Rev. Dr. Bruce Hartung is a professor emeritus of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He retired in 2014 after 12 years of distinguished service in various roles at the Seminary. He served as professor of Practical Theology (2002-2014); director of Continuing Education (2002-06); faculty director of deaconess studies (2005-09); dean of Ministerial Formation (2006-12); director of Master of Divinity and Residential Alternative Route (2012-13); and director of Leadership Growth and Development (2012-14).

Before joining the Seminary faculty, he served as assistant pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Waukegan, Ill. (1967-69); staff pastoral counselor (1971-73) and director (1973-83) at the Pastoral Psychotherapy Institute at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill.; executive director of Onondaga Pastoral Counseling Center in Syracuse, N.Y. (1983-91); director of LCMS Health Ministries (1991-2003); and executive director of the LCMS Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support (1995-2005).

He received his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) from Concordia Seminary (1967, 1969); a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. (1971); and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Ind. (1963).

He is the author of Holding Up the Prophet’s Hand: Supporting Church Workers (Concordia Publishing House) and Building Up the Body of Christ: Supporting Community Life in the Church (Concordia Publishing House). He has published a number of journal articles in The Journal of Pastoral Care, The Journal of Supervision and Training in Ministry, Issues in Christian Education and Concordia Journal.

He and his wife, Judy, have two sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.