Patrick Ferry is an American academic administrator and pastor, serving as the president of

Concordia University Wisconsin Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) is a private Lutheran university in Mequon, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Concordia University System operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). The university is organized into ...

Mequon, Wisconsin Mequon () is the most populous city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 25,142 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on Lake Michigan's western shore with significant commercial developments along Int ...

, from 1997 to 2021. The higher education institution is affiliated with the

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

(LCMS).

Background

Ferry began his career at

as a professor of history in 1991. Prior to that time, he served as an educator for the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...

during the 1990–1991 school year, the Lutheran campus pastor for the University of Wyoming in

Laramie, Wyoming Laramie () is a List of municipalities in Wyoming, city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States, known for its high elevation at , for its railroad history, and as the home of the University of Wyoming. The population wa ...

, from 1989 to 1991, and the assistant pastor at Wheat Ridge Lutheran Church in

Wheat Ridge, Colorado The City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is located immediately west of Denver and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ...

, from 1987 to 1989. In July 2019, Ferry published his first book, a memoir entitled ''Faith in the Freshman: A Story of Hopes and Hoops'' that recounts his formative years, including his time as a basketball player at what he described as one of the worst college basketball programs in the country, St. John's College in

Winfield, Kansas Winfield is a city and county seat of Cowley County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in South Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,777. It is home to Southwestern College. ...

, the early formation of his Lutheran faith; and his experiences as a father and college president. In September 2020, Ferry announced his intent to retire from Concordia University Wisconsin in June 2021 after 30 years of service, 24 as president.

Education

Ferry earned his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from St. John's College in Winfield, Kansas, in 1981. He completed his

M.Div. For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and di ...

from

Concordia Theological Seminary Concordia Theological Seminary is a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Lutheran seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It offers professional, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees affiliated with training clergy and deaconesses for the Lutheran Churc ...

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...

, in 1987. He also earned a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in European history from the

University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...

in 1996. Ferry is the board chairman for the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America and a member of the board of the Wisconsin Foundation of Independent Colleges. Ferry also serves as a vice president of the

Concordia University System The Concordia University System (CUS) is an organization of five colleges and universities and one satellite campus in the United States that are operated by the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). All of the institutions are named "Concor ...

of the LCMS.

Religious affiliation

Ferry is a member of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. He is an ordained pastor of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferry, Patrick Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American historians American male non-fiction writers Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Concordia University Wisconsin faculty University of Wyoming alumni St. John's College (Kansas) alumni Concordia Theological Seminary alumni University of Colorado Boulder alumni Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod people 21st-century American male writers