# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S1024
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

256 PARISH EDUCATION

II. PARISH EDUCATION

Report of the Board for Parish Education
(Memorial 201)

From the beginning of our s odical organization ;
promotion of Christian education has been a majoe 7841 the
congregations and of Synod. Our congregations have sen of our
that the development of an effective program of Christi:

cation is basically a problem of the local congregation fo Pena
local congregation that sets up the various agencies need i . the
educational program, arranges the physical plant. appoints sa a
and administrators, selects curriculum materials and
supervision seeks to maintain unity and continuity in the cues
“ tional program. Through Synod our congregations have pr a
a Promotional, directive, unifying, and protective influens
parish education. At the synodical level the Board for Parish
Education has developed a large variety of instructional matene
and has attempted to provide the comprehensive educational ] a
ship that its directives from Synod require. At the District 1 ‘|
our District Boards and Committees for Parish Education and the
District Superintendents have worked with the synodical board
and with the local congregation to expand and improve our
gram of Christian education. At the circuit level our Visitors have
provided leadership in parish education at circuit meetings and
have counseled individual congregations on problems involved i
an effective educational program. All of this activity has but one
objective in mind, namely, to carry out ever more effectively the
teaching commission which Christ has given the Church in Matt.
28:19, 20: “Teach all nations . . . teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

The functions of the Board for Parish Education are outlined
in the following paragraphs of the synodical Handbook:

The Board for Parish Education shall assi i

of Synod in co-operation with the District Boards in owe rossible
manner in the arrangement and carrying out of a comprehensive
and effective program of Christian education, so that the

of Jesus Christ may become ever more effective in the life of the
individual .Christian and that: the Biblical principle “The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” may be and remain the
motive for the entire program of parish education.

The Board for Parish Education shall, therefore,

a. Assist in planning an effective program of parish education
and especially seek to improve and extend th ti arochial i
schools in all congregations; © aystem of p

b. Watch for all movements and tendencies which might en-

LAL eran ener eer hc
- LR «meg

ee DE LEE LES EE ILE LEE IE I EES ATI

PARISH EDUCATION 257

a the program of parish education and marshal all available
to counteract such tendencies and movements;
Plan and direct the production of textbooks and other printed
necessary for the carrying out of an effective program of
perish’ education;
ot @2“Assist in co-ordinating and integrating the various educa-
. mal agencies and activities intended to promote parish education;
~e: Assist the District Boards in supervising and directing all
srmal educational activities of the congregations of Synod, such
fo e Lutheran elementary and secondary schools, the Sunday
school, the summer school, the vacation Bible school, the part-

time weekday religious schools;

f£ Initiate and direct research activities necessary to promote

and improve parish education;

g. Advise Synod, its Districts, and congregations with respect
to problems, needs, and possibilities in the field of parish edu-
cones Call an educational conference of representatives of the
Board for Parish Education of Synod and the Districts which, as
a rule, shall meet every year;

i. Provide adequate material for the training of Sunday school
teachers and other parish workers.

_ During the past triennium the Board for Parish Education has
tried to discharge the responsibilities thus outlined by Synod and
to carry out the specific resolutions of the 1950 convention. We
shall first provide a general overview of ‘the work of the Board
and then give special consideration to work in the following areas:
elementary schools, Sunday schools, other part-time agencies, con-
firmation instruction; high school, adult education, Lutheran Edu-
cation Week, the status of the teacher, recent developments in
Church-State relations in education, and special assignments and
activities of the Board.

A. The Work of the Board

After the Milwaukee Convention the Board for Parish Edu-
cation divided itself into the following subcommittees: Committee
on Schools and High Schools — The Rev. E. A. Krause, Mr. John
Pfitzer, Mr. Fred Kuhlmann; Committee on Part-time Agencies —
The Rev. C. T. Spitz, Mr. E. C. Gutz, Mr. Robert Steinmeyer; and
Committee on Adult Education — Dr. P. M. Bretscher, Dr. P. W:
Lange, Mr. Rex L. Becker. While the Board functioned chiefly as
a committee of the whole, the subcommittees gave special attention
to specific matters in these three major areas of work and brought
specific recommendations to the entire Board for final action. The
Board met monthly except in the months of July and August. Re-
cently the Board has held both a regular meeting and a plenary
meeting in the months of November and May. At.the plenary meet-
ings representatives of the seminaries and teachers’ colleges are. in

Me