# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S182 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 82 SYNODICAL REPORTS Enrolled 523 students, representing a record enrollment 10.5% higher than 1996 Added a bachelor of science degree program in business admin- istration Concordia—Seward, Orville Walz, President Celebrated nine consecutive years of operating in the black and completion of a strategic planning process for the future, includ- ing a 15-year campus master plan * Undertook transformation efforts to reallocate $1 million in the institution’s operating budget for student scholarships, technol- ogy, and capital expansion in order to emphasize students as the number 1 priority Increased enrollment 16% in 3 years, increased student retention, and completed new track/field/stadium project that was paid for via gifts and pledges Seminaries Concordia Theological Seminary—Fort Wayne, Ind., Dean Wenthe, President oe Concordia Theological Seminary seeks to form men with integrity of spirit, clarity of mind, char- ity of heart, and missionary zeal to hold up Christ crucified. The past years have witnessed dramatic blessings. First among these is an increase in the entering M.Div. classes of 50 percent or more. Along with the blessing of larger enrolling classes, faculty and staff additions have brought rich depth and fresh consecration to the task of pastoral formation. Among those facets of education which have been strengthened are a renewed sense of Lutheran in- tegrity, over against the prevailing culture, which includes a grati- tude for Christ’s presence in the means of grace as well as a formed life of worship and prayer; a fresh sense of mission as Christ is held up with biblical clarity for the increasing number of international students; and a new realization of the central place which ecclesi- ology and Christian community must have in the radical individu- alism of our society. Beyond God’s blessing of people and faithful theological reflection, the seminary rejoices in the physical re- sources which have permitted the institution to update campus wiring for computer use, install a distance education classroom, resurface the roadways and freshly landscape the campus, and car- pet and air condition the dormitories. Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, Mo., John Johnson, President The mission of Concordia Seminary is to serve the church and world by providing theological ed- ucation and leadership centered in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for the formation of pastors, missionaries, and leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Since its establishment in 1839 in Perry County, Mo., Concor- dia Seminary in St. Louis has been instrumental in the formation of more than 10,000 pastors and missionaries for the office of pub- lic ministry in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. A number of significant events and accomplishments have marked the past triennium: * 79 new married-student residences were constructed on campus in 21 townhouse buildings. “Concordia Woods” was dedicated on Oct. 18, 1996. ¢A $2 million renovation of Founders Hall, a single student dormitory, was completed in August 1997. The project, the first stage in campus dormitory modernization, included a central air conditioning system, electrical upgrade, and new furnishings. * Innovative efforts in providing theological education by extension expanded significantly through a pastoral education program to meet the needs of Asian-Americans on the West Coast in partnership with Concordia University, Irvine. The seminary further extended its reach through increased enrollment in the Seminary Hispanic Institute of Theology and the opening of a distance learning classroom with state-of-the- art compressed-video technology. * President John F. Johnson took a six-and-a-half month sabbatical in 1996 to serve as senior pastor of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, TX, as an opportunity to become personally reacquainted with changes and challenges in contemporary pastoral ministry. * Enrollment for each year in the past triennium has remained well over 500 students, making Concordia Seminary among the 25 largest seminaries in the country. RSO Saint Paul’s Lutheran High School—Concordia, MO, Rick Gove, Headmaster Saint Paul's Lutheran High School, Registered Service Organization of The Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod, was founded in 1883 with its primary purpose being the education of young men for the ministry of the church. Saint Paul’s mission statement is this: “To provide curricular and co-curricular experience in a Christian environment that will equip students, faculty, and staff for joyful, faithful service to Christ and His world.” Through a stable, competent faculty who connect faith, learning, and living; through daily devotions and nurturing in advisor/advisee small-group settings; and through a fully accredited broad curriculum taught in a Christ-centered environment, students at Saint Paul’s receive a Christian education in the finest Lutheran tradition. Saint Paul’s Lutheran High School became an institution affili- ated with but independent of the LCMS and governed by a local Board of Trustees effective July 1, 1997. Saint Paul’s will continue to service the church as a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) by continuing to provide excellence in Christian education includ- ing church worker preparation. Five-Year Assessment of Concordia University System (a Response to Res. 5-05, 1995 Convention) In 1992 the Synod in convention established the Concordia Uni- versity System. Five years later it is appropriate to ask the ques- tion, “What are the strengths and weaknesses/needs and challenges of the system?” The question was asked of the Council of Members, the direc- tors of the Board for Higher Education/Concordia University Sys- tem, and the Presidents and Boards of Regents of the 10 colleges and universities of the system. The responses received offer a pro- file, characteristic of any dynamic organization. At the same time, the observations and reflections mimic the condition of any one of the 10 institutions. System strengths include * fulfilling the education mission of the LCMS with a clear focus on Lutheran values; * facilitating collaboration between the campuses, doing more to- gether to help each other while opening doors that no one insti- tution could go through by itself; * marketing the LCMS system of education and increasing the re- cruitment of future church workers; * using technology to enhance the education experience and serv- ing the LCMS beyond the educational campuses; improving the overall condition of fiscal management. While the system has enhanced the condition of individual in- stitutions, there remain a number of challenges and needs to be fur- ther addressed. Perhaps the most notable challenge is the lack of a national, synodwide image to influence recruitment and resource- development efforts. This challenge is coupled with a lack of agree- ment among the membership of the Synod regarding the purpose and mission of the institutions. It should be no surprise the list also includes the lack of sufficient endowment funds to maintain a sta- ble operation on each campus. The system is addressing the list of needs and challenges with specific and intentional approaches. Technology, though costly, is applied to the teaching/learning process. Educational experiences are enhanced with technological applications for students in cam- pus classrooms as well as delivery of the same quality experiences