A Message From Our LCRL Director
Dear Family, LCRL Staff, Friends, and LCRL Supporters,
After much prayer, reflection, and gratitude, I am writing to share some important news: I am retiring from my role as Executive Director of the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty. While this marks the close of one chapter, it does not mark the end of my commitment to the vital work of religious liberty in Washington, D.C.
This announcement is not one that was rushed. I was asked by the Board not to publicize it several months ago, and so I didn't. My goal in "retirement" was for the expansion of both the LCRL's work and my work in Washington in that regard. So, retirement is an interesting word. It can sound like an ending, but for me, it feels much more like a transition—a turning of the page and the beginning of a new chapter.
Before I tell you where I am headed, however, I want to take a moment to say thank you.
The work of the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty has never been the work of one person. For my wife, Yvette, and my daughter, Devin, I'm eternally thankful for their sacrifice, their efforts, and commitment to this endeavor. For my staff, Rev. Mark Frith, Rich Cohrs, Adriane Heins, as well as our tireless workers Lindy Wineman, Pam De Oliveira, Charity Abate, and Gary Ricke, what a joy it is to have built this ministry together. Together with our wonderful supporters, this work has been made possible by people who believed in the importance of religious liberty, the proclamation of the Gospel, the preservation of our religious heritage, and the responsibility Christians have to engage faithfully in the public square.
Many of you have prayed for this work. You have encouraged me. You have opened doors, shared your wisdom, introduced me to others, contributed financially, stood beside me in difficult moments, and celebrated the victories along the way.
Please know that your investment was not in vain.
Every conversation mattered. Every relationship mattered. Every opportunity to speak truth, defend religious liberty, encourage faithful Christian engagement, or point someone toward Christ mattered.
The seeds you helped plant have taken root in ways that cannot always be measured by a report, a statistic, or a balance sheet. Your generosity helped make ministry possible, and your partnership allowed me to step into places and conversations that I could never have entered alone.
For that, I will always be grateful.
Over the years, God has given me the privilege of serving in a variety of settings—as Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®, as Director of the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center at Concordia University, as Executive Director of Life's Journey Ministries, and through years of developing and supporting cross-cultural ministries and religious outreach.
Through all those experiences, one conviction has remained constant:
People matter. The Gospel matters. Truth matters. And the opportunity to serve God and others is a gift.
So, while I am retiring from my Executive Director position with the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty, I am certainly not retiring from that calling.
Instead, I am stepping into a new adventure. I will still be producing the Liberty Action Alert as long as the LCRL board wishes and assisting the work of LCRL in any way that I can. My daily radio work on the Hill will continue as the host of the "Drive Home with Dr. Greg Seltz," wava.com / 105.1 FM (4:00–6:00 PM ET). And, I hope to write about contemporary issues concerning religious liberty, life, marriage, and education from a Two-Kingdom perspective — just to a wider audience as God wills.
This next chapter will give me the opportunity to draw together many of the experiences, relationships, conversations, and lessons God has given me throughout my ministry. I am excited to continue writing, speaking, teaching, encouraging leaders, engaging important cultural and spiritual questions, and—perhaps most importantly—continuing the conversations that help people live faithfully and courageously in the world God has placed before us.
And I would love for you to come along.
I have created a new website where I will be sharing more about this next chapter, along with articles, resources, speaking opportunities, and other projects that are developing.
Visit me at theseltzsignal.com →
I hope you will visit, sign up to stay connected, and join me for the next part of the journey.
There is something wonderfully humbling about looking back over a life of ministry and realizing just how many people God has used along the way. I have never walked this road alone—and I don't intend to begin now.
Thank you for believing in the work. Continue to grow the Champions Network (Champions' Academy) under the leadership of Rev. Mark Frith.
Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for your courage in this endeavor.
Thank you for your prayers, your friendship, your encouragement, and your investment.
And thank you for reminding me, again and again, that faithful work is never wasted when it is offered to God.
The chapter with the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty in one sense is coming to a close, but the work of religious liberty and discipleship in the public square is expanding.
So, the story isn't over. In many ways, I believe the most interesting pages may be the ones yet to be written. I hope you'll turn the page with me.
With deep gratitude and anticipation,
Dr. Greg Seltz
Executive Director, LCRL · Speaker Emeritus, The Lutheran Hour