Dr. Guido Merkens entered eternal rest on January 11, 2012. He was born on May 25, 1927 in Aberdeen, South Dakota, but grew up from age 2-16 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He attended school at the University of Pittsburg; Concordia University, Bronxville, New York; Concordia Seminary and Washington University in St. Louis. He was the founding pastor of Concordia Lutheran and served there for 42 ½ years. Under his leadership, Concordia attained both the largest weekly worship attendance and the largest Sunday school in the entire denomination. He wrote seven books and conducted seminars in 49 states for hundreds of thousands of Pastors and lay people. He also served as Vice-President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for fifteen years and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Concordia Seminary. In his "repositioned years", he served as a consultant with Pathway Lutheran Ministries.