LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 178

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anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What
you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—
practice these things, and the God of peace will be with
you. (Phil. 4:8–9)
For if we want capable and qualified people for both the
civil and spiritual realms, we really must spare no effort,
time, and expense in teaching and educating our children
to serve God and the world. We must not think only of
amassing money and property for them. (LC I 172−73);
and
Whereas, An increasing number of Lutheran schools are
choosing a classical model of education as best suited to carry out
these mandates; and
Whereas, Classical Lutheran education requires teachers who
are richly conversant in Lutheran doctrine and practice, as well as
the languages, literature, and history of Western civilization, as
Luther himself notes, “One knife cuts better than another; so likewise, one that has learned languages and arts can better and more
distinctly teach than another” (Table Talk CXXXVI); and
Whereas, Current teacher education programs offered through
Concordia University System (CUS) institutions do an excellent
job, and have in many instances served as models statewide and
nationwide, in preparing candidates for state certification allowing service in public school settings; and
Whereas, The Synod should commend the teacher training
programs at the CUS institutions that serve the needs of those
preparing to enter the educational profession, whether at public,
private, or parochial institutions; and
Whereas, The Synod should also seek to meet the needs of congregations with classical Lutheran schools desiring Synod‑trained
candidates to avoid having such congregations seek teacher candidates from colleges and universities outside the CUS; and
Whereas, Many preparing to enter the educational profession
may wish to study principles other than or in addition to the methodology required to meet requirements set forth by governmental
or other secular certification agencies; and
Whereas, It is the duty of the Synod to “aid congregations to
develop processes of thorough Christian education and nurture
and to establish agencies of Christian education such as elementary
and secondary schools and to support synodical colleges, universities, and seminaries” (Constitution Art. III); and
Whereas, The Wyoming District in convention, in Res. 3-022015, has memorialized the Synod to establish a program for
training classical Lutheran teachers; and
Whereas, Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor has
created a classical education program intended to prepare students
who wish to teach in schools and academies which have adopted a
classical paradigm for their curricula and principles of pedagogy,
consisting of a Classical Studies Major (giving a solid grounding
in classical learning) and a Classical Pedagogy Minor, which provides training in distinctively classical principles of instruction and
methods of learning; and
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U P O N T H I S R O C K • Resolutions

Whereas, The establishment of these alternative programs
designed to train prospective Lutheran teachers would greatly
strengthen the service of Concordia institutions to the Synod and
help ensure the flourishing of Christian education in the Synod;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention endorse the accredited
classical liberal studies program at Concordia University Chicago,
the classical education program at Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor, and any similar programs at other Concordia
institutions upon approval of such programs by the CUS board of
directors, for the training of classical Lutheran educators as ministers of religion—commissioned within the CUS, including a strong
core of courses in the Scriptures, the Confessions, and the traditional liberal arts, history, literature, and languages of Western
civilization, supplemented by practical pedagogical experience, and
commend such program for study by CUS institutions who may
wish to create similar programs and others interested in classical
education, for an alternate route toward The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS) recognized teacher certification leading
to placement on the roster of the LCMS for ministers of religion—
commissioned; and be it further
Resolved, That by June 1, 2017, the CUS board shall establish
appropriate standards for ensuring that candidates for roster status from these and other similar programs meet all requirements
of Bylaw 2.8.1.
Action: Adopted (4)
(The chair asked for the assembly’s consent to proceed directly to
voting on the resolution. Hearing no objection, the chair called for
the vote and Res. 7-05A was adopted as presented [Yes: 912; No: 39].)

To Assist Our CUS Institutions in Demonstrating
Our Common Confession
RESOLUTION 7-06B
Overture 7-10 (CW, p. 367)
Whereas, 2013 Res. 5-11B restored the prior approval process
for initial appointments to seminary faculties, ensuring that review
of such appointments would occur by Synod officials with significant synodwide responsibility, for the well-being of the Synod; and
Whereas, 2013 Res. 5-05B also restored the prior approval
process for initial appointments of theology faculty at Concordia
University System (CUS) institutions but set forth a process different from that used for seminary faculties; and
Whereas, The prior approval process as amended has been beneficial and has not caused any issues with institutional accreditation
or otherwise; and
Whereas, The boards of regents and presidents of all of our
Concordia institutions have demonstrated their support of the concept of prior approval for theology faculty by their adoption of the
Lutheran Identity Standards (R15; CW, pp. 77–78), which provide
in relevant part that “[as] the LCMS Bylaws indicate, all full-time
“7. University Education”