# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1926_S63
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. 1926. 68

An Overture to Provide for Expert Supervision of Our Colleges
and Seminaries, so as to Secure Coordination of Effort
and Increased Efficiency.

Wuereas, Our Synod owns and operates a number of higher
institutions of learning, chiefly for the purpose of preparing young
men for the office of pastor and schoolteacher; and

Wuereas, The final object, or goal, of these institutions is the
same, viz., to give to the students the best possible training for
future service in the Lord’s kingdom; and ,

Wuereas, The specific object of the majority of these institu-
tions, the so-called preparatory colleges, is to supply our chief theo-
logical seminary at St.Louis with scholars who are ready to take
up an intensive course of theological studies preparatory to entering
the service; and

Wuereas, The graduates of this latter class of institutions, the
preparatory colleges, ought as nearly as possible to be uniformly well
qualified, both mentally and spiritually, to enter the seminary; and

Wuereas, The percentage of students who fail to graduate is
much greater in some institutions than in. others, which causes
a great difference in the per capita cost of operation; and

Wuereas, The large and scattered number of our colleges and
seminaries or other higher institutions of learning logically calls for
unified and expert supervision; therefore be it .

‘Resolved, That we, the Southern Indiana Pastoral Conference,
herewith petition the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio,
and Other States, in convention at St.Louis, Mo., from June 9
to 18, 1926, to adopt the following or similar resolutions: —

1. That a Board be created which shall be known as “The Board
of Supervisors of Colleges and Seminaries.”

2. a) That this Board be composed of five members, to wit, the
President of Synod, two pastors, and two laymen, these pastors and
laymen to be chosen from the voting congregations of Synod.

b) When this Board is established, it shall be elected according
to the usual mode of procedure. One pastor and one layman shall
be elected for six years and one pastor and one layman for three
years. Thereafter the regular term of office is to be six years. In
case of a vacancy the Board shall have the power of substitution.

3. That this Board shall meet semiannually or oftener, as neces-
sity requires.

4. That the duties of this Board shall be: —

a) To supervise all our colleges and seminaries, working in con-

x junction with the local Boards of Control and the Electoral Colleges ;