The Concordia Story: A Fifty-Year History of Concordia Lutheran Church 1951-2001

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Top: David Brockhoff poses with Dr.
Merkens during the time he served as
a vicar at Concordia. Brockhoff was
one of 25 vicars trained at Concordia.
seen that before: a pastor’s wife greeting. We
introduced ourselves and spent some time visiting.
We were both extremely impressed.”
Gorder recalls of that first meeting with
Thompson, “We came back from that meeting
feeling pretty good about him.”
Gorder said Thompson also “really fit” the
qualities we were looking for. Among these were
professional experience in a large congregation,
a strong administrative background, knowledge
of finance, and a strong pulpit ministry. He was
the only candidate with a business degree in
addition to theological training, and he was on a
preaching schedule which kept him in the pulpit
three out of four weeks.
Both leaders noted that Thompson also fit
the need for someone experienced with construction
and capital fund drives. Thompson
had led several expansions of Trinity in Utica.
Ironically, Thompson was the last nominee
accepted by the call committee on the final day
nominations were accepted.
“Dennis Kasper sent in a fax nominating Dr.
Thompson,” recalled Seale. “He had just heard
about him and wanted to nominate him. He
called me from out of town and asked how he
could get a nomination in. So I had him fax it.”
Gorder said Thompson “was not even on our
radar screens” until nominated by Kasper.
“He probably should have been, but he wasn’t.”
The committee began discussing the finalists,
Thompson, Norb Oesch and Wray Offermann,
in order that a recommendation could be made
to the Concordia voters assembly.
“After a lot of discussion someone finally asked,
‘Does anyone here think that Bill Thompson is not
the right man for the job?’ No one responded. So we
prayed and the decision was made,” said Gorder.
The committee presented all three finalists to
the voters on March 13, 1994, with a recommendation
that Thompson be called.
Thompson’s call was overwhelmingly approved
by the voters.
Thompson accepted the call within two
weeks and the future direction of the largest
church in the Missouri Synod was in place.
Above: Rev. David Ebs took on the
challenge of serving as interim senior
pastor after Dr. Merkens’ departure.
He oversaw the transition period and
served as pastoral advisor to the call
committee during the spring of 1994.
He was to play the same role for the
call committee constituted in 2001.
Right: Statistical data published by the
Missouri Synod clearly places
Concordia at the top of the list of the
Synod’s largest congregations.
48 ✦ THE CONCORDIA STORY