LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 255

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HIGHER EDUCATION 255

was inaugurated several years ago and has grown in strength
through the cooperation of seminarians, pastor-supervisors,
and their congregations.

For a number of years the seminary clinic has been
housed in an area originally constructed as a dormitory.
Through gifts from interested lay people it was possible to
renovate and modernize the area to make it more suitable
for care of both ambulatory and bed patients. The clinic is
now known as the Schoknecht Health Center.

VI. Accreditation

The Board of Control reported to the 1971 Milwaukee
Convention its concerns about possible problems with its
accreditation by the American Association of Theological
Schools resulting from the investigation of the seminary
faculty. In March 1972 an examining team of the AATS'
Commission on Accrediting conducted a 2-day inspection
cf the seminary. On June 2, 1972, the AATS Commission on
Accrediting resolved to place the seminary’s accreditation
on a 2-year probation.

Three reasons were given by the Commission on Ac-
crediting for the action: (1) Adequate authority of the
Board of Control of Concordia Seminary is not guaranteed
by ecclesiastical structures of The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod for the seminary to carry on its educational
function as a graduate professional school of theology: (2)
The freedom of faculty to teach and publish research is cir-
cumscribed in ways not defined in the terms of a contract
of employment; and, (3) Attention of students, faculty, and
administration is unduly diverted to matters unrelated to
education for ministry.

The Commission on Accrediting notified the seminary that
it had until June 1, 1974, to comply with the following re-
quirements or suffer the loss of accreditation: (1) that the
Board of Control of the Seminary has both in legal struc-
ture and in practice the determination of policy and the
responsibility for the operation of the seminary: (2) that
there is adequate procedural protection of the academic
freedom of facultv in the confessional context of The Lu-
theran Church — Missouri Synod: and (3) that the life and
work of Concordia Seminary is carried on under conditions
that are conducive to education for ministry.

Accreditation has proven to be an effective means of
identifying and achieving high professional standards. Its
loss would impose academic penalties on graduates who con-
tinue their studies in specialized areas or ministries. Loss
of accreditation would have serious consequences also for the
School for Graduate Studies. Contacts with potential stu-
dents in this country and abroad indicate that students will
not be attracted to a nonaccredited school both because of
added difficulty in obtaining scholarships and because of the
questionable nature of the advanced degree.

The President of the Synod has appointed a special com-
mittee to make recommendations on the accreditation issue.
Since the Board of Control has not yet seen the special
committee's report, it respectfully urges the convention to
take the necessary steps to insure continuing accreditation
for the seminary and to avoid the problem which loss of
accreditation would pose for the seminary.

BoarD OF CONTROL

George A. Loose, Chairman
John H. Tietjen, Executive Officer

6-05

Concordia Theological Seminary
Springfield, Tl.
Board of Control

Members of the Board of Control: Dr. Martin Wessler.
Chairman: Mr. Harold Olsen, Secretary; Rev. Rudolph Haak:
Dr. Theodore F. Nickel: Dr. Milton Nauss: Mr. Earl Boucher:
Mr. John Biesemeier. The Board met in alternate months
except in the summer. During the biennium the Board
spent much time in reviewing its responsibilities and pro-
cedures, in addition to normal supervision of personnel, pro-
grams and property.

Statistics

Enrollment
Oct. 1, 1971—72 school vear 406
Oct. 1, 1972—73 school vear 399

Placed in Pastoral Office 1971—73

Year Fail Winter Spring Summer Total
1971—72 _... - 1 1 58 22 82
1972—73 ___... 4 1 82* 6* 93

* Spring and summer graduates not yet actually placed at writ-
ing of this paper.

Colloquy Placements

Year Fall Winter Spring Summer Total
1971—72 _ —. oO 0 1 2 3
1972—73 _.sO0 0 3* 2* 5

*Scheduled to complete program but not yet placed.

Faculty

The faculty as of March 1, 1973. consists of 35 people.
A number of changes have occurred during the biennium.
Dr. Erich Heintzen and Dr. Martin Naumann both died very
suddenly, leaving serious vacancies on the staff. Dr. Milton
Sernett and Rev. Jon Diefenthaler were added to the staff.
Dr. Fred Precht rejoined the faculty as Director of Develop-
ment, supervising recruitment, public relations, and fund
raising. Prof. Raymond Martens left our faculty to become
the new president of Concordia College in Austin. Mr.
James Cross and Dr. Martin Franzmann have served as vis-
iting professors and Rev. Orlin Anderson serves as part-time
instructor in ministry to the deaf. The Board is presently
engaged in adding two men to the faculty. Dr. Clarence
Spiegel will soon become a professor emeritus after 35 years
as a faculty member. and Dr. Fred Kramer will be on re-
tired status in July 1973. Professor Aho received his doc-
toral degree and six others are in various stages of doctoral
programs. At least one faculty person each year is granted
a sabbatical leave for study, and study leaves are granted
as required. The Aid Association for Lutherans Faculty
Fellowship Program has been of immense help in financing
faculty development.

Academics and Program

The present graduating class is the first to complete the
revised curriculum and will be the first to receive the Mas-
ter of Divinity degree. Many alumni have responded to the
opportunity to add the M. Div. degree to their B.D. by com-
pleting 6 hours of study. It is gratifving to see so many
pastors becoming involved in continuing professional edu-
cation. To assist that process we offer several courses in
two summer terms and offer the Parish Pastor's Study Pro-
gram. In addition we offer summer courses for credit at
St.Paul, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor, Fort Wayne, Selma, Ed-
monton and cooperate in the St. Louis extension in Los An-
geles.

Along with normal curricular adjustment, three major
developments occupy our attention: greater involvement in
continuing education for clergy. cautious development of
a Doctor of Ministry professional degree, and development
of greater opportunities for Clinical Pastoral Education,
hopefully in our own city.

A stronger emphasis on evangelism and missions has re-
sulted in the establishment of the position of Mission Educa-
tion Director. As a result of grants from the AAL our stu-
dents have been involved with students from the St. Louis
seminary in off-campus evangelism clinics. The seminary
family is furnishing total support of one year’s training on
our campus for Philippine Pastor Thomas Batong. Other
extra-cultural mission emphases include special training for
a former Cuban national to work in the New York-New
Jersey area, a leave and grant for an American Indian stu-
dent to study on the field directions for Lutheran evangelism
to his people. and continued investigation of possibilities for
a Hispanic-American branch of our two seminaries in Aus-
tin. In the current school year we will place four outstand-
ing Black candidates into the ministry.