LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 212

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212 PROGRAM AND FINANCE

train pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers, and
provide opportunity for their continued growth”; and

WueErEAS, The seminaries are important in conserving and pro-
moting the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6); therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2004 synodical convention instruct the
Board of Directors of the LCMS, along with both seminary presi-
dents, to develop a fiscally sound plan of support for both seminar-
ies; and be it further

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the LCMS immedi-
ately implement this plan of financial support.

Salem
Taylorsville, NC

4-19

To Provide Sufficient Financial Support to Seminaries

WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the Synod to provide pastors
for its present and future congregations; and

WHEREAS, the congregations desire that those pastors be
grounded in the Holy Scriptures and firmly rooted in the Lutheran
Confessions; and

WHEREAS, these goals are best met in a traditional seminary en-
vironment, centered on prayer, with a proper integration of biblical
theology and pastoral experience, directly linked with the Lutheran
Church; therefore be it

Resolved, That the addressed convention be memorialized to
provide financial support to the seminaries at Fort Wayne and St.
Louis at a level sufficient to educate a number of pastors as re-
quired by the Synod’s present and future congregations; and be it
further

Resolved, That a Bylaw be initiated to maintain that level as a
set percentage of the Synod’s annual operating budget.

, Angelica

Allen Park, MI

4-20

To Conduct Systemic Study
of Funding Models for Theological Education

WHEREAS, One of the fundamental objectives of constituting
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod was to “recruit and train
pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers and pro-
vide opportunity for their continuing growth” (Art. IID; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod has sought to fulfill this objective by es-
tablishing seminaries and has entrusted to them the responsibility
for education, formation, and certification of those who would be
called into the pastoral office of our church; and

WHEREAS, The Synod has understood the wisdom of providing
support for these seminaries so that their energies may be properly
focused on the preparation of pastors with integrity and a strong
sense of service to the church; and

WHEREAS, the current amount of synodical subsidy provided to
the seminaries has been reduced to approximately one percent of
their annual budgets; and

WHEREAS, This current condition of synodical subsidy is in
striking contrast to the established model of financial support,
which at one time provided that the synodical subsidy made up the
majority of the seminaries’ budgets, later shifting to representing
approximately one-third of the financial needs of the seminaries
(1/3 subsidy, 1/3 tuition, and 1/3 development/third source in-
come); and

WHEREAS, Our seminaries are now virtually 100 percent depen-
dent on development and third source income to cover both the fi-
nancial aid that subsidizes tuition and the loss of the synodical sub-
sidy; and

WHEREAS, The increasing costs of education and of personal
costs in attending seminary has placed a significant financial bur-

den and outstanding debt upon many of our pastors in the past gen-
eration; and

WHEREAS, Our seminaries have responded to these financial
burdens through significantly increased financial aid, now to the
point of seeking to provide full tuition subsidy; and

WHEREAS, Previous conventions have passed resolutions en-
couraging recruitment for the pastoral ministry especially in the
face of an impending and increasing pastoral shortage; and

WHEREAS, Both seminaries have responded to the Synod’s call
with increased attention to recruitment, financial aid, and develop-
ment; and

WHEREAS, These efforts have resulted in an overwhelming re-
sponse to the need for pastoral candidates through record enroll-
ments at our seminaries; and

WHEREAS, The financial aid now needed to support these stu-
dents has placed an unbearable burden upon the financial structures
of our seminaries; and

WHEREAS, The reinstatement of significant student-funded tu-
ition would become a disincentive to student recruitment and have
a negative effect on the ability of the seminaries to continue to meet
the pastoral needs of the church; therefore be it

Resolved, That the proposed Board for Pastoral Education un-
dertake as its immediate first task a systemic study of the funding
models for theological education in our Synod, or, if such a newly
proposed Board for Pastoral Education is not created, that a blue-
ribbon Task Force on Funding Seminary Education be established
by the President of Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That the costs for the work of this task force be
shared equally between the two seminaries and added to their im-
pending operational debt in order to impress upon this committee
and the church-at-large the grave nature, importance, and implica-
tion of their work, and be it further

Resolved, That this committee seek to engage the entire church
for counsel and support in resolving this crisis; and be it further

Resolved, That a plan be put into place within the next trien-
nium; and be it finally

Resolved, That interim funding be secured to guarantee the fi-
nancial solvency of our seminaries until such a systemic plan is im-
plemented and proven successful.

Board of Regents
Concordia Seminary
St. Louis, MO

4-21

To Study Subsidy of Seminaries and Pre-Seminary,
Lutheran Teacher Training Sites

WHEREAS, The LCMS once subsidized Lutheran teacher-train-
ing and pre-seminary programs; and

WHEREAS, Since this subsidy ended, the “Concordias” have had
to lead their own capital-raising campaigns; and

WHEREAS, Such varied campaigns have limited the resources
needed by all of the Concordias’ church-work training programs,
and have also diminished the basic “walking together” tradition of
our Synod; and

WHEREAS, Some programs of support offer better tuition pack-
ages than others; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, direct the Board for
Higher Education to study the possibility of once again subsidiz-
ing the church-work programs of our synodical schools; and be it
further

Resolved, That a report with recommendations be made to the
next synodical convention concerning this matter.

St. John
Hamlin, NY