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Rev. Dr. Todd A. Peperkorn '92 serves Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne and Higher Things

Seward, NE (06/26/2025) — Rev. Dr. Todd A. Peperkorn '92 found his way to Concordia University, Nebraska after applying to several colleges with pre-seminary programs.

"Concordia Nebraska seemed to be the perfect fit. And it was!" he said.

Peperkorn has a bachelor of arts in history and pre-seminary studies from Concordia Nebraska, a master of divinity and master of sacred theology in church history from Concordia Theological Seminary - Fort Wayne and a doctor of ministry from The Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis.

He said many things about his time at Concordia stand out in his mind. He said the many different communities on campus are what makes the university truly unique. He was involved in A Cappella Choir, forensics, yearbook and the pre-seminary program and said all of those micro-communities helped make him who he is today.

"My faith grew because I was both nurtured and challenged. That is a fine line to draw, but you really can't have one without the other," he said. "Both students and faculty taught me to receive God's gifts and to look outside myself and to where I was most needed."

He said his professors had a huge impact on him during his time on campus.

"My professors challenged me intellectually and socially and made me grow as a person," he said. "Professor Block taught me how to study with Greek. Dr. Fiala taught me how to learn with humility, and Professor "Dad" Martens taught me what it means to be Lutheran. Those are only a few, but there are so many more who could be named!"

Peperkorn current serves as a professor at Concordia Theological Seminary- Fort Wayne. He teaches preaching and pastoral care and serves as the director of the vicarage.

"Concordia Nebraska helped me to learn about people, how each is unique and what it means to actually care for the ones God has entrusted to you," he said.

Peperkorn graduated from Concordia Nebraska in 1992 and the seminary in 1996. For three years, he served as an admission counselor at the seminary, which allowed him to stay in touch with many at Concordia Nebraska for many years. In 1999, he accepted a call to Messiah Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In 2011, he accepted the call to serve as senior pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin, California. In 2021, he began serving on the faculty at Concordia Theological Seminary-Fort Wayne, Indiana.

"I teach preaching, pastoral counseling, pastoral theology and field education," he explained. "My primary administrative work is as the director of vicarage, where I oversee all of our residential pastoral ministry students and their year of vicarage internship. This allows me to get to know every student and their family who comes on campus. It's great!"

Whether he's teaching, meeting with students and their families, praying, talking to pastors around the country, preaching or modeling compassionate pastoral care to students, he said his work is very fulfilling.

"I love working with our students! They come from all over the world to study in Fort Wayne. We try very hard to make this a home away from home for them," he said. "Their dedication, love for Christ and love for God's people are a wonderful gift. Seeing how students and their families grow over their four years with us and then watching them go out to serve God's people in the Church, it is a treasure."

Peperkorn was one of the founders of Higher Things in 2000, and this year he's one of the plenary speakers at the summer youth conference event.

"This will be the first time I have participated in one of the conferences at my alma mater. What fun! The theme for this year's conference is 'All Things New.' I love helping people see who they are in Christ, and how He is present with us right now, not just sometime in the future," he said. "I am also doing a series of sectionals for pastors at this conference. One of the great things about Higher Things is that it attracts so many pastors who want to be with their youth. My hope with this is to give these men something about preaching that they can take home with them as well."

Peperkorn's wife, Kathryn, is a 1993 graduate of Concordia Nebraska.

"We met in A Cappella, where I was the choir president and she was the student director," he said. "Kathryn is currently a music teacher at Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran School in Fort Wayne. She also just sang the title role for the opera Katie Luther."

The Peperkorns have four children: Renata graduated from Concordia Nebraska in 2024 with a degree in K-12 music education and church music (organ). Isabella graduated from Concordia Nebraska in May 2025 with a bachelor of fine arts in studio art. Richard just completed his freshman year at Concordia Nebraska and is majoring in secondary education and music. Beata just finished her junior year at Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne.

Peperkorn is a self-professed "hopeless fountain pen nerd and Mac and iPad/iPhone aficionado," an avid photographer and loves hanging out with the family's two enormous dogs.

"Concordia Nebraska has been home for me and my wife for more than 35 years," he said. "It is so exciting to see all the great things God is doing through President Bull, the faculty and all of the students. To God alone be glory!"

About Concordia University, Nebraska

Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod located in Seward, Nebraska, which currently serves more than 1,700 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.

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