Faculty Call Extended

Our seminary has experienced some changes to its faculty over the past year as Dr John Stephenson entered retirement and Dr Harold Ristau moved to Nairobi, Kenya, to teach at the Lutheran School of Theology. In September 2022 we were blessed to receive Dr James Kellerman as Associate Professor, but the faculty remains undermanned.

On 25 May 2023 the Board of Directors conducted interviews of candidates to join the faculty. After much prayer and contemplation the board chose to extend a divine call to Rev. Kirk Radford to join the faculty as Assistant Professor of Theology.

Rev. Radford will not start teaching immediately, but will begin studies towards a higher degree in historical theology to prepare him for his new vocation. By extending a call, the seminary is expressing a commitment to support him along this route in the expectation that he will begin teaching in the 2024-25 academic year.

Rev. Radford, a native of Michigan, is a lifelong LCMS Lutheran who has served the church as elder, congregational president, and trained deacon (working at an inner-city tri-parish in Detroit). He came to seminary as a mature student, graduating from CLTS with his MDiv in 2017. Since then he has served as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Sarnia, Ontario. Previously he held a number of positions in business administration, including founding his own management consulting firm. He brings to the seminary faculty considerable church experience, pastoral wisdom, theological acumen, and administrative ability. His interests lie primarily in late mediaeval and Reformation history, as well as liturgics.

Pastor Radford’s wife, Renate, works for Volkswagen. They have three daughters and one grandchild, all in the Detroit area.

Please pray for God’s blessing on Kirk and his family as they enter this new field of service to Christ’s church and for the seminary as we await his arrival.