[m-m-online] Death of Dr. Kurt Marquart

[Minister to Minister online]

Minister to Minister
Online - Update

I have received many emails from the Seminary at Fort Wayne regarding
the death of Dr. Kurt Marquart on September 19. I took it for granted
that this information was sent to every pastor, but I have since discovered
that this is not the case. President Kieschnick also sent an email 
addressing
Dr. Marquart’s death. Since it was sent to the District Presidents, I think
I was supposed to send it on to you. An email from President Kieschnick
and LCMS News are printed below.

President Ken Hennings


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The following is the email sent from the office of President Kieschnick

Dear Friends in Christ,

With his permission, I’m forwarding to you a memo and announcement
regarding the death of Dr. Kurt Marquart sent by Dr. Sam Nafzger to
the Commission on Theology and Church Relations. As indicated in the
information from Dr. Nafzger, Dr. Marquart was a long time member
of the CTCR and a professor at Concordia Theological Seminary in
Ft. Wayne.

Dr. Marquart devoted his life to the cause of confessional Lutheran
theology. He will be missed by many. Please remember his family,
especially his wife Barbara, in your prayers.

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead
who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds
will follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)

God's grace, mercy, power, and peace be with you all!

Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

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The following is the notice of September 19 from Dr. Sam Nafzger
regarding the death of Dr. Kurt Marquart:

Earlier today we received the news that Professor Kurt Marquart has
been called to his eternal home in heaven. Dr. Marquart was a long-time
member of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations. He
served almost three terms on the Commission for a total of 22 years,
longer than any other member in the 44 year history of the Commission

Dr. Marquart was deeply committed to the Holy Scriptures as the written
Word of God and to the doctrine of the justification of sinners by grace
alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone as the chief article of
Christian doctrine on which the Church stands or falls. Always quick
with a quip and gracious in his personal relationships, he presented his
convictions with a style that often harkened back to the time of the
Reformation. He will be missed on the Commission. We extend our
sympathy to his family and especially to his wife Barbara and join them
in holding fast to the sure hope of the resurrection to eternal life which
is ours in Christ Jesus.

***********************************************

The following is the notice from LCMS News dated September 25, 2006:

An audio recording of the funeral service of seminary professor
Dr. Kurt Marquart is available on the Web site of Concordia
Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., at www.ctsfw.edu.
The funeral was held Sept. 22 at the seminary's Kramer Chapel.

Dr. Kurt Marquart died Sept. 19 at home. He had been diagnosed
with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative
disease also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in December 2005,
but had remained active.
"Dr. Marquart was a distinguished colleague, beloved professor, and
brother in Christ," said Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, president of
Concordia Theological Seminary. Just hours before his death,
Marquart had baptized his new great-grandson, Evan, Wenthe noted.

"As baptism joined Dr. Marquart and Evan to Christ's death and
resurrection," he said, "we confess that he now enjoys that full life
that Christ gives to those who are joined to Him" (John 10:10).

Marquart, 72, was associate professor of systematic theology at
Concordia Theological Seminary, and had been a member of the
seminary faculty since 1975.

He also was a voting member of the Synod's Commission on
Theology and Church Relations (CTCR), and had served the
commission for 22 years -- longer than any other member in the
CTCR's 44-year history.

"Dr. Marquart was deeply committed to the Holy Scriptures as
the written Word of God and to the doctrine of the justification
of sinners by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone,
as the chief article of Christian doctrine on which the church stands
or falls," said CTCR Executive Director Dr. Samuel Nafzger.
"Always quick with a quip and gracious in his personal relationships,
he presented his convictions with a style that often harkened back to
the time of the Reformation. He will be missed on the commission."

Marquart was a nominee for LCMS president at the Synod's 2004
national convention. He also authored numerous articles and several
books, including Anatomy of an Explosion: A Theological Analysis
of the Missouri Synod Conflict (1977).

A 1959 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Marquart also
held a master's degree from the University of Western Ontario,
London, Canada (1982), and an honorary doctorate from
Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon (2001).
The Estonia-born Marquart served as pastor of Lutheran congregations
in Queensland, Australia, and Weatherford, Texas.

Survivors include Marquart's wife, Barbara; five grown children --
Danny (Karen) Marquart, Cynthia (Kerry) Johnson, Barry (Monika) Marquart,
Angela (John) Hill, and Anthony (Rebecca) Marquart; 18 grandchildren;
and six great-grandchildren.