# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S98
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

98 Action Regarding Individual Institutions

in to fill the need. This lay leadership was (and is today) largely
unprepared. In various centers, efforts were made to meet this
condition. Within the last decade we notice a steady procession of
institutes, correspondence courses, summer-conference camps, and
now — extension courses in synodical institutions.

Unfortunately these efforts are largely sporadic and unguided.
With the proper synodical machinery such needs should be antici-
pated, encouraged, and guided. It may be the prerogative of every
local congregation to train Sunday-school teachers and leaders of
young people’s organizations; but it is seriously to be questioned
whether it is the part of wisdom to exercise this privilege as the
only or even the most important means of training lay leaders.
Even a superficial examination of conditions reveals a considerable
amount of duplication, overlapping, and general dispersion of effort.

At present our educational program lacks comprehensiveness
of view, definition of function, coordination and guidance in its
development. An educational policy suitable for the Church should
embrace all its educational activities. The Board of Christian Edu-
cation as now constituted centers its attention on the age of child-
hood on the elementary-school level — not entirely but largely.
Yet what confusion exists in that field! Agencies have multiplied
to fill specific needs. We have for this age the day-school, the
Sunday-school, the Saturday-school, the vacation Bible-school, the
confirmation class, and some part-time week-day schools. The
great problem of keeping the preschool child in direct contact with
the Church is barely touched. On the youth level we have similar
conditions. The Bible classes and the educational program of the
Walther League are not usually coordinated but independent of
each other. The educational program on the adult level is largely
undeveloped and unexplored.

All the areas mentioned ‘require Jeadership either on the part
of the clergy or of the laymen. This fact has been recognized in
practise. Synod has from its very beginning provided institutions,
synodically controlled, to prepare teachers and preachers. In ad-
dition to these specially prepared leaders there has grown lay
leadership in all areas referred to. The Sunday-school elects a
“cradle-roll secretary” who assists in the work of caring for the
child of preschool age; Sunday-school teachers are called upon to
teach religion almost without special preparation; untrained women
teachers have been employed to teach religion in parochial schools;
young people and adults are expected to take over the educational
leadership in their organizations regardless of the special prepara-
tion for this important work. In view of this situation efforts have
been made in the past to give lay leaders an opportunity to prepare
themselves for their work. But all that has been done in this direc-