LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 228

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228 HIGHER EDUCATION

Although the need for workers has still not been met, we are
grateful for the 1,377 dedicated and highly competent workers
who have graduated from the schools of the Synod during the
past biennium and are now involved in the professional
ministries of the church, which include not only pastors and
teachers but also directors of Christian education, deaconesses,
parish workers, and lay ministers. The placement record is as
follows:

1974 14M)
Pastors coo 175 174
Teachers ... 489 487
Deaconesses . 9 3
Parish Workers 19 7
Lay Ministers 4 10

In addition, 233 vicars were placed in 1979 and 276 in 1980.

Based on the principle that all of the schools of the Synod
are “gifts from God and need to be nourished according to the
Scriptural principles of stewardship,” that ‘‘all are to be used to
the fullest extent feasible,” and that they are to be assisted “in
the development of creative programs primarily for profes-
sional church workers and secondarily for consecrated laity,”
creative planning has occurred. The Board for Higher Educa-
tion is grateful for the cooperation of the schools, for the
dedication of their instructional and administrative personnel,
and for the opportunity to be a part of the process of planning
and implementation. In its determination not to ‘‘turn schools
loose” to pursue their independent interests, a process for
approving program proposals was initiated and followed in
order to build some programs and curricula at the various
schools that will help them achieve their mission and purpose.

Individual schools will be providing more detailed accounts
of their activities during the past biennium. However, respond-
ing to a resolution of the 1979 convention (6-01A) calling fora
school-by-school progress report, the Board for Higher Educa-
tion is happy to provide the following information:

Ann Arbor. During the past biennium Concordia College,
Ann Arbor, Mich., has begun a parish assistant program and
is adding a teacher education program at the bachelor’s-degree
level to its other church-work programs. It still continues to
provide the finest classical preparation for the pastoral min-
istry, having added that program when the Synod made its
decision to discontinue the senior college and to transfer the
Springfield seminary to the Fort Wayne campus.

Austin. By convention action, Concordia Lutheran College
of Texas, Austin, was authorized to move to four-year status
and to introduce third-year college classes in the fall of 1980.
These classes were begun in August 1980 with an enrollment of
49, of which 32 were classified as church-work students. Since
authorization for movement to four-year status was granted,
and prior to that in preparation for such a possibility, Austin
has been preparing four-year programs for pastoral and
teacher education students as well as various programs in the
liberal arts. In keeping with the wishes of the Synod, it has also
developed a Hispanic lay ministry program, which is becoming
effective in preparing workers for this vital ministry. In order
to meet the physical needs for this expanded service, two new
buildings, a physical-education building and a library,
are presently under construction.

Bronxville. Since moving to four-year status in 1973, Con-
cordia College, Bronxville, N.Y., has been preparing pastors
and teachers at that level. A special program in urban educa-
tion, which prepares principals for inner-city schools and
provides a support system for beginning teachers, was begun
in 1979 and has been developing as a model for use throughout
the United States. Because of a number of factors, particularly
the cost of utilities on the East Coast, Bronxville has experi-
enced unusual costs that have hindered the implementation of
programs that would be beneficial for its development.

Concordia. St. Paul’s College, Concordia, Mo., has con-
tinued its college program on the associate level as well as its
high school program. After carefully viewing its options, St.
Paul’s concluded that its present pattern of providing accel-
erated opportunities for high school students would allow it to
make its greatest contribution toward the mission of higher
education in the Synod. This program has, however, been
detrimental toward college enrollment because many high

school students graduate with a year or more of college
completed and prefer to transfer to another college of the Synod
rather than remain at St. Paul’s another year or less. This
school continues to maintain a high percentage of church
workers in its student body and, with its accelerated program
involving instructors teaching jointly on both high school and
college levels, is able to operate efficiently and assist students
in entering the ministries of the church more quickly. Programs
offered mesh well with those at other synodical schools and
allow for easy transfer. This program will require special
support because federal funds for tuition are not available for
high school students.

Irvine. Christ College, Irvine, Calif., the newest synodical
college, provides education at the baccalaureate level for
pastoral students as well as a lower-level program for teacher
education students. It maintains a very high percentage of
church workers in its enrollment. In addition to three major
programs, Christ College is one of two four-year colleges that
provide education for directors of evangelism. Christ College
also seeks to serve students from Hong Kong, Korea, and other
Asian countries. In 1980 dormitory facilities were filled to
capacity, necessitating a request for authorization for con-
struction of an additional dormitory and physical-education
building. Any future growth in enrollment and programs will
be limited by lack of physical facilities.

Milwaukee. Concordia College, Milwaukee, Wis., offers
baccalaureate-degree programs in preseminary education,
elementary teacher education, and business. It maintains a
close relationship with the community and has begun to offer
programs in allied health services as well as other areas of
local interest. During the 1980 academic year Concordia
increased its enrollment by more than 30 percent, much of the
increase being in the area of church-work programs. Together
with Concordia College, St. Paul, Minn., and in cooperation
with Concordia College, River Forest, Ill., it has begun a
program for preparation of students for urban ministries.

Portland. Concordia College, Portland, Oreg., which was
granted four-year status at the Dallas convention (1977),
graduated its first students with baccalaureate degrees during
the past biennium. The college maintains programs for pre-
seminary, teacher education, social work, business, and liberal
arts students as well as preprofessional studies pointing to
other vocations. The number of church-worker students has
shown a steady increase in recent years, and the college has
experienced an increase in total enrollment. In order to meet
the physical needs for this expansion, a library and dining-hall
addition have been constructed on the campus during the past
biennium.

River Forest. Concordia College, River Forest, Ill., continues
to maintain its traditionally excellent programs for prepara-
tion of elementary and secondary school teachers for congre-
gations and associations in the Synod, offering a wide variety
of concentrations while adding new programs designed to
prepare students for service to the church and society. In
accordance with a resolution of the 1979 synodical convention,
a deaconess program has begun. Its first graduates will be
available for placement in 1982. Concordia, River Forest, also
maintains a preseminary program in addition to its graduate
program for teachers. In cooperation with the seminaries at
Fort Wayne and St. Louis, a Hispanic colloquy program is
conducted on the campus. This program was developed in
response to a resolution of the 1977 Dallas convention.

Saint Paul. Concordia College, St. Paul, Minn., also con-
tinues to maintain its preseminary and teacher education
programs as well as its program for directors of Christian
education. During the past biennium a program for preparation
of directors of evangelism was begun, and graduates of this
program are beginning their service in congregations. In its
liberal arts program, Concordia offers preprofessional courses
in deaconess training, law, medicine and social welfare.

Selma. Alabama Lutheran Academy and College, Selma,
maintains both a high school and two-year college department
that offers preprofessional programs for ministries of the
church as well as liberal arts programs for those choosing
other vocations. Because of its special nature, Selma has the
character of a mission agency of the church as well as that of
an educational institution. It is seeking to be of special service