“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants” (Ps 116:15).
On October 29, 2022, the Lord called to himself the soul of Professor emeritus David P. Kuske, at the age of 88. A 1959 graduate of the seminary, he served as pastor at Trinity, Wabeno, Wisconsin, and then at St. John’s, Barre Mills, Wisconsin. From there he was called to teach at Luther High School, Onalaska, Wisconsin, before serving as principal of Lakeside Lutheran High School, Lake Mills, Wisconsin. He returned to Luther as teacher and later became principal.
In 1972, he accepted the Lord’s call to serve on the faculty of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. For thirty years he participated in the seminary’s privileged work of preparing men for service as pastors in WELS congregations and mission fields. He taught courses in Christian education, New Testament, and biblical hermeneutics. He played a critical role in the production of a new catechism (the “Kuske Catechism”) that was used for more than thirty years in confirmation instruction throughout the synod. The text he prepared for his hermeneutics course was published in 1995 under the title, Biblical Interpretation: The Only Right Way, and remains one of the books used in the course today.
Though he retired from full-time ministry in 2002, he continued to be active in using his God-given gifts. He served as a vacancy pastor in various places, presented at conferences, and completed several writing projects, including commentaries on Romans 1–8, 1 and 2 Peter and Jude, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Christ’s love compelled him to serve all the way to the end.
During his time on the seminary campus Professor Kuske modeled, for both colleagues and students, a love for the Scriptures and for the gospel at their center. He trained future pastors to be careful students of God’s Word and faithful proclaimers of the forgiveness of sins in Christ, for the glory of God and the benefit of people. The Lord blessed him and made him a blessing to many, and has now graciously granted him the joy that never ends.