WAGNER HONORED BY THE BOARD

Committed to preparing women and men for ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and its predecessor bodies, The Rev. Dr. Joseph M. Wagner was honored by the seminary's board of directors at its May meeting. Wagner retired at the end of May as executive director of the ELCA Division for Ministry, a position he has held since November 1987.

The division for ministry supports all the ministries of the church. It develops standards for ministry and provides for the recruitment and guidance of candidates for church occupations, through theological education and continuing education.

Under Wagner's tenure, the division conducted a study of ministry, which proposed definitions for the official ministries of the ELCA and a study of theological education that developed a plan for a system of theological education among the church's eight seminaries.

In announcing his retirement, Wagner said, "We've been through some important times together with studies on ministry and on theological education. We have strong cooperation among our seminaries, and there's a developing strong sense of teamwork across the church," said Wagner.

The certificate presented to Wagner by the seminary expressed gratitude for his ardent support of theological education and of the seminaries, and it gave thanks to Almighty God for his faithful witness and effective service.