LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 185

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RESOLUTIONS 185

To Improve Our Ministry to Women
RESOLUTION 6-28
Overture 6-63 (CW, p. 283)

Wuenreas, The need for a greater awareness both of
the special gifts and the special concerns of women has
become increasingly evident; and

Wuereas, Our Mission Affirmations commit us to a
ministry “to the whole society” and

WuHereEas, The concern expressed in Overture 6-63,
that the special needs of women “do not now receive
sufficient focus in current programs of instruction at our
seminaries, or in discussions at pastoral conferences,”
would seem to be a valid one; therefore be it

Resolved, That we ask the Board for Higher Educa-
tion, the faculties at our colleges and seminaries and
the program committees for our pastoral conferences to
be alert to this problem and to seek the advice and
assistance of qualified women in the planning of edu-
cational programs.

Action: None. Referred under omnibus Res. 4-47 to
the Board of Directors.

To Review the Requests of Ann Arbor
and Milwaukee

RESOLUTION 6-29

Overtures 6-53A, 6-53B, 6-54A, 6-54B
(CW, pp. 279—280)

Wuereas, The Michigan District and the South Wis-
consin District have expressed strong encouragement
and support for the establishment of 4-year college pro-
grams at Ann Arbor and at Milwaukee, respectively;
and

Wuereas, The Synod has given direction and author-
ity to the Board for Higher Education, Handbook 6.05 r,
to develop carefully prepared 4-year programs which
serve the purposes of the church and are economically
defensible; therefore be it

Resolved, That the New Orleans convention direct
the Board for Higher Education to review the requests
as expressed in Overtures 6-53A, 6-53B, 6-54A, and
6-54B.

Action: None. Referred under omnibus Res. 4-47 to
the Board of Directors.

To Consider Restructuring Synod’s System
of Higher Education

RESOLUTION 6-30
Report 6-09; Overtures 6-23, 6-24, 6-25, 6-27
(CW, pp. 260—261, 272—273)
Floor Committee 6 on Higher Education of the New
Orleans convention has considered numerous reports

and overtures, and has drafted resolutions which speak
of the competence and dedication of faculties, admin-

istrators, and the members of the Board for Higher Ed-
ucation (BHE). These resolutions are sincere state-
ments made after interviews with the persons involved,
and after careful study of the Synod’s program of Higher
Education as it is being carried out on our 16 cam-
puses. Yet, we realize that there are some concerns
which should be brought to the attention of this con-
vention, so that some positive action might be taken.
We would call attention particularly to the role of the
BHE and its relationship to the various Boards of Con-
trol of the schools in the system. This needs to be re-
viewed. We also call attention to the system as a whole,
its purpose and its structure.

The statement is made that “recent years have seen
the deterioration and destruction of something called
‘the System,’ and that this idea is based largely on
myth.” (CW, pp. 249—250)

Without seeking to find fault or to place the blame
at anyone’s doorstep, it appears that the Synod’s edu-
cational system has departed from the concept of “sys-
tem,” held as late as 1967, when the Synod in convention
reafirmed the concept of the “Junior College-Senior
College System,” in the training of students for the
pastoral ministry. There has been a steady trend away
from this system, so that at present, the continued ex-
istence of the Senior College in Fort Wayne is seriously
threatened. Contributing factors are:

1. State aid to students discourages junior college
students from transferring out of state to attend
the Senior College in Indiana.

2. Junior college enrollments, which supply the base
for the Senior College enrollment, are declining.

3. Students preparing for the pastoral ministry are
enrolling at all 4-year colleges.

4. Language requirements at the St. Louis seminary
have been reduced significantly.

5. Both Milwaukee and Ann Arbor continue to seek
4-year status.

6. The 1971 Milwaukee convention decided to de-
velop a 4-year college at Irvine, to coincide with
the closing of Oakland Concordia College.

Young people from the Districts and from the synodical campuses once
again brightened the days