# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1979_S191 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) LATE REPORTS AND OVERTURES 191 to include the memoirs of 57 leaders of cooperative Lutheranism. What they said in 88 interviews is con- tained in 4,500 pages of transcript. One of the 20 trained interviewers has observed that “through this project these conversations are going to last through the years as recorded, fascinating—and in some ways missed— history of Lutheranism in America. As one with histor- ical interests, I envy the historians of the future for what they’re going to have because this has been done.” Former LCMS President Oliver R. Harms has served on a committee giving guidance to the project. As part of an ecumenical consortium called Census Access for Planning in the Church, the office is gearing up for the analysis and expanded use of data gathered in the 1980 census. Most recent statistics compiled on the size of the LCMS, ALC, and LCA showed that in 1977 these church bodies counted 8,018,595 members. This report rounded out a decade that started out with the three having 8,494,165 members. Ever since, they have experienced a decline, which started gradually, accelerated, and most recently decelerated. Why persons who after a period of not belonging toa church rejoined was the subject of a special research project carried out last year in seven heavily un- churched areas of the country. Personal interviews showed that family responsibility, a crisis experience, the nonverbal witness of Christians, and organized evangelism were among the reasons church dropouts reverse themselves. Statistics gathered about North American Lutheran high schools and primary schools for the 1978—79 school year showed that they are increasing in numbers and enrollments. The number of high schools went up by 8 to 84 and their enrollments by 3 percent to 21,919. The number of grade schools went up by 10 to 2,038, two-thirds of which are LCMS-related. Their enrollment increased by 4,038 to a total of 218,521 children. The Advance Site Research Task Force coordinated by the office, with Executive Secretary Fred E. Lietz and Assistant Executive Secretary Arthur C. Haake of the LCMS Church Extension Board as members, has con- centrated on the two counties of Riverside and San Bernardino in California. Thirty possible sites for new Lutheran churches were identified, and the LCMS, ALC, and LCA representatives have agreed on the purchase of five sites each. Program Planning Atits semiannual meetings during 1977 and 1978 the Committee for Planning and Development emphasized evaluation and priority-setting through interviews with all of the council’s executive directors; developed guide- lines in consultation with the Committee for Admini- stration and Finance, governing the committee’s rela- tionships with the CAF in the planning and budgeting process; and looked at current and future computer applications. In connection with the computer study the committee has requested consideration of “the feasi- bility of a common approach by the participating church bodies to program planning, financial account- ing, planning and analysis, designing a common lJan- guage, and suggesting new usefulness for the infor- mation being generated.” Office of Communication and Interpretation The Office of Communication and Interpretation is directed to “publicize the objectives, scope of interest and activities of the council; supply information con- cerning the Christian faith and life as reflected by the Lutheran Church; assist the cooperating churches by providing a means for furthering cooperation among them in the work of public relations and communi- cations; and supplement, at the request of the cooper- ating bodies, their activities in this field and interpret their faith, objectives and programs.” OCI’s four units carry out this mandate by working closely with religious and secular media and communication agencies; the council’s various divisions, departments, offices, and related units; and the communication programs of the church bodies. The Missouri Synod does not support OCI other than through an annual contribution from its Board for Public Relations. In 1977 this sum was $13,000 and in 1978 $13,500. Consultation and Administration The church body communication directors, including Victor W. Bryant, the Synod’s director of public rela- tions, and William B. Dingler, director of media pro- grams for the International Lutheran Laymen’s League, are convened quarterly to share developments in each of their offices and to plan cooperative endeav- ors. Currently going forward are a series of convo- cations for Lutherans in media and a Lutheran Media Mission project using print, radio, and television to “strengthen Lutheran presence in communities where such a presence is new or not well known.” Administrative services are provided to the separ- ately incorporated unit, Lutheran Film Associates, which early this year completed a 90-minute TV special, “The Joy of Bach,” celebrating the music and life of Johann Sebastian Bach. Its placement in prime time on a TV network in the U.S. is being arranged, as are showings in Switzerland, Holland, Ireland, West Ger- many, and other countries overseas. Meanwhile LFA has begun considering an appropriate sequel. Broadcast and Film Relations The continuing effort to place Lutheran spokes- persons on radio and TV talk shows recently experi- enced a record with Director Edward A. Rauff of the council’s Research and Information Center, who is an LCMS pastor, talking about “why church dropouts drop back in” on 54 programs. A 20-minute filmstrip, “Who Are the Lutherans?” ‘was released early last year, and to date 2,700 Lutheran congregations have purchased copies. Early this year a 20-minute 16mm film, “Room for a Stranger,” was released to help in the recruitment of Lutheran congre- gations as sponsors of refugees. It has an opening section by LCMS President J. A. O. Preus.