# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1902_S55
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Tenth Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1902. 55

Concordia Progymnasium at St. Paul, Minn.

"1. By God's grace, both the health and the moral condition of the
institution were, in the last triennium, generally quite satisfactory. The
professors, together with the assistant teacher Mr. Th. Berg, have to our
best conviction administered their office with fidelity, diligence, and
conscientiousness. The enrollment of the institution was as follows:

1899 to 1900: Quarta 16; Quinta 24; Sexta 25; Total: 65 pupils.
1900 to 1901:     "    21;     "   19;    "   33;       "    73    "
1901 to 1902:     "    17;     "   29;    "   34;       "    80    "

"2. Since the Minnesota and Dakota District at its last meeting resolved
to bring before the General Synod the request that it expand the
institution at St. Paul, Minn., into a full Gymnasium, we take the liberty
of supporting this request with the following reasons:

"a. In recent years the shortage of preachers and teachers has again made
itself extremely felt, particularly in our District. Our District has,
in the last ten years, received 125 candidates for the preaching
ministry, that is, an average of 12.5. However, 155 were called for,
that is, an average of 15.5. Accordingly the need for candidates was
annually 3 higher than the number obtained. We therefore presently
need 15 candidates for the preaching ministry annually, and this
number is steadily increasing. This year already 24 pastors have been
called for in our District. But since experience shows that not all
pupils entering at Sexta actually reach the goal of becoming pastors,
and experience has further taught that candidates who do not come from
our District find it hard to become at home in it and are easily
called away elsewhere, it is already necessary, for the sake of the
need within our own District, that we have a full Gymnasium. Our
institution, however, is also strongly attended from the Iowa
District and should therefore also help meet that District's need,
indeed have a surplus of workers. God has especially in the recent
period opened many doors for us, and indeed also in places where
there are simply no schools of learning, e.g., Oregon, Washington,
Brazil, etc. The need cannot be met by the full Gymnasia now existing;
but we can help remedy this shortage to some extent by expanding our
Progymnasia. Does not God's mission command simply require of us
that we do everything in our power to train more preachers and
teachers? Our Synod has indeed truly grown in the last twelve years.
In the year 1890 the [continues on next page]