# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S110
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

110

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

community provided by Concordia College Alabama for over
ninety years. Soli Deo Gloria!
As an indication that the institutions of the Concordia
University System remain defined by and embedded in the witness of the church, the presidents and their boards of regents
expressed their solidarity with the church’s mission in an identity statement. This statement, along with supporting protocols,
express a distinctive commitment and identity. The church can
rightly rejoice and give thanks for the following:

Lutheran Identity Standards for Concordia
University Institutions (As Adopted by the
Institutions in the Lutheran
Identity Statement)
As educational institutions of the LCMS, the colleges and
universities of the Concordia University System confess the
faith of the Church.
The Concordias uphold the teachings of sacred Scripture and their articulation in the Lutheran Confessions. This
includes the biblical teaching that Jesus Christ—true God and
true man—is the sole way to God’s mercy and grace; that at the
beginning of time the triune God created all things; that life
is sacred from conception to natural death; and that marriage
between a man and a woman is a sacred gift of God’s creative
hand—over against the reductionistic assumptions of many in
our culture who view men and women as only transitory and
material beings.
As educational institutions of the LCMS, the Concordias
are committed to providing an excellent, robust curriculum in
the liberal arts and professional studies, which together equip
students for various vocations of service to church and society.
As C. F. W. Walther wrote, “As long as and wherever the Christian church flourished, it always and everywhere proved itself
to be a friend and cultivator of all good arts and sciences, gave
its future servants a scholarly preparatory training, and did not
disdain to permit its gifted youth at its schools of higher learning to be trained by the standard products of even pagan arts
and science.” Accordingly, the colleges and universities of the
Concordia University System affirm and promise to uphold
these identity standards:
1.

Identity Statements—The institution’s mission statement (and/or vision statement) clearly identifies it as
an LCMS institution, as do the institution’s primary
print and electronic publications.

2.

Governing Board—All of the institution’s regents are
active members in good standing of LCMS congregations (Bylaw 3.10.6.2 [6]).

3.

Senior Leadership—The president and the senior
leaders over academic student life, admissions, and
athletics are active members in good standing of
LCMS congregations, and faithfully participate in
worship and religious activities on campus and in
their local congregations.

2019 Convention Workbook

4.

Faculty—Each tenure track or continuing-level
faculty search is given optimal exposure among
members of congregations of the LCMS to identity
faculty who are qualified in their respective academic
discipline and are members of LCMS congregations.
Ideally, all faculty members are active members of
LCMS congregations. When academically qualified
LCMS members are not available, faculty members
will be Christians who affirm, at minimum, the content of the Ecumenical Creeds and are members of
Christian congregations. All faculty members promise to perform their duties in harmony with the truths
of Holy Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and the
doctrinal statements of the LCMS (Bylaw 3.10.5.6.2).
5. Theology Faculty—All theology faculty (full-time and
part-time) are active members in good standing of
LCMS congregations and fully affirm the theological confession of the LCMS. As the LCMS Bylaws
indicate, all full-time theology faculty receive prior
approval from the CUS Board of Directors before
being appointed or called (Bylaw 3.6.6.1).
6. Academic Freedom and Responsibility—All full-time
faculty acknowledge their acceptance of the CUS
Statement of Academic Freedom and Responsibilities. All faculty, both full- and part-time, pledge to
perform their duties in harmony with Scripture, the
Confessions, and the Synod’s doctrinal statements
(Bylaw 3.10.5.6.2).
7. Faith and Learning—In accordance with the doctrine
of the two kingdoms, all faculty strive to faithfully
bring Lutheran theology into interaction with their
various academic disciplines while respecting the integrity of those disciplines. Likewise, in other campus
arenas, faculty, staff, and administrators will seek to
apply Lutheran theology within their campus vocations.
8. Required Theology Courses—The institution requires
two to three theology courses for an undergraduate
degree, typically in Old Testament, New Testament,
and Christian doctrine. Because these courses are
directly related to the theological identity of CUS institutions and to the identity formation of graduates,
these theology courses will normally be taken at a
CUS institution. Exceptions to this will be approved
by the institution’s called theological faculty.
9. Preparation of Church Workers—The institution
provides resources to recruit, form, nurture, and
place students preparing for professional church
work in the LCMS (e.g., pre-seminary, pre-deaconess,
deaconess, Lutheran teachers, DCEs, DCOs, DPMs,
etc.). Specific programs may vary by campus.
10. Campus Ministry—The institution offers regular opportunities for worship that reflect the confession of
the church. Faculty, staff, and students are strongly
encouraged to participate in these services. The
institution calls a campus pastor or chaplain, who is
a Minister of Religion—ordained of the LCMS, who
oversees the worship life of the community, organizes
opportunities for Christian service and witness, and
provides pastoral care for students.