Missouri Synod Names Gregory Seltz First Executive Director of Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty

The Rev. Dr. Gregory P. Seltz, speaker for “The Lutheran Hour” radio program since 2011, has accepted the call to be the first executive director of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s new Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty (LCRL), the Synod announced from St. Louis.

The LCRL provides input, education, advice and resources in the areas of marriage, life issues and religious liberty. It seeks to engage actively in discussions and to establish partnerships, as appropriate, with individuals and groups in Washington, D.C.

Seltz said in the announcement that it was a joy to have served the Church as “The Lutheran Hour” speaker, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the radio each week. He described his new role as a privilege, one that would serve the Synod’s churches, schools and universities by ensuring that their voices continue to be heard in support of religious liberty.

The LCRL board of directors received a letter from Seltz stating that he officially accepted the call on June 20. After a transition and orientation period, Seltz will relocate from St. Louis to head the LCRL office in the nation’s capital. The Synod has not had an office and staff in Washington, D.C., for 17 years.

Synod President the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, who also serves as president of the four-member LCRL board, said, “Greg Seltz is an extraordinary, very gifted individual.” Harrison noted that the Synod’s interests on Capitol Hill continue to be advocated by others, including the Becket Fund, Alliance Defending Freedom, The Heritage Foundation and LCMS congressional representatives. He said the Synod looks forward to networking with others who share its concerns.

Timothy Goeglein, vice-president for External Relations at Focus on the Family and an LCRL board member, said the board was excited to work with Seltz. He named marriage, human life, and religious liberty and conscience as issues that are hotly contested, and said Seltz would be guided by the grace, mercy and goodness of Jesus Christ as he navigates them.

Before joining Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) in 2011, Seltz served as director of the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center and held other positions at Concordia University Irvine in Irvine, Calif. Earlier, he was executive director of Life’s Journey Ministries in Manhattan, N.Y., and founding pastor of Church for All Nations in New York City. His record of starting a mission congregation in Dallas reflects work done wholeheartedly for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). He also served as pastor of a church in Tampa, Fla.

Source: Read the original report