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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 246

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

246 HIGHER EDUCATION

the United States and Canada which have not changed presi-
dents since 1969. The other 11 have either received a new
president, are in the process of selecting one, or have an acting
president.

During the past biennium, two retired presidents and one
active president were called to their eternal home. Doctor
Ernest Scaer, retired president of our college at Oakland, died
on Dec. 3, 1971. Doctor William Poehler, who served as president
of our college at St. Paul for 24 years retired from that position
in 1970, and was serving as acting president at Oakland when he
passed away on Dec. 9, 1971. Dr. Paul Elbrecht, president of our
college at Austin, Tex., and former president of the school at
Selma, Ala., died very suddenly in January of 1972. Certainly
the Synod has reason to mourn the loss of these leaders but also
to thank God for the blessings brought to higher education and
the church through these faithful servants.

Changes in Institutions

During the biennium several of the changes planned for
individual institutions were carried out or brought closer to
reality. These are simply listed here, but more detailed descrip-
tions can be found in the reports by the individual institutions
included elsewhere in the Convention Workbook.

Concordia at Bronxville will add the third year of college in
September as the first phase of its expansion into a 4-year col-
lege; the new institution at Irvine, Calif., has selected an acting
executive for its program, and funds are being solicited for
beginning the college: the Milwaukee high school closed in 1973
as it completed its phasing out program; the Oakland college
closed as a synodical institution in 1973; the St. Paul institution
completed phasing out its financial relationship with the com-
munity Lutheran high school in 1972; the Selma high school
achieved state accreditation: the Seward high school closed
in 1972.

One change was made which had not been planned earlier.
Due to the change in the educational system in Brazil the
number of years in the pretheological system has been reduced
from 7 years to 3. Because of declining enrollment and increased
costs, the Board of Directors of the Brazil District recommended,
and the Board for Higher Education concurred, that the regular
student program at Sao Paulo be discontinued in 1973. However,
the excellent facilities are being used for special courses for
evangelists, for retreats, conventions, rallies, pastoral institutes,
and an institute for the preparation of leaders and assistants in
parish work. Serious consideration is being given to relocating
the seminary from Porto Alegre to Sao Paulo.

Changes in Subsidy Patterns

Because of increased costs and the lack of increases in funds
available to the Synod for higher education, the pattern of a
declining percentage of income from synodical subsidy con-
tinued through the past biennium. This was true for all three
categories of income.

As shown in Figure 5, the percentage of the total operating
income (the day by day costs of running the school) which came

FIGURE §
PERCENT OF TOTAL OPERATING INCOME AT LCMS COLLEGES
AND SEMINARIES WHICH CAME FROM SYNODICAL SUBSIDY 1963-1972

YEAR 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1979 rot 1972

from subsidy dropped again in each of the past 2 years and
reached an all time low of 36.6% in 1972. As shown in Figure 6,
the reduction during the biennium was even more severe in the

FIGURE 6
DOLLARS PER STUDENT IN PLANT FUNDS WHICH CAME FROM
SYNODICAL GRANTS OURING EACH OF THE PAST FIVE BIENNIUMS

1963-1964
1965 — °966
1967 - *966
1969-1970

1971-1972

area of synodical grants for plant funds (repairs, minor remodel-
ing, and equipment purchases). Also, an all-time low level was
experienced in the percentage of capital funds (new buildings
and major remodeling) which came from the Synod, as seen in
Figure 7.

FIGURE 7
PERCENT OF CAPITAL INCOME WHICH CAME
FROM THE SYNODICAL GRANTS OURING THE PAST FIVE BIENNIUMS

1963 — 1964

1965 — 1966

1967 ~ 1968

1969 ~ 1970

1971-1972

The overall needs and opportunities in financing our colleges
and seminaries in the future are discussed later in this report.
However, some observations should be made at this point in
relationship to the direct support of the Synod to higher educa-
tion.

The Lutheran Church-— Missouri Synod is still generally
recognized as a leader among all churches in the extent of
financial support which the Synod itself provides for its colleges.
However, the potential danger to ministerial education, if the
trend of declining support is permitted to continue, cannot be
overemphasized. The amount of subsidy must be increased if
the objectives of the Synod are to be fulfilled.

Doctrinal Concerns

The board is aware of the obligations entrusted to it by the
Synod also with respect to doctrinal matters. This biennium in
particular demanded a great deal of attention in very sensitive
matters inasmuch as the assignments of Res. 2-28 of the Mil-
waukee convention were emerging.

The board would not hesitate to give a full accounting to the
Synod in this report written in March if it could do so. It must,
however, of necessity await the outcome of developments that
must still occur between March and the New Orleans conven-
tion. We will stand ready as faithful stewards to discuss matters
with the floor committees.

This board believes that the confession stated in Article II
of the synodical Constitution is accurately expressed in A State-
ment of Scriptural and Confessional Principles sent to the Synod
early in 1972 by President Preus.

Il. APPROACHING THE FUTURE

As pointed out in the preamble of this report the board
considers regular planning to be essential, as contrasted with
“The Plan,” which has proven of little value. For this reason the
board has worked regularly with “planning propositions” or
‘planning theses.’ For the same reason the board has proposed
that a portion ($15,000) of the funds received from the 125th
Anniversary Thankoffering be used for a study on the future of
higher education, bringing together the ideas, evaluations,
and suggestions of experts and others interested and involved in
the synodical colleges and seminaries. This project has been