Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 435
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 435

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

SPECIAL MINISTRIES AND SUNDRY MATTERS 435

Committees

The Institute has found it necessary, over the past
several years, to seek counsel and guidance of various
specialists in order to serve more effectively. Because of
that, various subcommittees have been established, com-
prised of personnel serving without remuneration.

The first of these committees, the Committee on His-
torical Studies and Resources, is concerned with two
basic objectives —to augment the Institute’s historical
collections and to recommend the development of re-
search and writing in areas where none exist. Members
of the committee are Dr. Alan Graebner, Dr. Erich H.
Heintzen, Rev. Marcus Kluender, Dr. Carl S. Meyer,
Dr. Arthur C. Repp, Dr. Roy A. Suelflow, and Prof.
James Weis.

The second committee, the Educational Advisory
Committee, is assisting the staff and the board in de-
veloping the educational potential of the Institute on
all levels of the church’s institutions. Members are Mr.
Roland Eggerding, Mr. Harold Klein, Mr. Theodore
Kohlmeier, Mr. Harold A. Leimer, Dr. Myron A. Marty,
Dr. Carl S. Meyer, and Mr. Fred Nohl.

The third, the Committee on Parish Necords, is at
work developing and designing forms and systems for
essential parish records. The proposals for a uniform
parish records system will soon be made available with
the recommendation that they be adopted by the syn-
odical parishes for uniformity of form and function.
Committee members are Rev. Alfred M. Buls, Prof.
Harry C. Coiner, Rev. Edwin J. Fritze, nev. Edmund
I. Lammert, Dr. Arthur Strege, and Rev. Paul Picard.

We express special gratitude to the members of these
committees for their excellent services and for the time
and attention devoted to this work.

A Look Toward Tomorrow

I

The greatest need facing the Institute at this present
moment is a solid and effective implementation of New
York convention resolution 13-11:

Wuereas, Concordia Historical Institute, the Depart-
ment of Archives and History of The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod, has for 40 years served the historical
and archival needs of the Synod and American Lutheran-
ism; and

Wuereas, The present facilities of Concordia Historical
Institute are overcrowded to the point where valuable
items already in the collection may be damaged and oth-
ers may never be given to the Institute; and

Wuereas, The 125th anniversary of The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod will be observed in 1972, which
date also marks the 125th anniversary of the establish-
ment of the Synod’s archival-historical program; and

Wuereas, The 1965 Detroit convention has already re-
solved that the President of the Synod appoint a special
125th Anniversary Committee; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 125th Anniversary Committee be
empowered, among other anniversary projects, to arrange
for sufficient funds (approximately $500,000) to meet the
expansion needs of Concordia Historical Institute.

Implementation of this resolution is imperative and
without alternatives. In anticipation of its implementa-
tion in 1972, interim measures are presently under con-

sideration to meet immediate space needs. The Board
of Governors, therefore, is at work in augmenting the
space available for stack storage and working facilities.
The present stack area is more than 98° filled, and all
working space for the staff and researchers are over-
crowded. Without interim space provisions it would be
impossible to continue the majority of the functions and
services of the Institute. The relief anticipated at the
125th anniversary in 1972 is needed in addition.

We simply cannot continue to adequately house, pro-
tect, and preserve the immense historical treasures en-
trusted to our care without intermediate expansion now
and major expansion within the next 4 or 5 years. Our
priceless collections, including a Reformation coin and
medal collection valued at thousands of dollars, the ir-
replaceable Saxon Immigration documents, and the
synodical literature dare not be jammed into facilities
which are too small, just as it is impossible for a size
13 foot to fit into a size 9 shoe! Damage resulting from
such intense and continuous overcrowding ultimately
is irreparable. Even now adequate security is no longer
possible. A decline in staff efficiency under such over-
crowding is predictable. The only alternative would
be to declare a moratorium on the production of synodi-
cal documents, correspondence, papers, and reports.

In spite of this, we request that all in the Synod who
produce historically significant materials continue to de-
posit such materials and resources. To the thousands of
individuals and organizations that have supported the
work through their contributions of materials and funds,
we express our deep gratitude. We encourage all who
have not become associated to subscribe to our Quar-
terly so that it may be available in every congregational
library and that members of the parish may see the
magnificent blessings that God has showered on our
church. For the sake of remembering those who have
been called to their eternal home, we would urge the
use of the Institute’s memorial wreaths.

II

The Institute is further appealing to this convention
that it adopt a resolution encouraging all congregations
affiliated with the Synod to establish the office of ar-
chivist. Such an office can be of tremendous help and
assistance to the pastors, teachers, and congregational
officers and committees. It may be of interest to note
that “Old Trinity,” St. Louis, Mo., established such an
office as early as 1843 and that the original Districts of
the Synod in the 1850s encouraged their parishes to es-
tablish the office. Even as the Synod and its Districts,
so also congregations must adequately provide for their
archival and historical records. Assistance, ideas, and
procedures in establishing and maintaining the office
will be made available by the Institute on request.

III

Further we would like to call the Synod’s attention
to significant anniversaries which ought to be observed
during the next biennium:

1. In 1970 the 75th anniversary of the first sermon