Golden Reunion Alumni Profile: Rev. Mark Press 

July 10-13, 2023 Concordia Nebraska celebrates the college classes of 1972 and 1973, and also the high school class of 1968 during a spectacular “Golden Reunion” celebration. Rev. Press will lead chapel for the reunion 

After beginning high school at Concordia High School in Austin, Texas, Mark Gottfried Clarence Press ’72 learned that the school was going to close at the end of his senior year. Searching for a new high school for one’s senior year is daunting, to say the least, but Press chose Concordia High School in Seward sight unseen. 
“I landed at the bus station downtown in the middle of January. I didn't even own a hat, and my first official act in Seward was to buy a hooded warm coat,” he laughed. “I liked the place well enough to hang around for college as well!” 

Press has a bachelor of science in education from Concordia Nebraska as well as a M.Div. in theology and a Ph.D. in missiology from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 
He said his very favorite thing about his time at Concordia Nebraska was meeting his wife at the university, but there were many other memorable moments as well. He recalls his junior year living with the "Schmieding gang"…a group of six students who lived off-campus in the basement of the Schmieding family north of the university campus. He said the group had fun living together and learning from each other. 

Press added that he learned valuable lessons from Concordia Nebraska professors, as well.

“Professor Fred Naumann helped me to learn Latin and personal witnessing, and to know something important about my own limitations,” he explained. “Dr. Al Schmidt taught me enough about sociology to encourage me in my further studies in the area of missions and anthropology. And many others helped me to learn more about life and ministry in general.” 
He said that being equipped for educational pursuits has been important parish ministry, where a lot of ministry involved teaching.

“I also put my training to use during my final full-time call, when I served on the faculty of Concordia in St. Paul, Minnesota,” he said.

Press said his time at Concordia Nebraska helped to develop his faith in many ways. From mission trips to Washington, D.C., and Billings, Montana, to on-campus personal witness training with Fred Naumann to daily chapel services filled with law and gospel, he said everything pointed to faith formation and being able to give a defense of his faith. 
Following graduation, Press worked for eight months at a pork packing plant, seeking to save money for his first car and seminary tuition. 

“There I found out what I didn't want to do for the rest of my life!” he joked.

Since his graduation from seminary in February 1977 he has served as pastor of various congregations of all sizes, from a church of 3,500 members to a small mission church of 50. His final full-time call was to serve on faculty of Concordia University, St. Paul and as director of the Oswald Hoffmann Institute of Christian Outreach. Following retirement from Concordia St. Paul, he has served as vacancy pastor for two churches in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He is currently part-time associate pastor of a church in Bowling Green, Kentucky. 

“I am preaching approximately half-time, leading Bible class on a weekly basis, helping to lead a second site which our church is developing 20 miles from our main site. Right now, I am also serving on the call committee, since our senior pastor has announced his intention to retire at the end of 2023,” he said. “I love to see ‘lights go on’ in the hearts and on the faces of students when I am teaching or mentoring them. The gospel is God's power to save, and there is no joy greater than seeing that gospel at work as it is preached and taught.” 
Press and his wife Connie have three children – Sarah, Jeremy and Nathan - and four grandsons. Sarah, who has taught in Lutheran schools for several years and has homeschooled her two sons for the last number of years, is married to Brian Stolarczyk, an LCMS pastor serving in Florida. Both Sarah and Jeremy are graduates of Concordia University, Wisconsin, while Nathan and his wife Natalie have degrees from Valparaiso University. 

Press enjoys gardening, home projects and reading. 

“You will also find me on a golf course once or twice a week, especially now that we are living in a part of the country where that is possible just about every month,” he said. 

Learn more about the Concordia Nebraska Golden Reunion celebration here. 

Are you interested in discovering the pre-seminary offerings available at Concordia Nebraska? Learn more here.