# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S212 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 212 PROGRAM AND FINANCE train pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers, and provide opportunity for their continued growth”; and WueErEAS, The seminaries are important in conserving and pro- moting the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6); therefore be it Resolved, That the 2004 synodical convention instruct the Board of Directors of the LCMS, along with both seminary presi- dents, to develop a fiscally sound plan of support for both seminar- ies; and be it further Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the LCMS immedi- ately implement this plan of financial support. Salem Taylorsville, NC 4-19 To Provide Sufficient Financial Support to Seminaries WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the Synod to provide pastors for its present and future congregations; and WHEREAS, the congregations desire that those pastors be grounded in the Holy Scriptures and firmly rooted in the Lutheran Confessions; and WHEREAS, these goals are best met in a traditional seminary en- vironment, centered on prayer, with a proper integration of biblical theology and pastoral experience, directly linked with the Lutheran Church; therefore be it Resolved, That the addressed convention be memorialized to provide financial support to the seminaries at Fort Wayne and St. Louis at a level sufficient to educate a number of pastors as re- quired by the Synod’s present and future congregations; and be it further Resolved, That a Bylaw be initiated to maintain that level as a set percentage of the Synod’s annual operating budget. , Angelica Allen Park, MI 4-20 To Conduct Systemic Study of Funding Models for Theological Education WHEREAS, One of the fundamental objectives of constituting The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod was to “recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers and pro- vide opportunity for their continuing growth” (Art. IID; and WHEREAS, Our Synod has sought to fulfill this objective by es- tablishing seminaries and has entrusted to them the responsibility for education, formation, and certification of those who would be called into the pastoral office of our church; and WHEREAS, The Synod has understood the wisdom of providing support for these seminaries so that their energies may be properly focused on the preparation of pastors with integrity and a strong sense of service to the church; and WHEREAS, the current amount of synodical subsidy provided to the seminaries has been reduced to approximately one percent of their annual budgets; and WHEREAS, This current condition of synodical subsidy is in striking contrast to the established model of financial support, which at one time provided that the synodical subsidy made up the majority of the seminaries’ budgets, later shifting to representing approximately one-third of the financial needs of the seminaries (1/3 subsidy, 1/3 tuition, and 1/3 development/third source in- come); and WHEREAS, Our seminaries are now virtually 100 percent depen- dent on development and third source income to cover both the fi- nancial aid that subsidizes tuition and the loss of the synodical sub- sidy; and WHEREAS, The increasing costs of education and of personal costs in attending seminary has placed a significant financial bur- den and outstanding debt upon many of our pastors in the past gen- eration; and WHEREAS, Our seminaries have responded to these financial burdens through significantly increased financial aid, now to the point of seeking to provide full tuition subsidy; and WHEREAS, Previous conventions have passed resolutions en- couraging recruitment for the pastoral ministry especially in the face of an impending and increasing pastoral shortage; and WHEREAS, Both seminaries have responded to the Synod’s call with increased attention to recruitment, financial aid, and develop- ment; and WHEREAS, These efforts have resulted in an overwhelming re- sponse to the need for pastoral candidates through record enroll- ments at our seminaries; and WHEREAS, The financial aid now needed to support these stu- dents has placed an unbearable burden upon the financial structures of our seminaries; and WHEREAS, The reinstatement of significant student-funded tu- ition would become a disincentive to student recruitment and have a negative effect on the ability of the seminaries to continue to meet the pastoral needs of the church; therefore be it Resolved, That the proposed Board for Pastoral Education un- dertake as its immediate first task a systemic study of the funding models for theological education in our Synod, or, if such a newly proposed Board for Pastoral Education is not created, that a blue- ribbon Task Force on Funding Seminary Education be established by the President of Synod; and be it further Resolved, That the costs for the work of this task force be shared equally between the two seminaries and added to their im- pending operational debt in order to impress upon this committee and the church-at-large the grave nature, importance, and implica- tion of their work, and be it further Resolved, That this committee seek to engage the entire church for counsel and support in resolving this crisis; and be it further Resolved, That a plan be put into place within the next trien- nium; and be it finally Resolved, That interim funding be secured to guarantee the fi- nancial solvency of our seminaries until such a systemic plan is im- plemented and proven successful. Board of Regents Concordia Seminary St. Louis, MO 4-21 To Study Subsidy of Seminaries and Pre-Seminary, Lutheran Teacher Training Sites WHEREAS, The LCMS once subsidized Lutheran teacher-train- ing and pre-seminary programs; and WHEREAS, Since this subsidy ended, the “Concordias” have had to lead their own capital-raising campaigns; and WHEREAS, Such varied campaigns have limited the resources needed by all of the Concordias’ church-work training programs, and have also diminished the basic “walking together” tradition of our Synod; and WHEREAS, Some programs of support offer better tuition pack- ages than others; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, direct the Board for Higher Education to study the possibility of once again subsidiz- ing the church-work programs of our synodical schools; and be it further Resolved, That a report with recommendations be made to the next synodical convention concerning this matter. St. John Hamlin, NY