Concordia Theological Seminary: History & Mission in India

Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS), located in Nagercoil of Kanyakumari district, was established by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) on 8 September 1924. It is recognised as the first Confessional Lutheran Seminary in South Asia.

According to the official website of Concordia Theological Seminary, the LCMS was founded in 1847 in America by Saxon and other German immigrants. They formed the church to practise and follow Confessional Lutheran beliefs. In 1894, the LCMS began its mission work in India through the Missouri Evangelical Lutheran India Mission (MELIM). The first missionaries—Karl Gustave Theodore Naether, Franz E. Mohn, Reinhold P. Freche, and George O. Kellerbauer—arrived in India on 20 January 1895.

During the First World War, the missionaries realised the need to train more Indian pastors. In 1917, they started a one-year catechist training programme in Nagercoil to give basic theological education to local people. In the 1920s, the mission work grew rapidly, and catechist classes were opened in Ambur and Trivandrum. However, the missionaries felt that this training was not enough to meet the growing needs. Therefore, they planned to establish a full Theological Seminary, similar to the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, USA.

~ BRUCE K. THANGKHAL

KANYAKUMARI

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