# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S140
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

140 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

Table 4—Net Increase in Number of Pastors in Special Fields, 1948—1954

Increase
Field Totals Totals Number
Military chaplains 50 111 61
Synodical professors 142 175 33
Overseas (foreign) missionaries fr. U.S. 78 90 12
Pastors serving various groups _____ 41 53 12
Institutional missionaries and student
pastors 76 86 10
Pastors serving Synod full time 24 31 7
Pastors serving Lutheran high schools _ 10 16 6
Pastors serving Valparaiso 18 19 1
Pastors serving Districts full time 26 26 0
Pastors serving Negro congregations
(Synodical Conference) 51 13 0
Service center pastors — 5 5 0
Totals —_._—s-18 625, 107

The estimated need in special fields, as stated, is 100 in the next
ten years, Again, the probability must be entertained that the
pastor need may exceed the estimate. Synod’s overseas missions
will require men above the need indicated by ratio if plans for
expansion are approved.

Replacement Needs

Pastors who retired, resigned, or died in office averaged 90
a year in the past seven years. Table Five lists the annual averages
under each category of replacement need.

Table 5— Seven-Year Averages in Pastor Replacement Need

Annual

Category Average
Retirements — 32
Resignations 23
Deaths in office 26
Removals from Synod’s roster . 7
To sister synods ——. 2
Annual Average 90

Assuming that the same ratio of one replacement need for each
48 active pastors continues, Synod will need 1,068 pastors in the
next ten years to take the places of those who are expected to with-
draw from active service.

The average as well as the median age of Synod’s active pastors
is 45. The largest group consists of pastors in. the age group of
45 to 49. The following table groups Synod’s active pastors by age:

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