Outstanding Alumnus

The Outstanding Alumnus Award honors graduates of Concordia for reflecting in their lives and careers the values upon which the university was founded. To nominate an outstanding alumnus, contact the CUAA 校友 Office at alumni@fc-daudenzell.com. The committee will consider your nomination in next year’s process.

Would you like to participate in the Outstanding Alumnus Award Committee? 联络我们: alumni@fc-daudenzell.com.

2021 CUAA Outstanding Alumnus Award recipient

牧师. Dr. 约翰。丹宁
弗吉尼亚州斯普林菲尔德

牧师erend 约翰。丹宁 graduated from Concordia University Ann Arbor in 1974.  When not flipping through Greek flash cards, he was active in the intramural program, sang in Doc Foelber’s Choir, and served as one of four guitarists who led worship at all-campus devotionals.  He went on Ambassadors for Christ weekend trips to Michigan District churches, during which he served by playing guitar.  He went on to Concordia Senior College, 韦恩堡, and earned his Master of Divinity degree at Concordia Seminary, St. 路易.  

If a marriage proposal to Constance was 牧师. Denninger’s best life-time decision, the second most important decision was made during the summer between his freshman and sophomore year.   He asked his grade school friend, Constance (née Graft, CUAA class of 1975) to go on a road trip from 韦恩堡 to Ann Arbor.  After their years at CUAA, they were married.

牧师. Deinninger’s first ministry calls took the couple to Nebraska, where he served a parish and later became a full-time campus pastor. Their three daughters, Jessica, Laura, and Sara, were born Cornhuskers.  牧师. Denninger accepted a call to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Springfield, 维吉尼亚州, in the suburbs of Washington DC, where he served as pastor for 24 years.  In 2012, he was elected to serve as the Southeastern District (SED) President.  His term of office will be completed in May of 2022.

牧师 Denninger’s experience with Concordia’s Ambassadors for Christ was the seedbed for his missiological focus. He earned a Doctor of Missiology degree from Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, California.  He developed iNeighborhood: simple tools for the baptized to engage their neighbors with the Gospel. These tools are used to reach the 10% of the US population that live within the SED boundaries and are not familiar with Jesus.

Though the Denningers live far from CUAA, they may actually walk the CUAA campus more than many Michiganders. That is because Joshua Schumacher, Concordia Cardinal’s head football coach, is married to their daughter Laura. And former CUAA athletic trainer, Daniel Meier, is married to their daughter Jessica.  Six (soon to be seven) of the Denninger’s grandchildren live in Ann Arbor.  The other three live in 维吉尼亚州.