A screenshot from the 2025 online conference
The Global Theological Education Commission (GTEC) of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference is hosting an online conference for theological educators on Friday, January 30, 2026.
The two-hour conference has the following agenda:
- Opening Devotion by Prof. Skip Goetzinger (20 minutes)
- Presentation by Prof. Paul Waldschmidt on Direct Instruction (40 minutes)
- Discussion in breakout groups (40 minutes)
- Closing Devotion by Prof. Thomas Nass (20 minutes)
Here is a description of the presentation by Prof. Waldschmidt:
Direct Instruction: The shortest distance between two places is a straight line. In a classroom, the shortest path to knowledge acquisition is for the teacher to simply tell the students what they need to know. That is direct instruction. But what sounds simple can be difficult to accomplish in ways that promote student attention and ultimately, retention of course content. In this presentation, we will define direct instruction and discuss how it differs from lecture. We will focus on the importance of direct instruction as one of the tools in our teaching toolbox. Finally, we will demonstrate strategies for you to incorporate direct instruction into your lesson design.
The conference begins at 6:00 am CST and ends at 8:00 am CST. This means that the conference will occur in the afternoon in Europe and Africa, and in the evening in Asia. We realize that theological educators have busy schedules and may be unable to attend. At the same time, we sincerely hope that many theological educators will join us and that they will encourage their colleagues to do the same. Let’s spur one another on in the blessed work the Lord has given us to do.
Registration for the GTEC Online Conference will be open January 2–9, 2026. The registration link has been sent by email to all theological educators in our GTEC database. If you would like to attend and did not receive the email with the link, please contact GTEC Chairman Bradley Wordell at brad.wordell@wls.edu. The conference is open to all theological educators who serve in confessional Lutheran church bodies that are affiliated with the CELC.
The Global Theological Education Commission (GTEC) of the CELC is made up of the following members:
- Brad Wordell, WELS representative, chairman
- Thomas Nass, CELC president, ex officio
- Tim Schmeling, ELS reresentative
- Skip Goetzinger, WELS representative, advisory
- Andrés San Martín Arrizaga, Latin America representative
- Holger Weiss, Europe representative
- Anthony Phiri, Africa representative
- Angus Cheung, Asia-Oceania representative
P.S. Please note that there are other opportunities besides this conference for CELC theological educators to interact in 2026. At the end of May/beginning of June, there is the CELC triennial convention in Lusaka. Also, from June 15–26, 2026, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary will host an in-person Summer Quarter in Mequon, Wisconsin, USA. Scholarship monies are available to help cover the costs of tuition and travel for international pastors and professors. WLS also offers three seasons (Spring, Summer, and Fall) of online courses through Grow in Grace. Because those courses are mostly asynchronous, they work well for pastors who want to participate from anywhere in the world.
Submitted by Prof. Bradley Wordell, Chairman of GTEC
