Louis John Sieck (March 11, 1884 – October 14, 1952) was a Lutheran minister. He was the president of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis from 1943 to 1952.[1]

Early life and education

Sieck was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on March 11, 1884.[2] His father, Henry Sieck, was a Lutheran minister and president of St. John's College in Winfield, Kansas, from 1893 to 1895.[3]

Sieck attended Walther College in St. Louis; St. John's College in Winfield, Kansas; Concordia College in Milwaukee; and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He was ordained in 1904.[2] In 1939, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Concordia Seminary.[1]

Career

Ministry

Sieck's first call was to Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Hamburg, Minnesota. He came to Zion Lutheran Church in St. Louis as assistant pastor in 1905, becoming pastor in 1914 following the death of pastor Charles F. Obermeyer, his father-in-law.[1][4][5] He was involved with several Lutheran organizations, including the St. Louis Lutheran Publicity Organization and The Lutheran Witness.[1] Sieck served as president of the board of directors of KFUO, a radio station owned by the LCMS, from 1926 to 1943.[2] At the 1933 annual Lutheran convention at Concordia Seminary, he spoke of the need for the church to preach and teach rather than focus on the secular.[6]

Concordia Seminary

Sieck served on the Board of Control of Concordia Seminary from 1939 to 1943. In 1943, Sieck left Zion Lutheran Church to become the president of Concordia Seminary following the end of Ludwig E. Fuerbringer's tenure. During his ten years as president, enrollment reached a record high of 840 students and several new buildings were built. He taught pastoral theology.[2]

Sieck and fellow Lutheran minister Alfred Doerffler were reportedly briefly involved in the events now known as exorcism of Roland Doe in 1949.[7][8]

At the time of his death, Sieck was chairman of the National Advisory Emergency Planning Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Conference. He was also vice-president of the State Historical Society of Missouri[2][9] and served on the board of Valparaiso University.[10]

Personal life

Sieck married Ottilie Obermeyer, the daughter of Charles F. Obermeyer.[11] They had two sons, Lewis and Charles.[2][12]

Death

Sieck died of an internal hemorrhage on October 14, 1952, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. He was buried at New Bethlehem Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri.[2]

Concordia Seminary's Graduate Hall, built in 1951, was renamed Sieck Hall in his honor.[13]

Selected works

References

  1. ^ a b c d Caemmerer, Richard (December 1952). "President Louis J. Sieck, D. D." (PDF). Concordia Theological Monthly. XXIII: 865–867.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "The Rev. Dr. Sieck Dies, Concordia Head". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 14, 1952. p. 3C. Retrieved August 1, 2019 – via Proquest.
  3. ^ "Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - Christian Cyclopedia". cyclopedia.lcms.org. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  4. ^ "Church is to celebrate its golden anniversary". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. May 22, 1910. Retrieved August 4, 2019 – via Proquest.
  5. ^ "Rev. W.F. Obermeyer in Diamond Jubilee Sermon Tomorrow: Zion Lutheran Church to Observe 75th Founding Date". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. May 4, 1945. p. 3D. Retrieved August 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Criticizes Churches' 'Outside Activities': The Rev. L.J. Sieck at Lutheran Synod Suggests Minding Own Business". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 21, 1933. p. 9A. Retrieved August 3, 2019 – via Proquest.
  7. ^ McCulley, Darrell Arthur (2002). "The House Swept Clean: A Biblically Balanced Pattern for the Diagnosis, Exorcism, and Pastoral Care of the Victims of Demonic Possession". Other Student Publications. Other Student Publications - Concordia Seminary: 10, 16.
  8. ^ Sherouse, Paul (May 1, 1983). Demonic Possession, Exorcism, and Pastoral Care (Master of Divinity Thesis thesis). Concordia Seminary.
  9. ^ "St. Joseph Man to Head State Historical Society". Daily Capital News. Jefferson City, Missouri. October 18, 1947. p. 9. Retrieved August 4, 2019 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
  10. ^ "Dr. Louis John Sieck". New York Times. October 15, 1952. Retrieved August 4, 2019 – via Proquest.
  11. ^ "Lutherans observe 75th anniversary". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. December 21, 1935. p. 5C. Retrieved August 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Charles Sieck Dies; Served Community Chest". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. July 29, 1959. p. 11. Retrieved August 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Concordia Seminary magazine | 175th Anniversary". Issuu. October 21, 2014. p. 15. Retrieved August 2, 2019.


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