LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 219

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HIGHER EDUCATION 219

WHEREAS, There is an increasing need for more practical train-
ing in ministry to and with the culturally and ethnically diverse
population of this world; and

WHEREAS, The Pacific Southwest region is indeed an environ-
ment of cultural diversity that typifies the diverse world pastors and
other professional church workers experience wherever they are
called today; and

WuerEAS, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, is now in partnership
with Concordia University, Irvine, and the Pacific Southwest Dis-
trict in providing seminary education in an Ethnic Pastor Certifi-
cation program; and

WHEREAS, The next logical step for training pastors to serve in
cultures other than their own would be through an expansion of the
current program at Concordia University, Irvine; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod be
memorialized in its next convention to take the following actions as
soon as possible:

1. Confirm and expand the accredited seminary offerings al-
ready in place at Concordia University, Irvine.

2. Open a seminary at Concordia University, Irvine, that equips
men for the pastoral ministry, utilizing the cultural and ethnic di-
versity of the surrounding congregations, pastors, and community.

3. That use of the distance-learning program for training pas-
tors be expanded so more training can be done from off-campus
sites.

4. That more financial aid be made available for nontraditional,
nonresident students.

Pacific Southwest District

§-33

To Foster Greater Harmony
between Congregations and Seminaries

WHEREAS, The chief purpose of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod’s seminaries is to prepare men for service in the office
of the holy ministry; and

WuerEAS, The predominant mode of service for most of the
graduates of our seminaries is, at least initially, as parish pastors;
and

WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of our Synod to make as uni-
fied a confession of the faith as is possible; and

WHEREAS, It is becoming increasingly evident that the serious
concerns of pastors in the parish are perceived as being addressed
by the faculties of the seminaries only indirectly at best; and

WuEREAS, This difficulty arises primarily from a lack of com-
mon experience rather than any inappropriate divergence of goals;
and

WHEREAS, This difficulty fosters an unfortunate and needless
suspicion of the seminaries on the part of our Synod’s congrega-
tions; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod is facing a serious shortage of pastors;
and

WHEREAS, Greater and more prolonged contact between the fac-
ulty and administrators of the seminaries and the congregations of
the Synod could only help everyone involved; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention assembled appoint a
committee to study the feasibility of providing the opportunity for
the ordained faculty and administrators of both synodical seminar-
ies to periodically spend no less than one contiguous year of every
ten away from the faculty and in direct service to a specific con-
gregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the capac-
ity of parish pastor; and be it further

Resolved, That each of those affected among the faculties and
administrations of both seminaries be made expressly aware that
making use of the opportunity afforded them by the committee is a
nonnegotiable condition of their employment with their respective
seminary; and be it finally

Resolved, That this report be prepared in sufficient time to be
acted upon by the next synodical convention.

Bethany
Fort Wayne, IN

5-34

To Promote Respect for Seminaries
among Congregations of Our Synod

WuEREAS, There is a tremendous need for pastors in our Synod;
and

WHEREAS, It is primarily the responsibility of parish pastors to
present the possibility of serving in the office of the holy ministry
to the young men of their congregations; and

Wuereas, It behooves the Synod to foster respect and admira-
tion for the seminaries among the pastors and congregations of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to the end that they are eager
for the young men of their parishes to enroll in one of our Synod’s
seminaries; and

WHEREAS, A needless hindrance to that respect is perpetuated
by the sentiment among many congregations that the seminaries
have all but completely lost touch with the struggles and perils of
life in the typical Missouri Synod parish; and

WHEREAS, That sentiment can be dispelled, in large part, by
staffing the faculty and administrations of our Synod’s seminaries
with men who have accumulated considerable and respectable time
in service to the church as parish pastors; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention assembled instruct both
of our Synod’s seminaries to refrain from calling ordained men to
any position of service who have less than 10 years of full-time ser-
vice in the parish or mission field, no matter how fantastically
gifted and zealously faithful these young men may be; and be it
further

Resolved, That the seminaries be reminded that the promising
young men of today can only benefit from the time they will be re-
quired to spend among the people of God in the parishes of our
beloved Synod.

. Bethany
Fort Wayne, IN

$-35

To Require Universities Be Concerned
re Religion Departments and Recruitment for Ministry

WHEREAS, The schools encompassed in the Concordia Univer-
sity System were established chiefly and often solely for the prepa-
ration of students for the seminary; and

WHEREAS, These students were called pre-ministerial students
already in the first year of high school; and

WHEREAS, The percentage of Lutherans at these schools has sig-
nificantly declined; and

WHEREAS, The percentage of students studying for the ministry
known as the “ordained ministry” in the LCMS at these schools
has also declined; and

WHEREAS, The explicit religious purpose of these schools has
become obscured; and

WuEREAS, These schools are owned and operated by the con-
gregations of the LCMS to preserve the faith of the church and pre-
pare pastors; and ,

WHEREAS, Pastors are trained to preserve the integrity of the
Lutheran Confessions and identify young men who will become
pastors; therefore be it

Resolved, That only ordained pastors with parish positions be
called to the presidencies of schools in the Concordia University
System; and be it further

Resolved, That each school shall have a separate department of
religion or theology; and be it further