A new scholarship endowment formed in honor of beloved Concordia professor, Rev. Dr. Jakob Heckert, support pre-seminary students looking to study at CUAA and grow their "giving, pastoral heart."
The CUAA professor emeritus was called to his heavenly home on Jan. 16, 2018. In the days leading up to his passing he would regularly recite Romans 14:8 as he lay in his bed and struggled against the torments of his cancer diagnosis.
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
Whether in life or in death, one thing is certain: the Rev. Dr. Jakob Heckert serves the Lord. In His final days on earth, Heckert often reminded himself of this truth.
A servant through and through while he lived, Heckert was known for his gentle spirit, his humble disposition, and his sincere heart. He was ordained in 1963 and served as a parish pastor in the LCMS before joining Concordia’s faculty, where he served for nearly 40 years as a beloved professor of New Testament and Biblical Languages before his retirement.
Throughout his time at Concordia, he impacted countless students’ lives. In death, Heckert’s service to Concordians in honor of the Lord continues through an endowment recently formed in his name.
The Concordia Ann Arbor Pastor Heckert Scholarship Endowment is available to pre-seminary students who complete their undergraduate theological training at CUAA. The endowment places special emphasis on helping future seminarians develop their pastoral heart – hearts of service for the Lord, as Heckert possessed.
“We [My children and I] could think of no greater way to honor my husband and their father and the example he set in ministry than by setting up this endowment to support others who seek to follow in his path,” said Heckert’s wife, Ilona. “Concordia held a very important place in my husband’s heart and it’s our honor to continue to support the ministry happening there.”
Further the gift
Whether you were Heckert’s student or you have a heart for future pastors, gifts to this endowment provide a tangible way to honor Heckert’s legacy and train pre-seminary students to become loving pastors. Gifts may be made in any of the following ways:
- Mail a check payable to CUAA with “Pastor Heckert Scholarship Endowment” on the memo line:
Office of Advancement
4090 Geddes Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
- Give online with a one-time or recurring gift at cuaa.edu/give, select “Endowment,” and include “Pastor Heckert Scholarship Endowment” in the special instructions box.
- For other gift options, please contact linda.sproul@cuaa.edu, (734) 995-7491.
— This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Ann Arbor and Wisconsin. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149.
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