LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 226

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226 HIGHER EDUCATION

WuEREAS, The Synod has approximately 6,000 congregations
with almost 1,000 vacancies; and

WHEREAS, Each year the pastors serving the congregations of
the Synod decline in number by the following amounts: 175 retire,
175 leave the ministry, and 50 die, totaling 400: and

WHEREAS, Each year the Synod has a goal of starting 65 new
congregations and dispatching 25 missionaries, with the result that
90 of the annual graduates of the seminaries are not available to
enter the parish ministry to serve existing congregations; and

WHEREAS, The two seminarics of the LCMS are each currently
graduating about 100 new pastors each year for a total annual in-
crease of 200; and

WHEREAS. The LCMS is currently experiencing an annual re-
duction of 490 from the roster of pastors to serve congregations in
the LCMS and is graduating 200 pastors each year from the two
seminaries of the Synod; and

Wuereas, If nothing is done to correct this annual reduction of
pastors to serve in the congregations of the Synod, in the short time
frame of the next decade a serious question arises as to whether the
LCMS will be a viable body to preach the Good News of Jesus
Christ; and

WHEREAS. Over the past 33 years the bureaucracy of the Synod
and District offices has risen from 247 to 450, an increase of 203
pastors; and

WHEREAS, The combined operating budgets of the seminaries
are approximately $23.5 million per year; and

WHEREAS, The cost of the 203 pastors, support staff, and over-
head expenses working in District and synodical offices represents
a cost of $25.3 million per year; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative to increase the number of graduates
of the two seminaries of the LCMS; therefore be it

Resolved, That our church request that the LCMS in convention
in 200! adopt the following recommendations:

First, that the job positions of the 203 pastors that have in-
creased the bureaucracies of the District and synodical offices be
eliminated over the next three years and the pastors serving in those
positions be encouraged to take calls into the parish ministry of our
church, and

Second, that the funds currently being expended to provide sup-
port for these 203 positions be expended directly to the two semi-
naries of the LCMS in order to enable the two seminaries to at least
double the annual graduates of our two seminaries of pastors to
serve the congregations of the Synod.

Our Savior, Fullerton, CA; Peace, Neenah, WI; St. John,
Cedar Rapids, NE; Trinity, Bridgeton, MO; Gloria Dei,
Chicago, IL: Cireuit Forum, Northwest Ohio Circuit 2;
Immanuel, Van Buren, MO; St. Paul, Mondovi, WI; Our
Redeemer, Cushing, OK; Our Savior, Platte City, MO; St.
Paul. Iron River, MI; Trinity, Hinton, IA: St. Paul,
Memphis, MO; Our Saviour, Monticello, IN; St. Michael,
Winchester, TX; Nativity, St. Charles, MI

5-62

To Support $105 Million Fort Wayne
Seminary Initiative

WuHerEaS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod very early
in its history listed as one of the reasons for forming a “Synodical
Organization,” “3. The joint extension of the kingdom of God and
the establishment and promotion of special church enterprises
(seminary. agenda, hymnal ...)” (Constitution 1854, Chapter 1) and
that reason is still listed in Art. II, 3 of the current Constitution;
and

WHEREAS, The seminaries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod have the responsibility to recruit and train men for the pas-
toral ministry at a time when our church body is facing a severe
shortage of pastors; and

2001 Convention Workbook

WHEREAS, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, (for
its part) is committed to providing the best possible training and
the most financial support possible to the future pastors of our
church: and

Wuereas, Concordia Theological Seminary currently must so-
licit and secure over 95% of the funding for its operating budget,
with that percentage increasing every year: and

WHEREAS, Concordia Theological Seminary must raise suffi-
cient funding for general operations and for full tuition scholarships
as well as for a base of endowment support for future generations
of pastors-in-training: and

WHEREAS, The accrediting agencies, following their most recent
visits on campus, require that Concordia Theological Seminary
build a new and much Jarger library to meet the academic needs of
its students; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod meet-
ing in convention encourage the support of an initiative to be un-
dertaken by Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN. to
raise $105,000,000 by the year 2006 for general operations, for stu-
dent aid, for an endowment fund, and for library facilities.

Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, IN

5-63

To Increase Support for Full-Time
Church Work Students

WHEREAS, When our Lord said, “The harvest is plentiful, but
the laborers are few: pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send
out Jaborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38), He indicated that
His disciples were, and are now. to be active in supporting the re-
cruitment and training of pastors and other full-time church work-
ers; and

WHEREAS, One of the objectives of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
sourt Synod is to “recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other pro-
fessional church workers” (ref. 1998 Handbook of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, Constitution, Art. III); and

WHEREAS, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Concordia The-
ological Seminary, Fort Wayne, have programs that provide for tu-
ition costs to be covered for men preparing to serve as pastors in
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention thank the Lord of the church for having answered the
prayers of His people and petition Him to continue to bestow the
gifts of full-time church workers to His church; and be it further

Resolved, That each congregation in general and each pastor in
particular seek to identify, to encourage, and to recruit people
within the church to be full-time workers in the Lord’s harvest
field; and be it further

Resolved, That those pastors in the Idaho Circuit Rider Pro-
gram, Alaska Highway Program, and similar programs throughout
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod who have not had the ben-
efit of a seminary education be enrolled in one of our seminaries
and sent to and supported financially and with the prayers of the
church until they receive their Master of Divinity degree; and be it
further

Resolved, That congregations and individuals be eneouraged to
send offerings to the seminary endowments for the training and ed-
ucation of pastors; and be it finally

Resolved, That congregations and individuals be encouraged to
participate in an adopt-a-student program through our synodical
schools.

Redeemer
Emmett, 1D