LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 218

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5-23B

Trinity. Northfield, Minn. Marie Enfield

5-24

To Permit Directors
of Christian Education to Be Eligible
for Synodical Membership

At the time of the formation of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod in 1847, conditions were such that pastors and
parochial school teachers were the only two offices of the full-
time public ministry of the Synod. Therefore the synodical
Constitution framed at that time reflected the situation of that
day. Membership in the Synod was given to “congregations,
ministers of the Gospel, and teachers of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church who confess and accept the confessional
basis of Article II" (Constitution, Art. V).

In recent years as conditions changed, congregations with-
out a school discovered the value of calling a teacher of the
church in the capacity of director of Christian education to
provide leadership for their educational programs.

At first parochial school teachers were called to serve as
directors of Christian education. As the demand for directors of
Christian education increased, it became apparent that the
curriculum at our teachers colleges needed to be expanded to
provide potential directors of Christian education with edu-
cational experiences that would prepare them specifically for
this new position in the church. In addition to courses prepara-
tory for classroom teaching, students in the director of Chris-
tian education programs were offered such pertinent courses as
administration of parish education, administration of youth
programs, adult education, counseling, leadership develop-
ment. teaching the Bible. and family ministry.

In the meantime, several states and provinces of the United
States and Canada have continued to increase the require
ments for classroom teaching in elementary and secondary
schools. It became difficult to provide within the period of four
or five years potential directors of Christian education with
those educational experiences required for state certification
and still give additional courses and field experiences specifi-
cally helpful for the office of director of Christian education.

To be able to provide an effective director of Christian
education program within a five-year span, our teachers
colleges with the approval of the Board for Higher Education
designed, about 1970, a five-year director of Christian edu-
cation program that included the basic curriculum for class-
room teaching but which substituted courses important for
directors of Christian education for some courses in classroom
teaching of secular subjects. As a result, some graduates of the
Synod’s approved director of Christian education program are
well prepared to teach religion in our Christian day schools but
lack credentials for the teaching of secular courses as required
for state certification.

The question has arisen concerning the status of those
directors of Christian education who have been thoroughly
trained in a synodical school for their ministry, who have been
well equipped to teach religion in our schools, but who lack
credits in courses demanded by states and provinces for the
teaching of secular subjects.

The Constitution of the Synod states that advisory members
of the Synod include “teachers of parochial schools” and
“candidates for the office of the ministry or for that of a teacher
in the parochial schools.” In 1959 when asked for an inter-
pretation of this constitutional statement as it is to be applied
to teachers and directors of music, the Synod resolved: “That
the directors of music and education who are graduates of any
one of our recognized teachers colleges or have passed a
colloquy, and are eligible for a call in any one of our schools, be
considered teachers, with all the rights and privileges per-
taining to this office” (Proceedings, 1959, Res.5, Comm. 138, p.
310).

The question now concerns those directors of Christian
education who have graduated from one of our synodical

STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION

colleges in a program approved by the Board for Professional
Education Services. who have received the basic training for
classroom teaching. who are eligible to teach religion in our
schools, but who lack courses requried by the state for class-
room teaching because they substituted courses specifically
designed for DCE ministry in the place of courses in the
teaching of secular subjects.

It would seem that these directors of Christian education
are eligible for advisory membership in the Synod in view of
the fact that they are eligible to teach religion in our schools
and have undergone a synodically approved educational pro-
gram at least equivalent to that of a Christian day school
teacher.

This is our recommendation:

WHEREAS, Directors of Christian education certified by our
synodical schools for director of Christian education ministry
graduate from a synodically approved program; and

WHEREAS, Directors of Christian education from a synodi-
cally approved program receive basic training in classroom
teaching in our schools; and

WHEREAs, Although some directors of Christian education
lack sufficient courses for state certification for teaching
secular subjects. all directors of Christian education who have
graduated from a synodically approved program are eligible
for teaching religion in our schools; and

WHEREAs, Directors of Christian education who graduate
from asynodically approved program receive training for their
profession that is at least equivalent to that for classroom
teachers in our schools; and

WHEREAS, Directors of Christian education who graduate
from a synodically approved program demonstrate their in-
tention to devote their lives to the Christian education of the
people of God in our churches; therefore be it

Resolved:

1. That the convention interpret the phrase “teachers of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church” in Art. V of the Synod’s
Constitution as including directors of Christian education who
are certified for their ministry, either through a regular course
of study or through colloquy procedures, by a synodical school
authorized to do so by the Board for Professional Education
Services, thereby making such directors of Christian education
eligible for advisory membership in The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod:

2. That the Synod instruct those synodical schools offering
a synodically approved director of Christian education train-
ing program to continue to maintain standards for the director
of Christian education program that are at least as demanding
as that for a classroom teacher; and

3. That the Synod instruct those synodical schools offering
a synodically approved director of Christian education train-
ing program to continue to encourage all director of Christian
education students to take sufficient work to become eligible
for certification both as directors of Christian education and as
classroom teachers also of secular subjects to provide those
students with more career options for ministry in the church.

Board for Parish Services
Raymond A. Mueller, Chairman
Victor A. Constien, Executive Secretary

5-25

To Place Deaconesses
on the Roster of Synod

WHEREAS, The synodical Handbook contains appropriate
provisions for the training and placement of deaconesses
(Bylaws 5.121 to 5.129 inclusive) but not for formal recognition
on synodical rosters; therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaws 5.41 to 5.47 inclusive be amended by
inclusion of the words ‘“‘or deaconess”’ following “clergyman or
teacher” in all the appropriate places.

Faculty

Concordia College

River Forest, III.

Lila M. Kurth, Secretary