# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S138
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

138 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

Synod’s clergy is divided into “active” and “inactive” pastors.
In 1954, Synod counted 4551 active and 539 inactive pastors in
North America. Inactive pastors are pastors who have retired or
resigned because of ill health.

All active pastors serve either in paris
A parish is the field of one pastor’s ministry, whether or not that
field includes one, two, or more congregations. Large parishes may
engage the services of two or more pastors. In 1954 pastors serv-
ing parishes in North America numbered 3,926.

Special fields are fields in which pastors provide specialized
services. Special fields are eleven in number, according to Synod’s
Statistical Yearbook, and pastors serving in them in 1954 totaled
625 in North America. (See Table Four.)

With these distinctions in mind, we can proceed to estimate
Synod’s pastor need in the years from 1956 to 1965. The need can
be estimated by calculating the net increase in

a. The number of new congregations;

b. The number of congregations with two pastors;

c. The number of pastors in special fields;

d. The number of pastors who can be expected to withdraw and

for whom replacements must be found;

e. The number of vacancies.

New Congregations
From 1946 to 1954, the number of Synod’s congregations in
North America increased by an annual average of 85. A continua-

tion of the same rate of increase may be expected to result in a net

gain of 995 congregations in the next ten years. The following table

spells out the annual net increase at the current rate:

hes or in special fields.

Table 2— Net Increase in Number of Congregations

Year Congregations Totals
1956 —____-__-—_- __ 92 5,213
1957 _ a 93 5,306
1958 95 5,401
19599 5,498
1960 _-——_——------- _— 98 5,596
1961 _____-------_- --- _. 100 5,696
1962 _______ ---—_------ __-——- 102 5,798
1963 nen _ 104 5,902
1964 «106 6,008
1965 S18 6,116
Total __- 8

@ = The estimated total of 995 additional congregations iri the next

ten years is net increase. Net increase is being emphasized because

SCN PENNE A IRAN ADE TS ERLE NOIRE ENE AAA ARES SRE A AASERS A
Sant et tc hm ghee

each
conv:
amot

1,350
mate
assul
been

ing }
of th
than
in 1
greg.
past

past

of a:
incr:
serv

canr
fact
greg
for :

nex!
cate
obtz
in tl