Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 340
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 340

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

340 PARISH EDUCATION AND SERVICES

and Mr. Howard Lawonn as vice-chairman. The nine
members elected by the Synod, plus the five representa-
tives of the terminal schools appointed with the approval
of Dr. Harms, were then divided into three committees
as follows:

Committee on Schools: Rev. Arthur Ziegler (chairman),
Dr. Charles Lawrence, Mr. Edward Krause, and Dr.
Edward L. Brockmann.

Committee on Part-Time Agencies: Mr. Howard
Lawonn (chairman), Rev. R. A. Haak, Mr. Walter F.
Dobberfuhl, Dr. Victor Krause, and Dr. Erich Helge.

Committee on Adult Education: Prof. Robert Conrad
(chairman), Rev. Justus P. Kretzmann, Mr. B. H. Arke-
bauer, Dr. Willis R. Wright, and Dr. Martin Luebke.

Mr. Edward Krause was forced to resign July 15, 1968,
because of illness. To fill this vacancy, the board ap-
pointed Mr. Walter Bleke. Dr. Edward L. Brockmann
died because of injuries sustained in an automobile
accident in February 1969.

The board established a schedule of meetings in
alternate months.

Prior to the New York convention the board had
adopted a proposal for the restructuring of the staff. The
departmental structure of school department, Sunday
school department, vacation Bible school department,
weekday department, adult education department, and
family life department was retained. In addition the
board sought greater coordination of the staff through an
age-level divisional alignment: a children’s division, a
youth division, and an adult division. Mr. Frederick Nohl
served as director of the Children’s Division, Rev. Dale
Griffin as director of the Youth Division, and Dr. Oscar
Feucht as director of the Adult Division. This new struc-
ture provided for the age-level coordination of effort
from the various departments.

2. Staff Developments

Rev. Charles Reichert, director of Family Life Educa-
tion, accepted an appointment as executive director of
Planned Parenthood in Dallas, Tex., and completed his
work with us on Aug. 21, 1967. The board asked Rev.
Charles Reichert to complete the Marriage Counseling
Workshops with the assistance of Rev. Kenneth Siess
and to write recommendations for further work in this
important area. Rev. Reichert consented to do this and
gave us helpful assistance on this project.

Rev. Daniel Burow was elected as editor of My Devo-
tions and assistant in the Sunday school department.
On recommendation of the Board of Parish Education
Dr. Dorn extended the appointment to him. Rev. Burow
accepted the appointment and joined the staff on Aug.
21, 1967. He was installed Nov. 21, 1967.

The New York convention encouraged the appoint-
ment of an editor-consultant in urban education. The
board in September 1967 appointed a committee to pre-
pare a brief to present to the Board of Directors. Under
date of Dec. 7, 1967, Dr. Wolbrecht informed the board
that the Board of Directors had resolved to deny this

request because of its responsibility in fiscal manage-
ment to our membership.

Dr. Wolbrecht also informed the Board of Parish Edu-
cation that the Board of Directors had denied the request
for a person to fill the position of editor of leadership
training. In this connection the Board of Directors re-
quested the Board of Parish Education to undertake a
study of present services, along with a survey of existing
staff, to evaluate and provide the Synod with the mate-
rials, programs, and services which are in greatest de-
mand and which they can best serve within existing
budgetary allocations.

Because of this request, the Board of Parish Educa-
tion made a comprehensive analysis of the assignments
of all staff members and reviewed all of its activities.
Further modification of staff structure resulted from the
analysis and from the experience of the age-level
ministries.

Rev. Duane Mehl, editor of young adult materials,
accepted a call to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.,
and left the staff of the Board of Parish Education on
June 30, 1968.

The board suffered the loss of Mrs. Helen Decker,
editor of Happy Times and associate editor in the Sunday
school department. She was killed in an automobile
accident on Dec. 21, 1968.

Dr. Arthur W. Gross and Dr. Oscar E. Feucht reached
mandatory retirement age on Dec. 31, 1968. The board
celebrated the 50th anniversary of service to the church
of these two men in a special service of thanksgiving on
March 16, 1969.

With the retirement of Dr. Arthur Gross, Mr. Arlon
Rueter was elected as editor of vacation Bible school
materials, effective Jan. 1, 1969.

With the retirement of Dr. Oscar Feucht, Rev. Victor
Constien was elected as secretary of adult education,
effective Jan. 1, 1969.

3. Staff Reorganization

The board in September 1968 authorized the develop-
ment of a coordinated curriculum in Christian education
and asked for the development of a staff-function-project
chart. In order to carry out this resolution the staff reex-
amined the total staff structure.

The development of age-level divisions had provided
a desirable arrangement for planning and developing
curriculum coordination. It did not, however, provide
an adequate arrangement for the coordination of the
total program of promotion and fieldwork for the age-
level ministries. In view of this, the staff proposed and
the board adopted a new organization which separated
field services from the editorial function. The board
created three divisions: an editorial division, a field
services division, and a research and development
division.

The editorial division is headed by an executive editor
who serves as editor-in-chief for the board. Dr. Allan
H. Jahsmann was appointed to this position. The execu-
tive editor works with the executive committee of the