Doug Groll, Rev., Dr.,
Pastor, Hispanic Ministry

dgroll@stpaulmp.org

Emeritus Professor of Concordia Seminary
St. Louis, Missouri

B.A., Concordia Senior College
   Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 1962
Master of Divinity, Concordia Seminary,
   St. Louis, Mo., 1966
Doctor Of Divinity (Causa Honoris)
   Concordia University, Irvine, California.

Life Ministries:

Vicarage in St. John Lutheran Church, Austin, Minnesota, 1964-65
Evangelistic Missionary in Eastern Venezuela, 1967-1970
Pastor of The Savior Lutheran Church, Caracas, Venezuela, 1970-1978
Administrator of Concordia Elementary and Secondary School of Caracas, 1970-1978
President of the Conference of Lutheran Churches of Venezuela, 1970-1978
Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Cleveland, Ohio, 1978-1987
Director of the Hispanic Institute of Theology of Concordia Seminary, 1987-2006
Retired- Specific course instruction at Concordia Seminary, Occasional workshops on Hispanic ministry.

Family:

Married to Marlene Groll (Harre) since 1964. Our marriage has been blessed with wonderful children, Rebecca and Jonathan, as well as their respective spouses, Peter Schiltz and Mary Elizabeth Whiteside and five grandsons, Dean and Matthew Schiltz and Noah, Benjamin and Caleb Groll.

As a candidate for a first call at Concordia Seminary in 1966, I never imagined that God would lead us into such wonderful ministries. We served in Venezuela in truly exciting times and feel especially close to Venezuelans even today even though there seems to be so much antipathy due to political problems and international relations. Our ministry in Cleveland brought together English language ministry in one of the oldest congregations of Synod, with a rich pastoral, educational and music tradition with a vibrant ministry with Pto. Ricans. My previous experience in theological education in South America prompted the Synod to call me to organize and carry out a ministry to equip Spanish dominant leaders for ministry in the United States. This was truly thrilling as the Institute’s program touched Hispanics from practically all the Spanish countries of America and Spain. Hispanic ministry at St. Paul is full of promising opportunities.

Como candidato de Seminario Concordia esperando ubicación por primera vez en 1966, nunca hubiera imaginado como Dios nos iba a guiar en ministerios tan bendecidos. Servíamos en Venezuela durante años verdaderamente llenos de promesa y esperanza. Aún hoy en día nos sentimos una relación muy de cerca con el Venezolano, a pesar de tantos obstáculos puestos por sistemas políticos y relaciones internacionales. Nuestro ministerio en Cleveland nos puso en una oportunidad de servir en una de las congregaciones mas antiguas del Sínodo con renombre de su trayectoria en educación, liderazgo pastoral y tradiciones de música luterana. Allí tuvimos la oportunidad de servir a Cristianos de Pto. Rico. Debido a años de experiencia en la educación teológica en Venezuela, el Sínodo me llamo en 1987 a organizar e ejecutar el nuevo programa del Instituto Hispano de Teología. Este ministerio me dio la oportunidad de conocer muchas de las
 comunidades hispanas de casi todos los países de America Latina viviendo en los Estados Unidos. Ahora esperamos la oportunidad de servir las comunidades Hispanas de nuestro sector de Chicago por medio del ministerio de San Pablo.