# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S211 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) HIGHER EDUCATION 211 5-02 To Insert “Lutheran” in Name of Concordia University System WHEREAS, Our university system is primarily set up to prepare pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of evangelism, etc., for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and WuereaS, The Concordia University System does not, in any way, tell anyone as to the affiliation of the university system; and WHEREAS, It appears we are afraid to identify ourselves as a Lutheran education system, which we most definitely are; there- fore be it Resolved, That we insert the term Lutheran in the Concordia Lutheran University System, by the year 2000. King of Kings San Antonio, TX 5-03 To Amend Membership Bylaws for BHE/CUS Rationale The Bylaws governing the Board for Higher Education/Con- cordia University System Board of Directors state that rostered members, three ordained and two commissioned ministers, are to be elected by the convention. Six lay members with financial or academic expertise are to be elected by the members of the CUS corporation. In addition, they state that no more than one director can be from the same District of the LCMS, a limitation which ap- plies elsewhere only to the Board of Directors of the Synod and no programmatic board. Beyond the fact that consistency would be desirable, the need for searching out and identifying persons with different backgrounds and skills relating to the specific work of this board which deals with one-third of the undesignated funds remit- ted to the Synod is of paramount importance. Resolved, That in the synodical election of rostered members of the Synod, the limit of the election of no more than one member from the same District be retained; and be it further Resolved, That in order to meet the need for specific back- grounds and skills, no more than one member of the same District may be elected by the members of the CUS corporation; and be it further Resolved, That the limitation of no more than one member from a District apply to the individual categories of rostered and lay but not to the entire Board for Higher Education; and be it finally Resolved, That the necessary Bylaw revision be made in accord with Bylaw 15.01 2. Board of Directors The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod 5-04 To Restore Original Purpose of Synodical Colleges and Universities WHEREAS, The colleges and universities which make up the Concordia University System were established chiefly and often solely for the preparation of men and women for service within the church as pastors, teachers, deaconesses, etc.; and WHEREAS, The focus and function of these synodical institutions as training ground for people entering the pastoral ministry, teach- ing ministry, and parish ministry has become increasingly obscured and diluted; and WHEREAS, The percentage of Lutheran students attending these institutions has declined significantly; and WHEREAS, There is a serious shortage of full-time church work- ers; and WHEREAS, The resources to maintain synodical colleges and universities are both finite and limited; and WHEREAS, The resources of the Synod are also finite and limited and must be distributed to many different activities of mission and ministry; therefore be it Resolved, That a special task force be established under the aus- pices of the President of the Synod to investigate the ways and means by which synodical universities can become solely focused on the teaching and training of church workers; and be it further Resolved, That the task force be charged with developing a plan to accomplish the same; and be it further Resolved, That this task force present its findings for review and input to the District conventions in the year 2000 and its final report to the Synod at convention in the year 2001. St. Paul Lockport, IL 5-05 To Restore Religious Purposes of Schools of Concordia System WuerEAS, The schools encompassed in the Concordia Univer- sity System were established chiefly and often solely for the prepa- ration of students for the seminary; and WHEREAS, These students were called preministerial students already in the first year of high school; and WHEREAS, The percentage of Lutherans at these schools has sig- nificantly declined; and WHEREAS, The percentage of students studying for the ministry known as the “ordained ministry” in the LCMS at these schools has also declined; and WHEREAS, The explicit religious purpose of these schools has become obscured; and WHEREAS, These schools are owned and operated by the con- gregations of the LCMS to preserve the faith of the church and pre- pare pastors; and WHEREAS, Pastors are trained to preserve the integrity of the Lutheran Confessions and identify young men who will become pastors; therefore be it Resolved, That only ordained pastors with parish positions be called to the presidencies of schools in the Concordia University System; and be it further Resolved, That each school shall have a separate department of religion or theology; and be it further Resolved, That only ordained LCMS pastors be members of this department and teach these courses; and be it further Resolved, That each school demonstrate that it has an extensive program for acquainting non-Lutheran students with the Lutheran faith; and be it finally Resolved, That each school demonstrate that it has an extensive program in recruiting men for the Lutheran ministry (ordained). Our Redeemer, Peekskill, NY; Faith, Corning, NY; St. Matthew, Lake Zurich, IL 5-06 To Renew Synod’s Commitment to Professional Church Workers WHEREAS, One of the purposes for the creation of Synod was to “recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers and provide opportunity for their continuing growth” (Art. III, Constitution); and WHEREAS, Many who seek to serve the church in a professional capacity are acquiring large debts; and Wuereas, The worker within the church pursues his career “not greedy for money, but eager to serve” (1 Peter 5:2); and