LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 235

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

HIGHER EDUCATION 235

throughout the Synod who gave so generously of their time and
resources to bring this effort to a successful conclusion,
enabling the seminary to provide the following:

1. Chapel Renovation. The original plans for the present
seminary campus called for the erection of a separate chapel
building, but funds were unavailable at that time (1926). Twice
since then, the Synod has authorized the seminary to build a
chapel. In one effort several years ago, more than $800,000 was
raised in a synodical offering for this purpose but was not made
available to the seminary. Since 1926 the regular chapel
services have been conducted in a not particularly worshipful
auditorium. As the seminary continues to study the feasibility
of a separate chapel facility (which the board, faculty, and
student body all regard as our highest construction priority),
receipts from the Forward Fund will provide approximately
$300,000 for the repair and renovation of the present audi-
torium to make it more attractive for both worship and other
community functions.

2. Stoeckhardt Hall Renovation. To meet the need for
additional and more efficient office space to accommodate the
growing faculty and administrative staff, Stoeckhardt Hall,
one of the original 1926 buildings, has been completely reno-
vated and refurbished at a cost of approximately $200,000
made available from the Forward Fund.

3. Loeber Hall Student Center. In order to provide the
student body with a centrally located student center housing
the bookstore, snack bar, student association offices, recrea-
tional facilities, and other student services, it is anticipated
that portions of Loeber Hall will be renovated as soon as the
architect’s plan has been adopted. Approximately $150,000
from the Forward Fund will be used for this purpose.

4. Married-Student Housing. Thanks to the generous gifts
of supporters of the seminary in recent years, the seminary has
been able to increase the number of apartments it has available
for its married students, which today comprise more than 55
percent of its student body. More than $500,000 in Forward
Fund receipts (including the gift of a 10-unit apartment
building from non-Lutheran friends of the seminary) were
designated for married-student housing, thereby enabling the
seminary to acquire 22 additional apartment units during the
past biennium.

5. Fieldhouse Repairs. The fieldhouse, built in 1949, has
been in desperate need of roof repairs, including probable
redesign of its support structure. Current plans call for the
seminary to utilize approximately $150,000 of Forward Fund
receipts to correct this problem and to make other improve-
ments in the fieldhouse.

6. Student Financial Aid. A student’s cost for one year of
seminary education today generally ranges between $4,500
and $7,000 per year, depending on whether the student is single
or married. When students enroll at the seminary, many
already have incurred a large indebtedness because of their
college expenses. Seminary resources for providing financial
assistance to needy students are very limited. However, the
seminary is endeavoring to relieve that situation somewhat by
building a Financial Aid Endowment Fund in order to generate
annual scholarships and grants-in-aid. Approximately
$400,000 of Forward Fund receipts are being used for that
purpose.

7. Current Operations. As seminary costs continue to soar
without proportionate increases in synodical subsidy levels,
theseminary has become more and more dependent upon gifts
from friends and supporters throughout the Synod in order to
pay the costs ofits current operations. Approximately $500,000
of Forward Fund income was used for that purpose in the
1979—80 budget.

&. Other Projects. Approximately $100,000 has been used to
fund several smaller projects that have been delayed for
several years because of lack of funds. These include the
provision of a library catalog data base, repair of the Luther
Tower carillon, redesigning two classrooms as seminar rooms,
reforestation and landscaping, and the proposed construction
of an aesthetic wall near the Campus Services Building.

Because the seminary did not wantits Forward Fund effort
to conflict in any way with the Synod’s Forward in Remem-
brance drive, the seminary did not approach the congregations

of the Synod directly and terminated its special fundraising
efforts at an early date. For that reason the seminary could not
include a number of other urgent projects. Nevertheless, the
Forward Fund has made it possible to meet major needs and
has served as a fitting thankoffering to the Lord of the church
for His gracious blessings upon Concordia Seminary in recent
years.

Energy Conservation Grant

In 1980 the seminary received a federal government grant
of $211,665 that is being used to supplement institutional funds
(received in a bequest) to implement a number of energy-
conservation projects. An earlier energy audit had disclosed
that such projects could save the seminary approximately
$50,000 a year in energy costs. The funds are being used for
building and equipment modifications, as well as the purchase
of a microprocessor to monitor heating, ventilating, and air-
conditioning equipment.

Educational Media Services Expanded

The seminary faculty and Board of Control believe strongly
that modern technology, including the use of video cassettes
and computer-assisted learning, offers tremendous potential
for theological education and especially for parish programs.
During the past biennium the seminary has called a full-time
person to head its Educational Media Services and has up-
graded its video-production equipment and facilities. Initial
projects have included the production of video tapes in Spanish
to assist with course work at the Synod’s Hispanic Colloquy
Center on the River Forest campus. The Educational Media
Services have also experimented with the PLATO computer
system in an effort to support seminary classroom instruction
and provide additional continuing education possibilities. As
more and more video cassette viewers are acquired by snodical
congregations, production of software for parish services
becomes an expanding opportunity for the Synod. Recognizing
that the seminary has both the staff and the production
facilities to provide leadership in this area, the Board of
Control recently asked its Development Department to en-
deavor to raise funds to enable this timely project to receive
prompt attention.

Deaf Ministries Chair Established

A generous grant from Lutheran Friends of the Deaf
enabled the seminary to establish the John of Beverley Chair
for Deaf Ministries beginning with the 1979—80 school year.
This chair, which is the first of its kind in North American
seminaries, not only provides communications training for
future pastors to the deaf and hearing handicapped but also
helps to sensitize all seminary students to the needs of the
hearing handicapped and to ways of ministering to them
effectively. In connection with this chair, the seminary has
hosted a number of conferences and workshops dealing with
ministry among hearing handicapped persons.

Consideration of Synodical Headquarters Location

The 1979 synodical convention authorized construction of
the synodical headquarters building on the seminary campus,
provided that certain concerns of the seminary were ade-
quately met. The Board of Control worked closely with the
synodical committee to that end. A professional consulting
firm engaged by the seminary also provided valuable assis-
tance. However, in spite of those efforts, the Board of Aldermen
of the city of Clayton (in which the seminary is located)
eventually declined the Synod’s request for permission to build
the headquarters facility on the seminary campus. The
seminary was assured by Clayton officials that this action
should not be interpreted to mean that the seminary may not
use that portion ofits property for possible future construction
purposes.

Celebration of Confessional Anniversaries

In 1979 and 1980 Concordia Seminary in a variety of ways
noted the 450th anniversaries of Luther’s catechisms and the
Augsburg Confession, as well as the 400th anniversary of the
Book of Concord. In addition to a number of chapel services