# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S295 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) HIGHER EDUCATION 295 operation of The Lutheran Church~— Missouri Synod’s colleges and seminaries has been the envy of nearly every church denomination in this country. Faithful stewardship requires that changing patterns of response be developed to insure a sufficient number of future full-time church workers. The public higher education system developed in this country has had its impact on the colleges of the Synod; it has had its impact on the number of students enrolling, on the types of programs students are interested in, and very directly on the cost competitiveness of the system. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has always recog- nized that alternate routes to the ministry of the church are valuable and vital for the church's future. However, it is also evident that a system of higher education must be maintained by the Synod as a “preferred route” into the professional ministry. In spite of all else that might change, it remains certain that one of the basic objectives of the Synod will continue to be the training of pastors and teachers. This has been a synodical objective from the beginning and continues as such because congregations cannot accomplish this effectively and efficiently by themselves. The Task Force is very much aware that the responsibilities given to it by the convention have far-reaching ramifications. It is doubtful that everyone will be completely satisfied with the conclusions that have been reached: however, the Task Force believes that its recommendations are fair, fiscally realistic, and in the long run in the best interest of the church. A. Responsibilities for Student Recruitment and Support Over the years a great deal of synodical energy has been directed toward the responsibilities for recruitment and support of the young men and women desiring to enter the ministry of the church. The Task Force on Higher Education reaffirms that this responsibility lies primarily with local congregations. The following statement with supporting recommendations and suggested models has been developed for consideration. Recruitment of Students for Full-Time Ministry of the Church Statistical projections compiled in 1972 indicate that The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod will suffer a severe shortage of graduates from its seminaries by 1980. Between 1972 and 1976 a steady demand of about 225 gradu- ates for the pastoral ministry was foreseen. Beyond 1976 the demand curve rises sharply to a need for about 275 pastoral graduates per year. This means that the projected supply of approximately 225 graduates per year between 1972 and 1976 would meet the expected demand. However, the projected supply of preministerial students in the synodical system is drastically downward to about 175 in 1977 and a further decline to about 120 students by 1980. Statistical data from other denominations indicate that this general trend toward fewer young students electing to become pastors in the church has affected all denominations. The Jesuit Society of the United States likewise has experienced a decline in new applications of almost 300% in the past decade. According to 1974 projections, the supply-demand ratio for teachers in our congregations will be seriously out of balance by 1977 because the number of students committing themselves to teacher education careers in our synodical colleges has fallen dramatically in the past 2—3 years. The need to increase recruitment for teacher vocations and to hold at a fairly stable level is presently indicated. Recruitment for the professional ministry of the church is not identical with recruiting students for a particular school. Though total college level enrollment is higher than 12 years ago, enrollment of freshman church work students has declined from a high of 1,815 in 1965 to 873 in 1974. The number of fresh- man students preparing for the pastoral ministry has declined even more sharply from a high of 465 new students in 1965 to 195 in the fall of 1974. A student questionnaire utilized by the Task Force found that 33 percent of the students presently in the seminary reached a firm decision to enter the pastoral ministry during or prior to their high school years while some 20 percent made a firm decision after college. These data substantiate previous studies and clearly indicate that serious recruitment efforts for the pastoral ministry need to be made in the early years of the person's life. A recently completed study by Clyde Kaminska, Concordia College, Bronxville, found that a variety of studies dealing with the influences on the vocational choice of young men who planned to enter the pastoral ministry indicate that the choice was largely influenced from within rather than from without. People and relationships between people play a more important role in the decision to enter the ministry than things and mate- rials designed to influence thinking. Motivation to study for the pastoral ministry is highly spiritual and clearly begins early in the life of a young man. Kaminska’s research found that a young man's decision to study for the ministry was influenced most by his own parish pastor. Another extremely important factor in a student's decision to enter a church work profession appears to be the student's own family. The Task Force questionnaire submitted to stu- dents in our colleges indicated that for 38 percent of the students the family was primarily responsible for the choice of college attended by that student. The findings of various surveys strongly suggest that serious attention must be directed toward identification and recruitment of young persons for full-time church work at an early age. The immediate environment of family, congregation. and school provides the motivation and inspiration that influence the selection of church ministry as a vocation for a large percentage of young persons. The responsibility of providing people to serve as pastors. teachers, and in other congregational ministries lies with the congregations. not with the Synod or with the schools of the Synod. The choice of preparation for the ministry likewise ought not remain completely subject to the choice of the individ- ual young person. It is essential that the church seek to identify young persons who have the intellectual ability, the home environment, and the spiritual qualifications for this high calling rather than to depend solely on the selection by the individual or by chance. Positive action is clearly called for to insure that qualified young persons are encouraged in every possible way to prepare for church work. The Task Force Recommends Al. That congregations of the Synod be made aware of their responsibility to identify and encourage qualified young persons to prepare for the pastoral ministry and for other professional ministries of the church: A2. That wherever possible young persons, particularly young men, should be encouraged by their families and congre- gations to begin their preparation for the ministry already at the high school level: A3. That since it is the responsibility of the congregation to select and encourage future pastors and other church workers. congregations must insure that financial support is provided for those young persons: Ad. That the Synod through its Board of Parish Education prepare materials and programs for the use of congregations in identifying and recruiting young persons for the church's professional ministry: A5. That the Board of Parish Education, together with the Commission on Worship, consider the development of a litur- gical act by which a congregation may impress on the young persons, as well as on the members of the congregation, the sacredness of the divine calling toward which the Lord through His church is directing their lives: and A6. That the Board for Higher Education continue to de- velop and strengthen an active and aggressive counseling pro- gram at all of our colleges. Such a program should identify students who indicate the gifts and abilities that qualify them for the church's professional ministry. These students are to be counseled to enroll in the appropriate program(s) authorized by the Synod through the Board for Higher Education. Suggested Model for Identifying and Recruiting At an early age — possibly prior to confirmation or at the time of confirmation —the pastor, together with the elders of the con- gregation, identify those who possess the unique gifts that might indicate qualifications for full-time ministry in the church. The pastor and the elders should meet with such young people and their families to challenge them to prepare for the ministry