Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 356
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 356

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

356 PARISH EDUCATION AND SERVICES

tion, textbooks, and tuition rebates for the students
attending elementary and secondary church-re-
lated schools.

d) To make additional manpower available to the
Board of Parish Education to work toward these
purposes.

4. Lutheran Education Association

The Board of Parish Education has continued its
advisory relationship with the Lutheran Education Asso-
ciation and its related departments. The executive secre-
tary has been the representative of the board to meetings
of the Executive Board; Mr. Martin Wessler has been
the representative to the Department of Lutheran Ele-
mentary School Principals. Rev. Dale Griffin has been
appointed the representative to the Department of Direc-
tors of Christian Education.

As of Jan. 1, 1969, the Lutheran Education Associa-
tion had a membership of 2,826. This included 1,462 male
teachers, 821 women teachers, 239 pastors, 182 organiza-
tions, 21 lay members, and 12 life members.

The Lutheran Education Association seeks to assist
the church in the promotion of parish education by offer-
ing services in the areas of special publications, research,
and special educational conferences. The 1968 Yearbook,
Christian Education and the Urban Parish, was edited by
Harry N. Huxhold. The 1969 Yearbook, tentatively titled
Christian Education: Looking Back and Ahead, is being
edited by John Choitz on the basis of the presentations
at the Summit Conference on Christian Education held
in January 1969.

Affiliated with the Lutheran Education Association
are two departments, the Department of Lutheran Ele-
mentary School Principals and the Department of Pas-
tors and Directors of Christian Education.

The Department of Lutheran Elementary School
Principals seeks to offer special service to its members.
Included in its plans are the preparation of:

a. Position statements on the principal and staffing.

b. Materials to aid the principal in his relationship
with his local board of Christian education.

c. Studies on problem areas in school administration.

The Department of Pastors and Directors of Christian
Education has as its goal a strengthening of the “team
ministry” approach to the parish and includes the
following:

a. Promoting studies that will aid in defining the
development of the office of director of Christian
education.

b. Cooperating with the Board of Parish Education,
the Board for Higher Education, and the sem-
inaries, teachers colleges, and Valparaiso Uni-
versity in developing preservice and in-service
training for directors of Christian education.

c. Promoting the interchange of ideas and practices
among those who serve as directors of Christian
education.

The Board of Parish Education is happy to cooperate
with the Lutheran Education Association and its depart-
ments in broadening the base of leadership and service
for Christian education in the Synod. The annual joint
convention of the Lutheran Education Association and
the National Lutheran Parent-Teacher League provide
an important service to the church in the discussion
of problems and opportunities in Christian education.

5. Urban Education

Dealing responsibly with Christian urban education
issues and opportunities is a complex task. The many
divergent views affecting the church’s urban ministry
need to be heard and evaluated. Issues must be clearly
defined and helpful guidelines prepared so that church-
men may provide a responsible ministry in the urban
church and community.

The Board of Parish Education invited representa-
tives of the black clergy to its July 1968 meeting to ex-
plore with them the problems and possibilities related
to producing the necessary teaching materials.

A special education committee had been appointed
by the black clergy as a contact point for the board. The
Planning Committee for the new curriculum has con-
tacted them to provide a resource person at the materials
development workshop in 1969.

The Board of Parish Education recognizes that its
urban education responsibilities call for the following:

1) providing inner-city teaching materials and ad-
ministrative aids that help congregations organize effec-
tive ministries in the urban community;

2) providing articles, study guides, and other aids to
enable all members of Christian congregations to under-
stand the nature and function of the church with special
reference to urbanization and related social and cultural
realities;

3) providing curricular material that is appropriate
for a church in a diverse society.

a. Materials for Inner-City Use

No single publication, or series of publications, will
answer the many and varied educational needs of the
inner city. The board must, therefore, be sensitive to the
various needs and provide materials and aids most suit-
able in serving these specialized needs. The board seeks
to accomplish the above tasks in various ways.

Numerous inner-city teaching materials and aids are
becoming available. The Board of Parish Education
gathers these materials, evaluates them, and provides
to District and inner-city education leaders listings of
available materials. The most recent listing, prepared by
Phyllis Kersten, is titled “Innovative Ministry ~— Avail-
able Resources.”

A special inner-city study is being conducted cur-
rently in conjunction with Patterns of Performance, the
5-year Lutheran school improvement project. Central
city schools from 10 synodical Districts are participating.
This project seeks to implement the Synod’s New York
Resolution 1-14, which resolved “That the Boards of
Missions and of Parish Education, together with local