# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S45
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

“earn the usual academic and theological degrees and to enter
graduate work for higher degrees in theology.

Besides the rich and varied offerings in the Graduate School,
electives in the Undergraduate Division and in the Mission Depart-
ment were available for them. Some also registered for part-time
work at Washington University, only a fifteen-minute walk from
thé: campus of Concordia Seminary.

“ Twice each month a seminar was conducted for the chaplains.
, Outside speakers were invited to present interesting and timely
“topics and lead in the discussion.

Fourteen chaplains were in residence during the 1945—1946
- term. In the first semester of the 1946—1947 term there were nine.

We have made steady progress in the development of our
Graduate School. Our greatest difficulty is the shortage of man-
power in our teaching staff, but only second to this is the lack of
adequate classroom facilities, suitable living quarters for graduate
students, and a sufficient number of attractive scholarships to make
it possible for able and deserving men, either from the ranks of
recent graduates or from the ministry and teaching profession, to
pursue advanced theological studies. The world has learned to
advance the cause of scholarship by providing the means to enable
gifted and deserving men to devote their time to scholarly research.
We have arrived at a period in our Church when we must learn
to do likewise. The time has come when the Church must give
more serious thought to the development of this phase of its edu-
cational program. We have improved the pretheological training
of our clergy, but have done very little toward the development of
our theological training beyond the traditional three years. Other
Lutheran bodies are beginning to feel the serious need of a strong
graduate theological school in America because of the situation
of the Church and Lutheran scholarship in Europe, and because
even now many Lutheran scholars and theologians are doing their
advanced theological research work in Reformed or even highly
modernistic theological schools. The effect of this on the future
of the Church is inevitable. We have made a humble beginning
in establishing a Graduate School, but much more must be done
before our goal has been reached.

In connection with our Graduate School we have continued
our summer extension courses. In the past few years we have
operated a very successful summer extension course at Concordia
Teachers College at Seward, Nebr., in conjunction with the faculty
of that school. Another is contemplated for Portland, Oreg.
Others will be established as soon as local interest and support

_ will demand it.