# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S211
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 209

are so many crucial personality characteristics involved that per-
sonal interview, more intimate acquaintance, and reasonably ex-
tended trial tenure will usually be required to determine with a
proper degree of accuracy the possibilities of successful incorpora-
tion of an individual Housemaster into an existing system. The
questions of age, interest, experience, training, travel, practical
success, personality, marital status, adaptability and religious back-
ground and experience are so delicate and at the same time so vital
that it would be wise to provide for full exploration of these per-
tinent areas. The freedom necessary to conduct such extensive
investigations might not be readily available under the Church’s
traditional view of correct procedure in the matter of extending
calls.

To recognize the fact that this position involves genuine “pas-
toral” work of the highest order, a divine call and highest faculty
status are appropriate, but the original approach which requires
such extensive and direct examination could perhaps best result
in the offer of a series of appointments at the instructor level with
the definite understanding that when the results achieved indicate
the Lord’s blessing upon these labors, a call to an associate pro-
fessorship or a full professorship will be extended.

Staff Co-operation

If there is to be an effective program of guidance, there will be
a need for extensive co-operation by the administration and by the
entire teaching staff. Information needed to counsel a student at
any given time covers very considerable areas. It may concern
the student’s spiritual state, health, educational achievement, atti-
tudes, interests, abilities, family relations, hobbies, work experi-
ences, or other pertinent characteristics. Obviously, it is essential
that these data be cumulative, recorded, and available for use.
No individual could assume exclusive responsibility for providing
and using these tools; on the contrary, to be successful, such a
program requires the active sympathy and co-operation of the
Board of Control, the President, and the entire faculty.

Counseling is both an art and a science. It would be for-
tunate indeed if all the members of a given faculty and staff were
equally able to do good counseling and to plan proper guidance.
It is quite evident, however, that such elements as personality,
interest, training, and experience will make some spiritually quali-
fied individuals more able than others to carry on such work.
In spite of that fact, the total counseling job must not become a
one-person responsibility. In large, medium, or small schools it
will be necessary to make definite assignments in this field to cer-
tain faculty members, even though a technically trained and com-

_ Proceedings, 1947 14