richard bliese, october 26, 2006

Richard H. Bliese joined the Luther Seminary faculty as academic dean and associate professor of mission in July 2003. He was elected president of Luther Seminary in 2005. Previously, Bliese served as the director of graduate studies and Augustana Heritage associate professor of global mission and evangelism at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC).

He is an experienced pastor, missionary, teacher, administrator and scholar who has served in America, Germany, Zaire and Rwanda. He is also particularly experienced in missiology, the study of the mission of the church.

After earning his master of divinity degree from Christ Seminary-Seminex, St. Louis, Mo., in 1981, Bliese accepted his first call as an ordained pastor at St. Stephanus Lutheran Church in Herne, Germany. After serving four years, he accepted a position with the United Evangelists Missions in Germany as director of continuing education program for pastors and evangelists in Zaire and Rwanda. From 1986 to 1990, he ministered to a small urban congregation in Bukavu, Zaire and focused on directing continuing education programs at the Centre D'Accueil Protestante Ecumenical Center (C.A.P.), School for Evangelists in Zaire and Rwanda. He established C.A.P. schools of music, evangelism and language and co-founded a regional development office for research and technical assistance.

After ten years overseas, he returned to the U.S. and earned a master of theology in 19th and 20th century theology (1992) and a Ph.D. in confessional theology (1995) from LSTC.

While studying and teaching at LSTC, Bliese served as a part-time pastor at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Glenwood, Ill.

In addition to his distinguished teaching and pastoral career, Bliese has led mission and evangelism seminars and workshops as an independent consultant, administrated the Hein-Fry Lecture Series, and served as president of the Center for World Christian Interaction. He has also published articles throughout the world and co-edited The Dictionary of Mission: Theology, History, Perspectives (1997). Recently he has co-edited a book with Craig Van Gelder called The Evangelizing Church (2005).

Tentative Schedule:
9:50 a.m. Reception, CFL lobby
10:30 a.m. Speak in Daily Chapel, CFL
1:30-3:00 p.m. Conversation with area pastors
6:00-7:00 p.m. Meet with DIAKONOS students

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