by Margaret Krych

Phil Krey is one of our own -- faculty member, Dean, and now President. It's an honor to write about him. But it's difficult to cram into a few words all one might want to say.

I first met Phil in 1989 when he joined the Seminary's faculty. At the time of the interviews for his appointment, we had heard that he was an early and medieval church historian who was both a scholar and teacher, that he was a fine urban parish pastor, and that he would make an excellent administrator. Quite a lot for one person. If he is so close to perfection, will he stay here, I wondered.

Well, it's all true. And yes, he stayed!

Over the years at the Seminary, we've discovered to our delight that Phil has a true pastor's heart. During his busy Seminary career, he has also served the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod as an interim and mentoring pastor in three congregations. His parish experience has added depth and real perspective to working with students who are training for congregational ministry.

Phil has also shown himself to be a fine administrator indeed as he has carrie out his position as Academic Dean. The Hughes-Krey administration brought the Seminary to the strong position it holds today, and Phil will continue to build on the current strengths of the institution. It was a privilege for me to serve as Associate Dean with Phil. In weekly administrative meetings I found him to be a wise and visionary administrator who works flexibly with others and delegates generously. He is a good team player and a supportive pastoral presence. He can also be firm as an occasion demands. All these gifts he will bring to the Presidency.

And Phil has been anable colleague. He is well known as a scholar and writer. When one conducts practice teaching sessions in a basic required course year after year, one learns a good deal about one's colleagues by what the students themselves choose for material to teach in class. More than once students have chosen early church history in practice teaching, so I know that Phil is a stimulating teacher who can engender a love of his subject matter in his students. Advanced-level students appreciate his teaching in the STM and D.Min programs too. His electives are always a hit. Students have been asking what else he will offer. I tell them the President is a busy person. Yet we know he will teach when he can.

Phil has a sense of humor that goes along with the smiling face, to which those who participated in the Eastern Europe globalization trip can attest. You sense that growing up in a family of 16 children has given him both a humorous perspective and an ease of relationships with others. Phil has a commitment to worship and a deeply held dedication to the church. The latter may be traced to his parents who clearly set him and his siblings a wonderful example. Not only was his late father a Lutheran pastor, but so too are three of his brothers. And Phil's multicultural and urban commitments, lived out in urban parish ministry, are valuable gifts to LTSP in our metropolitan setting and in the midst of ethnic diversity.

One of the nice things about Phil is he's married to René, who in her own right is an excellent administrator and a more-than-able Registrar. What a team of ability and service they offer to LTSP! They have a delightful family of five children -- Jessicah, Lindsay, Jordan, Noah and Micah. And now daughter Jessicah is a student at LTSP too. That's a rather remarkable record of family involvement in the Seminary. But it's not surprising. They are a remarkable family all around.

We're proud to have one of our own as President. God bless your ministry of leadership, Phil. We thank God for your presence in our lives.