2019: Rev. Stephen Kieser

The Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE) Board of Directors is pleased to confer the distinguished Magister Magnus award to Reverend Stephen W. Kieser for his exceptional vision, service, and dedication to the cause of classical Lutheran education.

Rev. Kieser’s favorite book in childhood was the Holy Bible. He graduated from Concordia University – Ann Arbor in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education. He received a Master of Arts in School Administration from Concordia University – Chicago in 2000. In 2006 he graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 2006 and was ordained into the Office of the Holy Ministry that same year.

Rev. Kieser has served as teacher and administrator at Lutheran schools in Florida, Illinois, and Texas. He has served as pastor in Storm Lake, Iowa, in Darmstadt, Indiana, and in Plano, Texas. Rev. Kieser is currently an associate pastor at Faith Lutheran Church of Plano, Texas and headmaster of Faith Lutheran School, the congregation’s K-12 classical Lutheran school.

Rev. Kieser was a founding member of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education and has served as President of the CCLE Board since 2006. In this capacity he has chaired monthly meetings, led annual face-to-face board meetings, and presided over national conferences with a professional and encouraging tone. He opens every meeting with prayer.

Rev. Kieser has spoken on classical Lutheran education in many settings including a national Lutheran homeschool conference, a Texas Classical Lutheran Schools Conference, and CCLE national summer conferences. Often referencing Bugenhagen and Luther while expounding on the Holy Scriptures, Rev. Kieser often speaks on the inseparable relationship of Holy Baptism and Christian education.

He married his wife, Julia, the only girlfriend he ever had. The couple is blessed with seven children.

The early vision of dedicated individuals, including Rev. Kieser, has influenced an expansion of classical Lutheran education over the past three decades, including:

Classical Lutheran day schools and home schools
CCLE School Accreditation approved by the LCMS
CCLE’s own teacher certification
New classical Lutheran print resources for families and schools
Annual CCLE conferences with accompanying classical Lutheran children’s programs
Emerging Concordia University programs in the classics and in classical Lutheran pedagogy
Lutheranism and the Classics conferences at Concordia Theological Seminary
Dozens of new Lutheran radio interviews on classical Lutheran education
An annual CCLE academic journal, the Classical Lutheran Education Journal, ccle.org
An online classical Lutheran academy
CCLE Discamus adult online classes in Latin and Greek

The Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education Board of Directors is honored to confer the Magister Magnus award to Rev. Stephen W. Kieser.