Dr. Dale A. Meyer

Dr. Dale A. Meyer is president emeritus and professor emeritus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Meyer retired in 2020 after 15 years as Seminary president. He first joined the faculty at Concordia Seminary as a guest instructor, serving from 1979-81. He then served as an assistant professor from 1981-84. In 2001, he rejoined the faculty and served as professor of Practical Theology concurrently while serving as president. He occupied the Gregg H. Benidt Memorial Chair in Homiletics and Literature (2001-05) and served as interim president (2004-05) before being named the 10th president of Concordia Seminary in 2005.

Meyer earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Concordia Seminary (1973) and a Master of Arts (M.A.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in classical languages from Washington University in St. Louis (1974, 1986). He completed his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) (1969) at Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Ind. He is the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind. (1993), an honorary Doctor of Laws from Concordia Seminary (2021) and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward, Neb (2026).

Meyer’s first call was as pastor of St. Salvator Lutheran Church in Venedy, Ill., and St. Peter Lutheran Church in New Memphis, Ill. (1974-81). After his tenure as a guest instructor at Concordia Seminary (1979-81), he served as an assistant professor, teaching classes in New Testament and homiletics, and as the director of Resident Field Education (1981-84). He then was called to serve as senior pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Ill. (1984-88).

Meyer then served as Speaker of “The Lutheran Hour” radio program (1989-2001). Through 2003, he hosted the national television show “On Main Street” for Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM). In 2001, LHM received two prestigious Emmy awards from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) St. Louis/Mid-America Chapter for two “On Main Street” episodes.

Meyer’s service to the church includes serving as third vice-president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) from 1995-98. He was a charter board member of the Association of Lutheran Older Adults (ALOA), an honorary director of God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society and a member of the Standing Committee on Pastoral Ministry for the LCMS. He was pastoral adviser for the Southern Illinois District of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League and has served as first vice president, second vice president, secretary and circuit counselor of the LCMS Southern Illinois District. He served on the Board of Trustees of the American Bible Society from 2001-13.

Meyer has written numerous sermons and columns for LHM, including the booklets “Coping with Cancer” and “Real Men.” He co-authored “The Crosses of Lent,” in-depth Bible studies of Matthew and Prophecy in the LifeLight series, and authored “The Place of the Sermon in the Order of Service” in Liturgical Preaching for Concordia Publishing House. He has contributed to Issues in Christian Education, Concordia Pulpit Resources and the Concordia Journal. His articles include “A Church Caught in the Middle,” “An Urban Seminary” and “Why Go to Church?” and “The Formative Power of Preaching the Ascension.”

In 2014 Meyer wrote “Timely Reflections: A Minute a Day with Dale Meyer,” a compilation of 365 daily devotions from his long-running online series, “The Meyer Minute,” and in 2018, he wrote “Word Alive!,” featuring 52 of his sermons spanning his decades in ministry – both published by Tri-Pillar Publishing.

In 2026, Meyer received the Ageless Remarkable Award from EverTrue, a Lutheran nonprofit provider of aging services, in recognition of his leadership, volunteerism and philanthropy.

Meyer has been speaking and preaching for 50 years. His areas of interest and study include 1 Peter, the church in a changing culture and the Sabbath applied to life today.

He lives in Collinsville, Ill., with his wife, Diane. They have two grown daughters, Elizabeth (Darren) Pittman and Catharine (Charles) Bailey; and five grandsons, Christian, Connor and Nicholas Pittman, and Andrew and Jacob Bailey.