Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1935 · 36th Convention, Cleveland › Page 82
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1935, Page 82

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

82 Proceedings of Thirty-Sixth Regular Convention,

misunderstood as though our ministeria] students had received a poor pre]
aration for their sacred office in the past. Our colleges and seminaries hay

eager to assist in the Constant improvement of ‘our higher education,

We are agreed that the Christian minister’s main duty will always be th
Preaching of the Word, “in Season and out of season,” and the message of git
and grace mutt never change. Nevertheless it is highly necessary for the
pastor to understand the world in which he lives, so that he can properly apply
the Word of God to the specific needs of his people. We call attention to the
memorial (124) of the Pastoral Conference of Fort Wayne and Vicinity, from
which the following arguments for adjusting our colleges to modern needs and
extending our ministerial education are largely taken. ,

1) Life ig growing increasingly complex, and pastoral problems are be-
coming more complicated. The “industrial revolution” and contributory
factors have wrought tremendous changes in the world-view (Weltanschauung),
particularly during the last generation, and these changes have vitally affected
our people. In his mission-work the pastor of to-day comes into contact with
People of varied historical, cultural,’ and social backgrounds, and this ‘fact
demands great Versatility and a fairly broad cultural training on the part of
the pastor. 7 os

2) The educational level of the American people has been constantly
rising, and the educational standards of other professions (law, medicine,
engineering, education, ete.) have been advanced in the past decades,

3) Members of Our Congregations are attending universities in growing
numbers. An increasingly cultured laity demands greater knowledge and
culture on the part of its pastors,

4) Our ministerial students ought to become better acquainted with large

5) German has Practically become a foreign language at all institutions,
Tequiring much additional time in its study.

C. How to Achieve Such Adjustment and Improvement.

In seeking a solution of our educational problems, your Committee con-
sidered five Possible plans: —

1) To add two years to one or more of our present junior colleges, thus

old-type American four-year college, and to reduce our other institutions to
four-year academies, or high schools;

3) To eliminate the high-schoo] departments in our Present junior colleges
and to add the third and fourth years of the standard college, thus having only
four-year colleges ag synodical institutions ;

4) To establish one central senior college, with the third and fourth years.

of the standard college course, and to retain our junior colleges ag feeders to
this one institution ;