President Egger's Email

A Direct Response to Our Family’s Request for Public Clarity on Erik Herrmann’s Resignation

"It's always easier for abusers to control others when truth remains elusive and confusion abounds, so it is in their interest to practice deception."
— Wade Mullen, Something's Not Right

This email was sent directly to my husband in April 2025 in response to his request for clarity regarding Dr. Erik Herrmann’s resignation from Concordia Seminary. In that message, John specifically asked whether the seminary would consider making a public statement to address the confusion surrounding Erik’s ongoing leadership roles and the claim that his resignation was “not related to a moral failing.” Dr. Egger replied from his official Concordia Seminary email address and responded directly to the questions posed.

As I noted in a previous post, I believe Dr. Egger did share honestly with the faculty at the time of Erik’s departure, regardless of how his communication has since been described or interpreted elsewhere.

Dr. Egger did not indicate in his email whether he expected this correspondence to remain private. Given the public nature of the seminary’s leadership, the continuing platform that Erik Herrmann occupies, the absence of a public statement from Concordia Seminary, and the repeated challenges to my credibility, I believe it is both appropriate and necessary to share this communication in full.

To provide complete context, I have included both my husband’s original message and Dr. Egger’s full response. Readers may see for themselves what was asked, how it was framed, and how the seminary’s president chose to respond.

This is not commentary. This is part of the record.

The email exchange is reproduced using screenshots in full below, beginning with my husband’s original request for public clarity, followed by Dr. Egger’s response. (Post continues below emails).

Dr. Egger knows what I have told him. I have informed him directly that clergy sexual misconduct was the reason for Erik Herrmann’s resignation. I also know that Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan, President of the Missouri District of the LCMS, holds nearly the entirety of the written evidence—evidence that documents the misconduct in Erik’s own words.

Whether that evidence has been sought or reviewed by Concordia Seminary’s leadership remains unclear.
What is clear is that Dr. Egger could seek that clarity at any time.

Based on what Dr. Egger has shared and what I personally experienced, it appears that Erik misrepresented the nature of his resignation as a personal decision, asking that the reasons remain private. That misrepresentation allowed him to step down quietly and set the stage for his return to leadership. Today, Erik is reaping the benefits of that misrepresentation as he positions himself for replatforming through CMPL and continues to teach as a Distinguished Professor at ILT, a role he has held since 2024. He was also publicly platformed at Best Practices in Ministry in February 2025.

And so I continue to ask the question: Why has Concordia Seminary chosen to remain silent?

Wouldn’t it serve the larger Body of Christ to tell the truth, not just about Erik’s resignation, but about the pattern of behavior that led to it? Wouldn’t it be more faithful to acknowledge what they know, verify what they can, and provide clarity for the sake of the church, the community, the families involved, and previous and current students and faculty?

Instead, the silence remains.
The public record stays clean.
And the people who hold the truth continue to keep it hidden.

I share this email now because the silence itself has become the statement.