# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S46
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

46 Report of the Committee on Higher Education

C) Administrative and supervisory activities in any or all of these
agencies. D) Mission activities. E) Director of music, organist, and
choirmaster (it is frequently difficult to combine the ministry ‘of
music with the wide range of duties often required of directors of
religious education). F) Performance of secondary and supple-
mentary functions. ;

(2) Status. — Upon careful investigation and consideration we
have arrived at the conclusion that the term “Director of Religious
(or Christian) Education” is covered in all essentials by the tradi-
tional term “teacher” as used in our circles as regards functions,
status, position, and call. While your Committee does not en-
courage the use of the term “Directors of Religious Education,”
it sees no objection to its use provided it is understood as herein
defined. Most of the functions required of directors of religious
education could be performed also by men called as assistant
pastors. These men should receive adequate training as offered in
the teachers’ colleges. A person occupying the position of director
of religious education should rank as teacher or as assistant pastor,
and therefore his call should obligate him and the congregation
in like manner as the call of a teacher or of an assistant pastor.
Such workers should be synodically trained and enjoy the: same
privileges in conferences as teachers or assistant pastors and be
subject to the same obligations as these offices involve. Their
names should be listed in the official roster of Synod. ;

(3) Preparation of Directors of Religious Education. ~ The
stress and emphasis in the program of preparation should fall prin-
cipally on a sound and solid basis in Bible and doctrine, a thorough
background in psychology and methodology, and training in effec-
tive techniques in mission-work based upon a comprehensive
understanding of the structure, nature, and problems of modern
society in which the Church of today must perform its function and —
carry out its mission. A careful analysis reveals that the training
program offered by the two teachers’ colleges of Synod under the
revised curriculum is adequate for specialization in the field of
religious education in the local congregation: The teachers’ col-
leges shall also provide opportunity for training in service through
summer-schools, correspondence work, and extension .courses, to
the end that the Lutheran Chureh may ever more fully meet its °%
divine commission. ay

8. In-Service Training of Teachers. — There is need for some
specialized study and advanced work on the part of all who teach :
in our parish-schools, which includes not only regularly trained
teachers, but teaching pastors and theological graduates and women
not trained in our schools. Such study is necessary to meet both
the ever-increasing requirements of State boards and of the changed