2010 annual report of donors - Lutheran Theological Seminary at ...

Crowned with Mercy
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
AS I WRITE THIS ARTICLE FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT TO THE DONORS of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP),
the assigned reading for the daily lectionary in Bread for Day: Daily Bible Readings and Prayers, is Psalm 103:1-5. My devotions every
day include the readings and prayers from this wonderful resource published by Augsburg Fortress.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless, the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits —
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord, who crowns each of us with love and mercy, has blessed us at LTSP with your faithful support. I invite you to pour over
these pages and give thanks to God with me and all of us at LTSP for the hundreds of supporters who know the value and cost of
preparing the next generation of leaders for the church. As I write, the entering class has begun moving onto the campus. It is strong
in numbers and filled with potential to serve communities of faith around the church. They come trusting that the church will be there
for them to support them in the sacrificial and courageous choices that they have made. Many have dropped everything to prepare for
ministry. As you may know, the gifts reported here now constitute forty percent of LTSP’s annual revenue. We could not do our
mission without you.
We are bold throughout the year to ask you for generous gifts because we believe in the mission that God has set before us, and
are confident that God has benefited us at LTSP with a rich tradition of excellence, a superior faculty, and a student body that always
renews my faith in the church. As I witness their faith, experience and dedication, I know that God has placed the future of the church
in good hands. In this report our message is simple, “We give thanks to God for you and bless his holy name.” We do not take these
generous donations lightly as we know how many needs there are to which all of us can give. We give thanks to God for your trust and
faithfulness. As a school approaching its 150th anniversary, we give thanks to God, who, as on wings of an eagle, uplifts and sustains
us through your friendship.
It is also my honor and pleasure to announce our new Vice President for Advancement, The Rev. John Puotinen (ELCA), who is
a veteran development executive and a wonderful human being. God has again blessed us with a stellar leader. Meet him on the opposite
page. I ask you to offer him the same hospitality and gracious support that you have offered all of us who invite you to advance the
mission and cause of LTSP.
May the Lord continue to prosper our work together.
“God of blessings, you show your generosity to us in countless and surprising ways. Stir up your spirit among us, that we may
perceive your loving works and give thanks for your compassion, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Bread for the Day, Aug. 19, 2010).
Philip D. Krey