Thormodson speaks on urban ministry at Concordia

Rev. Jeff Thormodson focused on the challenges of urban ministry during his presentation “MissionShift: 21st Century Responses to 21st Century Challenges” March 28 at Concordia.

Thormodson currently serves as the director of Mission Shift Institute of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Mission Shift trains Christians leaders for building cross-cultural ministries.

He also serves as assistant to the director of vicarage and internships at the seminary, providing oversight for students of the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology, the Deaf Institute of Theology and the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center in Irvine, California. He is the executive director of the Lutheran Society of Missiology and serves on the editorial board of its journal, Missio Apostolica.

Thormodson earned his Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary in 1995 and his Master of Sacred Theology degree in 2010.

His first call was as an evangelical missionary in Russia from 1995 to 2003. While in Russia’s Siberian region, he helped organize 16 congregations and carry out six Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod World Relief projects.

Thormodson’s presentation was part of the Looking Beyond Speaker Series made possible through an ongoing gift from Martin and Regina Maehr. The series was created to expose Concordia students and the Seward community to diverse speakers and ideas.