# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S238
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

238

substantially strengthened. A directed-study program is being
developed for Hispanics who are presently assisting in their
congregations throughout the country and who wish to enter
the seminary after they reach a certain level of achievement to
continue full preparation for the ministry.

Additional Programs

In September 1980 Rev. George Perry, a graduate of Gal-
laudet College and of the seminary, joined the faculty as part-
time instructor in ministry to the deaf. All students are
encouraged to avail themselves of the opportunity to learn sign
language since there are few congregations exclusively for the
deaf, and many deaf persons throughout the country can be
served by regular pastors who have some facility for signing.
Those who wish to enter a specialized ministry tothe deaf take
a program designed for that purpose.

A thorough study of the curriculum is in progress. Scheduled
for revision and refinement are the field education, vicarage,
and counseling programs and the parish administration and
parish education courses. Stronger emphasis in evangelism,
cross-cultural witnessing, cultural anthropology, and church-
growth principles are being built into the curriculum. The
faculty has spent considerable time in discussions and work-
shops for the improvement of instruction.

Parish pastors are provided a variety of opportunities for
advanced study that will enrich and enhance their ministry.
The doctor of ministry (D. Min.) program was revised during
the past year in a special] attempt to makeit a truly professional
degree with a heavy emphasis upon “theology in practice.”
Approximately 60 students are at some stage of the D. Min.
program, and approximately 35 are in the master of sacred
theology (S.T.M.) program.

The master of arts in religion (M.A.R.) program has been
revised so as to make it possible for students in the colloquy
program who complete a minimum of 90 credit hours to receive
that degree. Colloquy students complete approximately two
years of course work within the regular M.Div. program, as
compared with three years for those who receive the M.Div.
The M.A.R. is likewise open to students who are not preparing
for the ministerium of the LCMS.

In cooperation with the mission and education departments
of several Districts, a directed-studies program is being intro-
duced for qualified laymen who wish to be of greater service to
pastors. The hope is that young people, particularly college
students, who participate in directed studies, as well as laymen
nearing retirement, will be attracted to this program. The
seminary believes that the future of the church depends to a
great extent upon well-trained laymen and believes that
programs such as directed studies are consistent with the
original purpose of this institution as a ‘practical seminary.”

Divestiture of St. Catharines Seminary

In the fall of 1976 Concordia Theological Seminary assisted
in the development of a seminary at St. Catharines, Ont.,
Canada. It took the initiative in providing the teaching staff
and the curriculum. Dr. Albin Stanfel served on the Fort
Wayne seminary board in an advisory capacity during that
time. The St. Catharines seminary progressed in the develop-
ment of its program so that by July 1, 1980, the Board of
Control of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, could
pass a resolution officially divesting itself of the direction and
control of the Canadian satellite. The representatives at St.
Catharines, under the leadership of the Rev. Roger Humann
and Dr. Albin Stanfel, will work with the synodical Board for
Higher Education in establishing an independent seminary.

Library

Upon moving to Fort Wayne the seminary found it difficult
to move into a library building half the size of the new structure
on the Springfield campus. All books published before 1846
(the date coincides with the founding of the seminary) were
placed in storage in adjacent Dormitory J. The audiovisual
department was moved into a large classroom. The archives
were housed in the concourse between the classroom buildings.
The book bindery was moved to another part of the campus.
The staff was confined to very limited workspace.

The 1975 Anaheim resolution called for changes that would

HIGHER EDUCATION

be necessary to make the Fort Wayne campus adequate for
theological education. Therefore a thorough analysis was
completed of the current library needs and a 20-year projection
was made. These findings were presented to the Board of
Control, the Board for Higher Education, and the Board of
Directors, who then authorized proceeding with preliminary
plans for a library addition and the funding of it. The Indiana
District at its 1980 convention likewise passed a supporting
resolution. By means of this report the seminary Board of
Control is requesting the Synod in convention, with the
approval of the Board for Higher Education and the Board of
Directors, to provide major funding for the library addition.

The seminary sees the library and its function as vital to the
educational process. The staff makes use of modern technology
to provide efficient service, for example, by speeding up
interlibrary loans through use of the OCLC terminal (a
national bibliographic network), by converting the entire
catalog to COM (computer output microfiche), and by begin-
ning retrospective conversion, which requires putting the shelf
list into the computer terminal. The staff participates in two
major cooperatives on the state level, TRI-ALSA (Area Library
Service Authority) and INCOLSA (Indiana Cooperative Li-
brary Service Authority). These modern procedures also as a
by-product tend to conserve space.

Staffing Needs

Unless a well-planned program is developed for preparing
faculty members with the necessary advanced education and

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theological training, the seminaries in the future may find it__,

virtually impossible to meet their staffing needs. By means of
this report the Fort Wayne seminary is asking the Synod in
convention to provide funds beyond the present budget, to
direct the Board for Higher Education to identify personnel
with the potential of becoming seminary instructors, and to
grant sufficient financial assistance so that they may acquire

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the necessary advanced education. The recommendation is~

that, as a beginning, four people be trained annually in this

program. It is further recommended that the Synod direct the ____

Board for Higher Education to do whatever is necessary to
develop a “bank” of instructors, also for all colleges and
seminaries, and that this be made a priority item with special
funding beyond the present budget. The Synod badly needs
gifted instructors who have sound theological training, who
are thoroughly trained in their discipline, and who can inte-
grate theology with their discipline.

Conclusion

We thank almighty God for His mercy and grace as He has
richly blessed our seminary in the past, and we pray for His
continued blessings. We are grateful also to the Board for
Higher Education, the officers of our church, and the many
congregations and pastors for their continued support of the
seminary with their labors and prayers, and we solicit their
continued support in the future.

Wilbert Rosin, Executive Officer pro tem

6-05
Concordia College, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Concordia College, Ann Arbor, Mich., continues to serve
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in providing an
excellent preministerial program for those young men entering
one of our seminaries. Since we expanded to a four-year college,
188 of our graduates have gone on to a seminary in The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Concordia still provides an opportunity for a student to
receive a bachelor’s degree with a major in the Biblical and
classical languages. In addition, 15 other majors are offered
plus several additional minors in other subject areas. Con-
cordia, Ann Arbor, is committed to providing an outstanding,
quality preministerial program, basically that of the former
senior college. However, the number of preministerial fresh-
men and upper-level transfer students is declining as the other
four-year synodical colleges are now attempting to offer similar
programs.

At this time the proposal for our teacher education program,