# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S363
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

7. PARISH SERVICES

7-01
Report of Board of Parish Education

I. Introduction

Jesus Christ is Lord. Equip His messengers to proclaim it.
These two sentences form the context in which the Synod's
Board of Parish Education works. Again during the last bien-
nium this board has sought faithfully to equip messengers of
the Lord to proclaim His Gospel.

Since messengers must carry a message, the Board of Parish
Education has sought in all its materials and programs to be
faithful to the central message of God’s judgment and grace.
But there’s more to Christian education than just content.
The personal faith, the personal character, the personal life-
style all affect the message. The Board of Parish Education
therefore has stressed the importance of the messengers’ faith,
life, and teaching style. Training teacher messengers has been
high on the board's priority list.

Messengers of the Lord come from all age groupings. So the
Board of Parish Education in its organizational design has set
up task groups to minister to those whose task it is to teach
young children. those of elementary school age. youth, and
adults.

The Board of Parish Education staff members recognize that
they themselves are messengers. The manner in which they
receive, believe, and live the message is of vital importance.
In a biennium marked by unprecedented tensions in many
synodical boards and staffs, it is with deep humility and pro-
found gratitude that the Board of Parish Education reports a
peaceful, harmonious. and productive 2 years.

II. Board Membership

The elections at the New Orleans convention resulted in
three new members on the board. Following the convention
the board took special note of the lengthy (19 years), dedicated.
and effective service of its chairman, Dr. Justus Kretzmann.
Mr. Howard Lawonn, who for many years served as a faithful
member of the executive committee, was not returned to the
board. Also no longer serving on the board is Dr. Charles
Lawrence, whose keen mind helped shape many board deci-
sions.

New members serving during the last 2 years were elected
members Mrs. Judy Williams. Mr. John McCants, and Rev.
Maynard Brandt. They joined a newly appointed member,
Prof. Ann Reiser, who succeeded Dr. Charles Laabs. In the
course of the biennium Dr. Jacob Heckert replaced Dr. John
Damm. Teacher James Handrich replaced James Boldt when
Mr. Boldt accepted the call to become a District education
officer of the South Wisconsin District.

The officers of the board are Dr. Leonard Heidemann,
chairman, Dr. Willis Wright, vice-chairman, Mr. Walter Dob-
berfuhl, secretary.

III. Staff Membership

The staff of the Board of Parish Education is headed by
Dr. Melvin M. Kieschnick, Executive Secretary.

The Division of Field Services includes: Director of Field
Services — Victor Constien, M.S. T.; Secretary of Elementary
and Secondary Schools—Al H. Senske. Ed.D.; Associate
Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Schools— Marlin
Schulz, Ph.D.: Assistant to Secretary of Elementary and
Secondary Schools—Henry C. Niermeier, M. Ed.: Secretary
of Sunday, Weekday, and Summer Schools—Rev. Dale E.
Griffin, M.S. T., M.Ed.; Acting Secretary of Adult Education
—Rev. Victor Constien, M.S. T.: Director of Family Life Educa-
tion —Rev. Evan J. Temple: Project Director, Pastoral Training
Program for Family Counseling — Rev. Edwin J. Fritze, M.S. E.:
Project Director, Effectiveness Training for Lutherans — Norman
Junghans, M. A.

As indicated by the name Division of Field Services. the
persons assigned to it spend a great amount of time in the field.
Their task while in the field includes listening, leading work-
shops. equipping District consultants, making conference
presentations, participating in leadership training, and a variety

363

of other service functions. In each case they come not primarily
as pushers of synodical programs but as promoters of God's
work, as fellow members of the body of Christ seeking both to
edify and to be edified.

The Editorial Staff comprises the largest division of the
Board of Parish Education staff. Staff editors function as a team
and often assist one another or are asked to work on projects
that are outside of their specific assignment. The following list
indicates the primary assignment and the particular task and
function that the various editors assumed in the past 2 years:
Director, Editorial Division—Harold W. Rast, Th. D.: School
Religion Editor—Frederick A. Meyer, M. A.: Sunday School
Program Editor—Earl H. Gaulke. M. Div.. Ph. D.: Associate
Editor of Sunday School Materials—Donald E. Hoeferkamp.
M. Div.: Weekday Church School Program Editor—Paul H.
Pallmeyer, M.S. T.; Summer Church School Editor —Arlon W.
Rueter, B.S.: Associate Editor of Summer Materials—Jack
Muhlenbruch. M. Div.. M.S.; Editorial Assistant in Arts and
Crafts— Nancy Warner. B.F.A.; Associate Editor of Summer
and Weekday Materials— Mary Brummer, M. A.: Editor of Pre-
primary Materials— Daniel R. Burow, M. Div.: Associate Editor
of Youth Materials — Robert Klausmeier. B. A.: Associate Editor
—John E. Schroeder. B.A., B.D.: Adult Program Editor—
Robert J. Hoyer. M. Div.: Editor of Materials for Special Classes
—Frederick A. Radtke, Ph. D.; Managing Editor, Interaction
—Barbara Kraemer, B.A.: My Devotions—Mervin A. Mar-
quardt, M. Div.. M.A.T.: Happy Times—Linda J. Schroeder,
B.A.

Due to lack of finances the position of Assistant to the Execu-
tive Secretary has not been filled.

During the course of the past biennium two veteran staff
members accepted other positions. Dr. Allan Hart Jahsmann
accepted an editorial position with the Lutheran Church in
America and Rev. Delbert Schulz accepted a similar call to The
American Lutheran Church.

The board is pleased to once again report to the church that
it views all its staff members as faithful and true messengers
of the Lord.

IV. Fellow Messengers

The Board of Parish Education acknowledges with particular
gratitude the special assistance it has received from a variety
of sources. The Clara and Spencer Werner Foundation provided
a grant which made possible the research for a historic study of
the effects of Lutheran schools. The results were shared through
the book How Different Are Persons Who Attended Lutheran
Schools?

Thanks is herewith expressed to Lutheran Brotherhood,
which not only contributed significantly to the above-named
research project but also gave fiscal assistance to two national
church school teachers conventions.

Funds provided by the Synod’s 125th Anniversary Thank-
offering enabled the Board of Parish Education to carry on the
marriage education and family counseling seminars. to call Dr.
Marlin Schulz to serve as Associate Secretary of Schools, to
inaugurate a Spanish Speaking Enabler program, to undertake
new ministries in urban education. and to do action-oriented
research for the promoting and improving of the weekday
school.

The Wheat Ridge Foundation assisted the Board of Parish
Education in discovering innovative patterns of education in
our Lutheran elementary and secondary schools and in dissemi-
nating information about those innovations.

Particular gratitude is herewith expressed to the members
of the Aid Association for Lutherans. Their generous assistance
made possible continued work on developing models of inter-
parish education ministry by a Coordinator of Christian Educa-
tion. sponsorship of a very effective Leadership Renewal
Experience for Synod and District education leaders, the exten-
sive program of Effectiveness Training for Lutherans, a new
program for early childhood education called Project: Young
Child, an exciting cooperative ministry with Concordia College,
St. Paul, Minn.. entitled Multi-Media/Multi-Image. and assis-
tance for the conducting of workshops for writers in the church.

No one works more closely with the Board of Parish Educa-
tion than Concordia Publishing House. The Board of Parish