the faculty and colleague of Warneck during his last 16 years of service at Concordia Seminary. “He brings such wide-ranging experience from the parish—the perfect background for teaching seminarians the application of theology within the life of the church-at-large. His full-time presence will be sorely missed.”
Warneck has also served on numerous boards and committees in the church-at-large, including The LCMS Commission on Church Literature, The LCMS-ALC Fellowship Commission, the Board of Doctrinal Review, the Lutheran Association of Higher Education—St. Louis Board of Trustees, the Concordia Pulpit Advisory Committee and The LCMS Church Growth Study Committee. He was also counselor to the Ellisville Circuit of the Missouri District of the LCMS.
Although Warneck’s career with Concordia Seminary is officially ending, he plans to continue to serve the church during retirement. “I really do not favor the term ‘retirement,’” commented Warneck. “Yet, I am leaving the Seminary and will be a vacancy pastor atVillage Lutheran Church in Ladue, Missouri, a service I have begun already. I also intend to serve the church with some amount of writing.”