# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S170
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

168 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

problem, the Board gave consideration to many immediate :
long-range factors which would vitally affect any solution offered
Among the long-range factors the following seem to be relevant:

1. The principle that the Missouri Synod intends to train ite
ministers and teachers in its own institutions (Article 3 of :
Synod’s Constitution).

2, The expanding system of Lutheran schools.

3. An increasing demand for women teachers and a relative}
stable demand for male teachers (cf. the graph on our pag ;
ten years’ experience). — (See Exhibit 8, page 182.)

4. Rising certification standards.

5. The effects which will be created by a full use of all of
Synod’s available facilities (including ministerial prepara.
tory institutions).

6. The effect of a continuing high national birth rate.

1. The degree of success which may be expected in an effort
to achieve enrollment of 50% of our children (as resolved -
in the Centennial Convention). :

8. The duration of the current economic prosperity.

A study of Section III of this report, “The Demand for Paro--
chial School Teachers to 1980” will indicate that the Board has”
recognized the difficulty of basing mathematical computations on.
the variable long-range factors, listed. It was necessary therefo
to confine the projections to available experience and statistics.
Extensive compilations and studies were made available by the:
School Office of Synod’s Board for Parish Education, the teachers’: :
colleges, and the synodical Committee on Trends. While the statis- «
tical evidence developed by the mentioned groups left some point
of disagreement because of the uncertain factors involved,
Board was nevertheless compelled to attempt some reasona
estimate of the number of teachers which would be required
the immediate future. This study appears in Section III.

The present problem is to find means of alleviating the obvio
current shortage, but to arrange any additional teacher trainingy:
facilities in such a way that they will remain flexible enough
allow for rapid increase or decrease of production as the circum
stances may require. It is obvious that such an ideal solution
be difficult to achieve.

The data made available to the Board demonstrate that at this:
time there is still a serious shortage of male teachers. Mu %
stronger emphasis will therefore need to be placed on the recruit-;,
ment of properly qualified boys to prepare for the teaching pron
fegsion. At the same time the need for women teachers is —
mounting. While Synod may not be able to train all of the womeft,

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