# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1941_S43
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Seminaries and Colleges. — Individual Institutions 43

As already indicated, this class of students does not fit, grade
for grade, into the existing courses of our various preparatory
schools. Moreover, a reconstruction of the existing courses to
meet the requirements of these high-school graduates would entail
radical changes, which, in turn, would militate against the proper
progress of the regular contingent of our preparatory schools corn-
ing to them from our parish-schools. The difference in religious
background is too great to be bridged over, and the lack in language
study, including German, Latin, and Greek, calls for constructive
work from the bottom up. As for religion, the parochial-school
background must be supplied from the beginning. Catechism and
Bible-passages must be memorized and studied most thoroughly.
Bible History must be carefully imparted. Misconceptions of these
thinking minds, already influenced by misleading trends, must be
openly met. After long deliberation of this important matter we
are convinced that a full three-year course in Catechism and Bible
History will be required if these men are to be adequately trained
and sufficiently prepared to continue that homogeneity of religious
discernment which we have been accustomed to in our min-
isterial body.

The courses in our Springfield Concordia during the last five
years have been from time to time recast in accordance with the
instructions of Synod and of Synod’s Board for Higher Education.
We have also done what we could to meet the demands of these
high-school graduates, whom Providence seemed to direct to us.
Nevertheless we are convinced that the interest of our Synod de-
mands a fuller Catechism and Bible History instruction, aside from
our regular systematic exegetical and dogmatic courses, as well
as a more thorough and extended instruction in German and the
other languages to be given these high-school graduates.

Since the two high-school years, at present a part of our
Springfield Concordia curriculum, are no longer in demand, and
since additional time is needed at this institution for the fuller
instruction in religion and in the languages, it would seem advisable
for Synod to discontinue the two high-school years and to lengthen
by one year the period of time allotted to our present curriculum
that we may intensify the religion and language instruction to which
reference has just been made.

Respectfully submitted,
THE Boarp oF ContTROL
Concorpia THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, SPRINGFIELD, ILL.
B. Setcxe, Secretary
(No action was taken on these requests since Springfield is included

in the eurvey of educational institutions by the Board for Higher Edu-
cation.