Ralph Arthur Bohlmann (February 20, 1932 – July 24, 2016) was the ninth president of 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), serving four terms from 1981 until 1992. Bohlmann graduated from

Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Founded in 1839, t ...

, St. Louis, in 1956 and was ordained on June 29, 1958, in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, by his father, the Rev. Arthur E. Bohlmann. He later received his Ph.D. from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. From 1958 to 1960, Bohlmann served Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Des Moines. In 1961, he accepted a call to be the assistant pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in

Pagedale, Missouri Pagedale is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,554 as of the 2020 census. History The area originally was farmland, but it did have an interesting history with several pockets o ...

, where he served until 1971. Bohlmann also taught at Concordia College, Milwaukee, from 1957 to 1958. In 1960, he became a professor at

, St. Louis, and in 1975, he became president of the school, serving in that capacity until his election in 1981. Bohlmann was a member of the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations from 1965 to 1981, serving as the commission's executive secretary from 1971 to 1974. He also served on the ALC-LCMS Commission on Fellowship from 1969 to 1981. He had also worked for the Division of Theological Studies of the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A. and participated in various national inter-confessional/inter-Lutheran dialogues. Bohlmann died in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

on July 24, 2016, at the age of 84.

References

External links

Concordia Historical Institute''Lutheran Reporter'' obituary
1932 births 2016 deaths People from Palisade, Nebraska Presidents of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod Seminary presidents Concordia Seminary alumni {{Christian-theologian-stub