In Memorium: Rev. Dr. Paul Edward Muench

Rev. Dr. Paul Edward Muench passed away at his home in Knoxville, TN on Sunday, June 15, waking on Father’s Day in the presence of his Heavenly Father.

The seventh of eight children born to John Benjamin Muench and Norma Schuessler Muench, Paul was born on December 2, 1946 at home in Farrar, MO. He loved being surrounded by people, being the quiet observer, but enjoying the energy of the crowd. He had a passion for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every corner of the world and a deep love of competition and sports, being both and avid learner and a life-long St. Louis Cardinals fan.

He attended Salem Lutheran School in Farrar, MO for first through eighth grades. During this time, a visiting missionary shared the heart of the gospel and the need for people to be sent. The Great Commission of Matthew 19:28-29 became Paul’s passion and calling.

At Perryville High School (1960-1964), Paul was an honor student and an all-star athlete, participating in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. He often shared stories of playing bloth sides of the ball as both offensice and defensive lineman. Paul continued his education and his football career at Southeast Missouri State University from 1964-1966, before transferring to Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, IN in 19966-1968. Here he started his ministry training, played baseball and met the love of his life, Andrea Luedtke.

Paul attended seminary at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO from 1968 to 1972. He and Andrea were married July 1969 and served their vicarage in Fallon, MT during 1970-1971.

In 1972, Paul accepted a call to serve as missionary in Papua New Guinea, serving at Lake Kopiago, Birip, and Garoka until 1978. Returning to the United States, Paul studied at Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission, Pasadena, CA, earning a Masters of Theology in June 1981 and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Inter-Cultural Studies in June 1984.

Paul’s teaching career began at St. John’s College, Winfield KS from 1982-1984 where he served as Campus Pastor and professor of religion. From 1984-1990 he worked at the newly established Oswald Hoffman School of Christian Outreach at St. Paul’s College, St. Paul, MN. In 1990, Paul accepted the position of Executive Director with Lutheran Bible Translators, Aurora, IL. He served there faithfully until 1996, when he and Andrea returned to the mission field, this time teaching and training pastors in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 2000, Paul took a position as Professor of Communications at Concordia University, Austin, Texas, where he served until retiring in 2018. Some of his favorite pastimes were mission trips with the students and playing basketball in the NBA – “Noon Ball Association,” often awing student players with his hook shot.

Since retiring to Knoxville, TN, Paul has stayed active in outreach and ministry both in the community through English as a Second Language programs and through Grace Lutheran Church, where he served as elder and with outreach teams to Florida and Guatemala. He also preached for a two-week term in Wittenberg, Germany, home of Martin Luther, and taught at the seminary in Arba Minch, Ethiopia on three separate occasions.

In the span of his 78 1/2 years, Paul visited more than 40 countries, teaching, sharing the Gospel, and advising. He traveled to all 50 United States, and he always found something he had in common with anyone he met.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents and his older brothers Herbert (& Melba) Muench, John Muench, and Palmer Muench and by Norman and Caroline Luedtke (his in-laws), and Todd Luedtke (& Aldine) Muench, Charles (& Bonnie) Muench, George (& Doris) Muench and his sister Barbara (& Robert) Muench Blackwell, as well as his sisters-in-law MaryLou Muench and Gloria Muench and his brother-in-law Nile (& Cherl) Luedtke and Janet Luedtke (wife of Todd Luedtke). His is also survived by his children Noel (& Paul) Rupprecht or Beaufort, NC; Caroline (& John) Cleland of Knoxville, TN, Benjamin Muench of Knoxville, TX; Samuel Muench of Chicago, IL; and John (& Bailey) Muench of Cape Girardeau, MO, and his grandchildren Brittany Rupprecht of Beaufort, NC; Rebekah (& Andrew) Suson of Rhinelander, WI; Leah Cleland, Kayla Cleland, Landon Cleland and Brennan Cleland, all of Knoxville, TN; and great-granddaughter Zoe Susan. He is survived by many nieces, nephews, and generations of family.

A service of celebration and rememberance was held on Friday, Jun 20th at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, TN.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Lutheran Bible Translators or Grace Lutheran Church – Outreach.

Lutheran Bible Translators
PO Box 789
Concordia, MO 64020

Grace Lutheran Church – Outreach
9076 Middlebrook Pike
Knoxville, TN 37923