# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S262
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

264 PARISH EDUCATION

While there was much concern for Lutheran elementary edu-
cation, either in parochial schools or in part-time agencies, Lu-
theran secondary education and Lutheran higher education re-
ceived scant recognition, except for the professional training of
pastors and teachers, Though a few Lutheran high schools were
established in the period 1857—1877, these did not rally sufficient
support. After some time these ventures were abandoned. Of our
existing high schools, Milwaukee is the oldest, having started in
1903. At the level of higher education, it was not until 1925 that
our university at Valparaiso was established.

Our institutions of Christian education have contributed much
to the strength and well-being of our Synod. They have trained
for us a laity firmly grounded in God’s Word. Secularism, mate-
rialism, and intellectualism have made deep inroads on church
constituencies which do not have an effective system of parish
education. Praise be to God that largely through our system of
Lutheran education we have remained true to the faith of our
fathers.

Mindful of the great blessings God has bestowed on us
through our institutions of Christian education, the Board for
Parish Education calls upon the entire church membership of our
Synod to thank God for these blessings. Only as we continue to
build a strong, well-indoctrinated laity can our dear Lutheran
Church, under the blessing hand of God, perpetuate its priceless
heritage of the pure Word and insulate its members against the
secularism, materialism, and spiritual indifference of our day. To
achieve this end, the Synod at large and every District and every
congregation must promote Christ-centered education without
stint of effort and expense. This is one of our most important
tasks as we stand on the threshold of the second century.

The Board’s Work

The Board for Parish Education has endeavored to perform
its general obligations of directing and supervising the parish
educational activities of Synod and to carry out also the specific
resolutions of the 1944 convention. Several changes in our staff
during the past triennium for a time impeded the work of our
various departments. In spite of these difficulties we are happy
to report progress in every area.

In October, 1944, Rev. Lothar Braeunig, who for thirteen
years had served faithfully as assistant in the Sunday school
office, accepted a call into the ministry. During that time Pastor
Braeunig helped in the production of our Sunday school litera-
ture and wrote also our first course of materials for released-
time instruction. The vacancy created .by the leaving of Rev.