LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 83

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 83

to sites off-campus. Marketing strategies position the institutions
to reach out more efficiently to more potential students and donors
than ever before. Major grants from individuals, foundations, and
even the Federal government have been secured for the benefit of
the system institutions.

In the next few years, the system will focus considerable atten-
tion and energy on developing endowment funds for scholarships
and capital improvements. It is estimated an endowment of $26,000
per student is necessary to make education affordable for the aver-
age student in the future. With the present aggregate enrollment of
13,000, the combined endowment at the 10 institutions should be
near $300 million. That number clearly challenges the efforts of
the system.

Futures in Higher Education

¢ Recruit Lutheran students for professional church work roles

¢ Develop national contracts (i.e., telephone, maintenance, custo-
dial, food service, and equipment)

¢ Enhance endowments

¢ Establish strategic indicators and trendline/ratio analysis

¢ Recruit ethnically diverse faculty

¢ Train teachers for specialized areas

¢ Review administrative computing (AIS)

* Establish fiscal viability standards for debt load _

¢ Install affordability measures for educational programs

¢ Coordinate theological education programs

¢ Expand usage of technology in delivering education

John W. Meyer, Chairman
Board for Higher Education/
Concordia University System
William F. Meyer

Executive Director

Board for Higher Education/
President

Concordia University System

Appendix R5-01A
To Establish an Ordained Diaconate
Background
The Need

For several years the Board for Higher Education, the Standing
Committee for Pastoral Ministry, and the Council of Presidents
have been studying the needs of our Synod in various areas of
church worker recruitment. It has become clear that there are nu-
merous instances where a professional worker (i.e., employed full-
time by a congregation) cannot be utilized by the congregation.
Most often this is due to financial constraints in rural and urban
areas, but increasingly it is because immigrant groups need to be
reached in their native language. Our Synod needs to meet chal-
lenges in the rural and urban congregations who cannot afford a
pastor as well as the rapidly growing opportunities for mission
among immigrant groups.

During the past triennium the seminaries’ Distance Education
Leading to Ordination (DELTO) program has been developed to
provide a full seminary education to qualified workers. This pro-
gram is an effective educational service to some of the workers en-
gaged in volunteer or bivocational laymen providing pastoral ser-
vices. However, it has become apparent that the majority of the
workers needed for bivocational or volunteer pastoral service are
not eligible for this program, and further solutions are needed.

Consultation Group

Recently a consultation group was jointly convened by synodi-
cal President Barry and the Board for Higher Education to define a
solution to these needs. The consultation group includes Al Barry
(synodical President), Robert Kuhn (synodical First Vice-Presi-
dent), Dean Wenthe (president, Fort Wayne seminary), John John-

son (president, St. Louis seminary), George Wollenburg (president,
Montana District), Walter Tietjen (president, California-Nevada-
Hawaii District), Donald Sandmann (president, New Jersey Dis-
trict), John Messmann (chairman, Standing Committee for Pastoral
Ministry), Daniel Mattson (director of Theological Education,
Board for Mission Services), William Meyer (executive director,
Board for Higher Education), Alan Borcherding (assistant to the
executive director, Board for Higher Education). Also included in
the group, but unable to attend the initial meeting, are William
Hoesman (president, Michigan District), Richard Kapfer (president,
Iowa West District), and John Meyer (chairman, Board for Higher
Education). This group met on 10-11 March 1998, and formulated
the concepts contained in this document.

Charge to the Group by Dr. Barry

Dr. Barry shared his conviction that the dire need for additional
workers in these volunteer and bivocational ministries must be ad-
dressed without delay.

He shared four key concerns:
¢ Concern regarding a changing rural situation

* Concern regarding a changing urban situation
* Clusters of ethnic groups

*« DELTO is not a solution for all needs because many laymen al-
ready in ministry do not qualify
Dr. Barry stressed that we can neither refuse to act nor can we
reduce the standards for seminary education of pastors. A possible
solution would be men ordained to serve only in specific places
and under permanent supervision. He urged the group to formulate
a solution that could be presented to the 1998 convention.

Congregational Ministry Issues

During the discussion period reports were received from Dis-
tricts and parishes that confirmed the sense that there is a growing
need for volunteer and bivocational workers. The number of con-
gregations struggling to afford a pastor is growing. At the same
time, the arrival of many immigrants from places such as Sudan,
Cambodia, Vietnam, and India necessitates provision of pastoral
services in many languages.The decision-makers and leaders must
be close to the action and able to respond quickly. Loehe provided
numerous “sendlings” to evangelize America. The original Fort
Wayne seminary sent out pastors with one year of training. We
need to capture that spirit of flexibility without sacrificing the in-
tegrity of seminary programs.

Ordination Issues

The group discussed the Lutheran understanding of ordination.
Ordination does not require seminary training; however, ordination
is not to be treated cavalierly. The confessional requirement that
those who offer Word and Sacrament ministry should be called
(hence, ordained) is paramount. It must also be noted that while the
Office of the Public Ministry is a single divine reality, by human
arrangement we may organize the clergy into levels that correspond
to their pastoral responsibilities.

Of paramount importance is the Lutheran confession of faith re-
garding the integrity of the pastoral office and the theology of or-
dination. The proposed implementation of service by ordained dea-
cons would place the deacons under permanent supervision by
pastors while officially authorizing their Word and Sacrament min-
istry through ordination and a call to serve in a specific place. The
Christian and Lutheran church has throughout history recognized
the validity of establishing pastoral assistants who are properly au-
thorized to provide limited Word and Sacrament ministry under the
supervision of a parish pastor. The proposal below specifies that
the deacons will not be acting independently of the pastor who has
responsibility for the congregation.

Diaconate Concepts

For the purposes of this discussion, we can regard a parish as
all the places of Word and Sacrament ministry being served by a
specific pastor. Therefore, when several congregations or preaching
stations are served by a specific pastor, this functions as a single
parish. Those who assist the pastor in outlying areas are providing .