LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 83

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SYNOD REPORTS
B). An SMP program report to the Synod is available at www.lcms
.org/pastoraleducation.
• Chaired a task force that included two other BPE members to implement 2007 Res. 5-02, “To Address Licensed Lay Deacons.”
• Participated in a task force to implement 2007 Res. 5-05, “To
Encourage Commitment to Continuing Education for Clergy.”
• Chaired a committee to begin an annual process of receiving
assessment of seminary graduates two and five years after seminary graduation by lay leaders in their congregations.
• Partnered with the President’s Office to plan and implement
a Pastoral Ministry Summit, Nov. 4–5, 2009, at Concordia
Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.
• Initiated and implemented steps designed to facilitate the formation of a vision for the future of theological education in the LCMS
for 2015 and beyond.
• Authored, adopted, and forwarded to the seminaries and the
Council of Presidents a document concerning “Above Reproach
Issues” related to seminary admission practices.
• Worked in partnership with the LCMS Joint Seminary Fund to
encourage and facilitate monetary support of the seminaries and
seminary students.
• Met jointly each year of the triennium, as required by the Bylaws
of the Synod, with the boards of regents of the seminaries and with
the Board for University Education.
• Updated a strategic action plan for the triennium to deal comprehensively with all the functions assigned to the board in the Bylaws
of the Synod.
• Fostered coordination, cooperation, and collaboration of the seminaries in programs and activities, policies and procedures.
• Conducted official visits to the seminary campuses to identify
strengths and recommend avenues to improve the institutions.
• Reviewed annual financial audit reports of both seminaries.
• Provided for the distribution of grants from the Synod (unrestricted
and restricted) to the seminaries.
• Convened annual (or twice-annual) meetings of the seminary presidents, academic deans, deans of students, admission directors, and
others to discuss items of mutual interest and foster collegial cooperation between the two seminaries.
• Developed a list of potential faculty for the seminaries, and provided the list and periodic updates to the seminaries.
• Participated in the meetings and interviews conducted by the
Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry.
• Redesigned and continued publication of a quarterly Pastoral
Education insert for the Reporter.
• Arranged an LCMS Theology Professors’ Convocation (March
2009) and another LCMS Theology Professors’ Convocation in
conjunction with the ILC World Seminaries Conference (June
2010) for the purpose of theological discussion and joint work on
theological issues for the benefit of the church.
• Annually evaluated the performance of the executive director.
• Nominated, called, and installed (November 2007) Dr. Glen
Thomas to serve as executive director of the BPE following the
October 2007 retirement of Dr. L. Dean Hempelmann.
• Facilitated the writing of new entry-level competence exams for
seminary enrollment.

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• Approved and forwarded three overtures to the 2010 LCMS
Convention: “To Support LCMS Seminarians and Seminaries”; “To
Recruit and Retain Full-Time Church Workers”; and “To Clarify
Bylaw Articulation of Specific Ministry Pastor Limitations.”
The BPE joins the Synod in giving thanks to the Lord of the
Church for two excellent seminaries and for the many blessings
received over the past triennium, as described below.
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri

Concordia Seminary continues to be blessed by God as it fulfills
its mission to serve church and world by providing theological education and leadership, centered in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for the formation of pastors, missionaries, and leaders in the name of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
The following blessings over the past triennium are worthy of
special mention:
• Over four million downloads from iTunesU since 2007.
• More than 525 pastoral candidates provided for placement in the
LCMS.
• More than 450 academic degrees granted to students from around
the world, including advanced degrees in theological studies.
• Continued collaboration with LCMS World Mission and LCMS
districts to launch and continue to operate innovative, specialized
distance education programs, including the Center for Hispanic
Studies (CHS); Specific Ministry Pastoral Program (SMP);
Distance Education Leading to Ordination (DELTO); Ethnic
Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT); Deaf Institute of Theology
(DIT); and the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center (CCMC) in partnership with Concordia University, Irvine, CA, and the Pacific
Southwest District.
• Immersion and cultural development through site-specific crosscultural education in domestic urban contexts such as Houston,
Chicago, Minneapolis, and New York in collaboration with
Concordia College, Bronxville.
• Continued urban education in St. Louis through cross-cultural
education, working with various minority demographics (African
American, Bosnian, Jewish, Deaf, Chinese, Vietnamese, Bhutanese,
Hispanic, and more).
• Immersion and cultural development through site-specific crosscultural education in international contexts such as Guatemala,
Belize, Africa, Russia, and Panama.
• Terminal degrees held by 86 percent of faculty members in their
particular areas of study—from various institutions including but
not limited to Cambridge, Notre Dame, Washington University,
University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Union Theological
Seminary, Hebrew Union College, Stanford University, University
of Leeds, and the University of Southern California.
• Development of deaconess studies curriculum with three areas of
specific concentration available: social ministries, counseling and
spiritual care for women, and institutional chaplaincy.
• Successful projections and implementation of the “How Will They
Hear?” Campaign:
Campaign Report Overview
Pastors (student aid)
$45,404,084 (100% of goal)
Place (campus) 	 $9,737,572 (55% of goal)
Promise (endowment)
$18,381,702 (100% of goal)
Total
$73,523,358 (95% of goal)

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