LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 219

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CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 219

5-18A.

To Recognize the Role of Women
in the Teaching Ministry

Wuereas, Women have served congregations of our Synod
as teachers in Lutheran schools for over 70 years: and

Wuereas, Women have been recruited and trained to
serve as teachers in our schools; and

Wuereas, Women teachers now receive the same training
as men teachers; and

Wuereas. Women teachers in our Lutheran schools are
engaged in the work of the public ministry; therefore be it

Resolved, That women teachers engaged in the work of
public ministrv be recognized as equals of the men teachers;
and be it further

Resolved. That women teachers be included in the term
“teacher” as defined in our synodical Handbook; and be it
finally

Resolved. That there be no differences in teacher status
based simply on sex, relating to calling procedures, tenure,
salary, retirement benefits, membership in Synod, conference
attendance requirements, and other responsibilities and priv-
ileges presently accruing to those who qualify as “teachers”
as defined by Synod.

The following points are also submitted in support of
the foregoing resolution:

1. Women teachers receive the same training as male
teachers receive at our synodical teachers colleges. Both
men and women are awarded Bachelor of Science degrees
and both receive Lutheran teacher diplomas at graduation.

2. Women teachers do the same work as the male teach-
ers and carry on the same type of ministry in the classroom.
Thev are also involved in training church school teachers,
youth work, ministry through music, etc.

3. Women teachers are not eligible to become members
of Synod on the simple basis that they are females. Con-
tinuine this differentiation because of sex will retard the
recruiting of young women needed in the Lutheran teach-
ing ministry. When new teachers arrive at a congregation,
the men are asked to sign the constitution but the females
are not permitted to sign.

4. Our church continues to recruit young women to serve
as teachers but has not made much effort to be strictly
honest in the recruitment of today’s voung women. We feel
that they should be made aware of the inequities based on
sex before they take teacher training, or the inequities
should be removed.

5. The elimination of the inequities based on sex in our
Lutheran church would then make it possible for the term
“teacher,” as defined in the Synod Handbook, to include
both male and female teachers.

6. The “calling” procedure should be standardized for
male and female teachers. At present, men are called and
women are hired. but both do the same work once they are
on duty in the school.

7. The Synod retirement benefits should also be stand-
ardized. Female teachers not only get generally lower sal-
aries than male teachers, they are not able to obtain the
same retirement benefits. We feel that a lifetime spent in
any facet of the Lord’s work should accrue benefits accord -
ing to the salary made and the years worked, and not be
figured on the sex of the individual.

8. Female teachers in the Lutheran church teaching min-
istry should be given the same housing allowance as that
given to male teachers.

9. Less important but also a source of irritation to female
teachers is the fact that mailings from the synodical offices
are not directed to them, only to the male teachers.

10. Female teachers should be encouraged to attend con-
ferences and conventions, rather than discouraged. Any pro-
gram of value to our church through male attendance should
be as valuable through female attendance, particularly in
view of the number of female teachers in our church
schools.

11. Some beautiful resolutions have been passed at pre-

vious conventions, giving lip service to equality of rights
and privileges in both race and sex areas, but the guidelines
sent out from District offices continue to make differential
recommendations according to the sex of the teachers. In
order to continue to attract quality young women for our
teaching ministry, we feel that this and all aforementioned
inequities should be corrected.

Trinity LUTHERAN CHURCH

San Angelo, Tex.

Grady W. Oates, Secretary

C. E. Kasper, Vacancy Pastor

Jack W. Godbold, President

Similar:
5-18B

St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church, Altamont, IIL, Gary Wach-
tel, Chairman: Robert H. Heimgartner, Pastor.

5-18C

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Dallas, Tex., Robert Brunk-
horst, President; Thomas A. Sorensen, Pastor.

5-19

To Receive Women Teachers as Teacher
Members

Wuereas, The church has for more than 70 years actively
recruited and trained women for the teaching ministry of
the church and included them into office; and

Wuereas, The same training, diploma, responsibilities, and
performance of ministry are in effect for women teachers
as are in effect for men teachers; and

Wuereas, The names of women teachers appear in The
Lutheran Annual, an official publication of the Synod; and

Wuereas, The synodical structure presently makes a dis-
tinction among the members of the teaching ministry in that
men teachers are included on the official roster of Synod
and women teachers are not; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
include all synodically trained women teachers, and women
teachers received into the teaching ministry by colloquy, on
the official roster of the Synod (thereby granting advisory
delegate privileges to women teachers of the Synod); and
be it further

Resolved. That the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
encourage its member congregations to bring to an end any
and all discriminatory practices which in any way do not
grant equal status among men and women teachers.

DistRIcT TEACHERS CONFERENCE
CALIFORNIA AND Nevapa DIsTRICT
Janice Alexander, Secretary

5-20

To Give Equal Status to Women Teachers

Wuereas, The Synod and its members have benefited
from the services of women teachers for 70 years, and

Wuereas, Women often have education and skills equal
to and superior to that of men and provide equal services
to Synod’s members; and

Wuereas, The Synod has not recognized the equal service
of women; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod publicly state that women
teachers are engaged in a public ministry equal to that of
male teachers; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod direct that all necessary changes
be made in the synodical Handbook so that women teachers
are explicitly included in the term “teacher”; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Synod direct all its officers, agencies,
and colleges to take whatever steps may be necessary to
remove any differences in tenure, salary, retirement pro-
grams, called status, and other privileges that exist because
of sex in its own employees; and be it further