New Americn Of The Month - Rev. Dr. John Samuel Loum

John Samuel Loum was born in The Gambia, West Africa. He did Seminary training both in Sierra Leone and Nigeria, West Africa. He worked for the Danish Sudan mission, and the Project for Christian/Muslim Relations as the regional coordinator for West Africa. Post graduate studies were taken in England and the US, specializing in Islamic studies.

Dr. Loum worked in the Indiana District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, where he provided leadership required for the establishment of the first African immigrant congregation in the Indiana District. This congregation was composed of members from 14 African nations. He also served as a missionary-at-large and adjunct professor on the Ft. Wayne campus of Concordia University – Mequon, teaching classes in Islam and African History.

Currently Dr. Loum serves as the Director of the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology at Concordia Seminary – a specialized, distance education program leading to certification for servants engaged in pastoral and deaconess missionary contexts in ethnic immigrant and urban cultures in North America.

In addition, he has served in various volunteer work and service activities with Christian Friends of New Americans (CFNA). He feels blessed and privileged to serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of CFNA. Dr. Loum sees this role as very important as it enables him to join in re-enforcing the church’s goal and missionary character in St. Louis and beyond.