# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S196
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

196

UNPRINTED REPORT AND LATE OVERTURES

It should be added that while these trends have affected
student population, our schools have also experienced a declining percentage of synodically trained teachers on their
faculties.
Graph 2: LCMS Synodically Certified Full-Time Teachers

4. Which church bodies are represented among the members of your school association? Please give number of
churches from each church body:
#___LCMS; #___ ELCA; #___ Other (please specify):
5. Do all the church representatives have equal voting
privileges?
If no, please explain:
6. What is the composition of your school board or board
of directors?
Please give number of board members from congregations of each church body:
#___LCMS; #___ ELCA; #___ Other (please specify):
7. Do all your board’s members have equal voting privileges?
If no, please explain:
II. School Information
Name of School:
1. Enrollment:

It is vital that administrators, teachers, board members,
and parents understand the mission of a Lutheran school.
The continued existence of RSO schools themselves should
not become their paramount goal, for all of our schools are
means to a greater end. They carry out a mission. This mission is best fulfilled when our schools remain faithful to
Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. Merely altering
governing documents in response to challenges will only
treat symptoms, not root issues. The TF observes that the
RSO administrators it interviewed were all very sincere
about sharing Christ with their students. They asked for
guidelines that would be helpful in maintaining Lutheran
identity.
Recommendation for Teaching:
Utilizing the services of District Presidents, District education executives, school administrators, and others, the
Board for Congregational Services should provide systems
and/or tools to help those associated with RSOs to:
1. understand clearly the concerns our Synod has with
ELCA involvement in a school association; and
2. understand clearly the value of our LCMS doctrine
and practice.
These helps should be made available to officials of RSO
schools, teachers conferences, District Presidents, District
education executives, school consultants, and Congregational Services Board members.
C. William Hoesman, Chairman
Appendix: Survey Sent by TF to All RSO Schools
I. RSO Information
Name of RSO:
1. Name of Chief Administrator:
2. Is the Chief Administrator responsible for doctrinal
supervision? ___Yes; ___No
3. If you answered “no” to #3, who is responsible for doctrinal supervision?

200l Convention Proceedings

2. Grade levels:
3. Who determines what is taught in your religion classes?
(Check all that apply)
__LCMS pastors and/or rostered teachers
__ELCA pastors and/or rostered teachers
__All pastors and rostered teachers
__The Board of Directors or School Board
__The faculty
__Others (please specify)
4. Who teaches the religion classes in your school? (Check
all that apply)
__LCMS pastors and/or rostered teachers
__ELCA pastors and/or rostered teachers
__LCMS lay teachers
__ELCA lay teachers
__Non-Lutheran teachers
5. Who conducts (leads) chapel services in your school?
(Check all that apply)
__LCMS pastors and/or rostered teachers
__ELCA pastors and/or rostered teachers
__LCMS lay teachers
__ELCA lay teachers
__Non-Lutheran teachers
__Students
__Other (please specify)
6. Who is responsible for chapel (e.g., dean of chapel) in
your school?
__LCMS pastor or rostered teacher
__ELCA pastor or rostered teacher
__LCMS lay teacher
__ELCA lay teacher
__Non-Lutheran teacher
__Students
__Other (please specify):