LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 300

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300 HIGHER EDUCATION

tential Lutheran church unity by 1980 will have some influence
on the kind of educational offerings at Edmonton. These offer-
ings need to fully take into account the availability of other
Lutheran colleges in this part of Canada currently affiliated with
the other church bodies.

The Task Force is very much aware that the proposed
change from institutional subsidy to student tuition support
will drastically affect Concordia, Edmonton. In light of the
educational objectives of training pastors, teachers, and other
church ministries the Task Force does not believe that Concor-
dia, Edmonton, should be treated as an exception to the support
policy. It is primarily for this reason that the Task Force has
reached its conclusions.

The Task Force Recommends

Gl. That the Board for Higher Education work with the
Boards of Directors of the Alberta and British Columbia and the
Manitoba and Saskatchewan Districts and the Board of Control
of Concordia, Edmonton, to immediately determine the future
of the school:

G2. That plans be developed for Canadian support to main-
tain Concordia, Edmonton, as a synodical school or to develop
other appropriate uses for the facilities:

G3. That plans for Canadian su port or other appropriate
uses of the facilities at Concordia, Edmonton, be reported to the
respective Canadian Districts for resolution at the 1976 conven-
tion: and

G4. That final resolutions be brought to the 1977 synodical
convention for appropriate action.

H. Seminary Requirements

As indicated in the discussion on Concordia Senior College
it is evident that The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod’s
ability to attract a sufficient number of students for the pastoral
ministry has been directly related to the supply of young men
coming through the traditional “preferred route’ from the
Junior colleges and later through the Concordia Senior College,
Fort Wayne. In recent years the supply of young men in the
preferred track has dwindled, and young men who have pur-
sued their educational objectives at nonsynodical! institutions
have been recruited for the seminary in increasing numbers.
It is painfully obvious that insufficient numbers of young men
are following the traditional “preferred route,” but the semi-
naries have found it possible to recruit non-pre-ministerial
students from the synodical colleges and students who have
attended colleges in other settings to provide a reasonable
supply of pastors to meet most needs.

It should not be assumed that the current situation is a new
experience for The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, because
throughout its history fairly large numbers of young men have
entered the pastoral ministry from nonsynodical preministerial
backgrounds and have served the church in an exceptional
manner. The Task Force is convinced, however, that there is
great strength to be found in maintaining a “preferred route”
for a significant number of young men entering the pastoral
ministry. At the same time the Task Force recognizes that
qualified young men must be recruited from other educational
backgrounds to provide for the church's future needs.

In reviewing the future requirements for pastors it appears
possible that a sufficient number could be educated in one
location. However, it is doubtful that a sufficiently diversified
program could be developed at one location to provide for a
variety of student backgrounds and needs or for the variety of
congregational needs. Additionally, it is questionable whether
a single seminary with an enrollment in excess of 1,000 on-
campus students would provide an ideal educational setting for
seminary students.

The Task Force Recommends

H-Al. That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod has a
continuing need for more than one seminary:

H-A2. That the operation of more than one seminary can
best be accomplished in separate facilities and at separate
geographic locations:

H-A3. That the Board for Higher Education assist the semi-
naries to plan curricula that provide distinctive and unique
programs in pastoral ministry at each location, so that unneces-
sary duplication of personnel and physical resources is avoided:

H-A4. That at the present time the offering of advanced
degree programs be offered only through the St. Louis semi-
nary: and

H-A5. That every effort be made to provide for the appro-
priate sharing of personnel and other resources, so that the
seminary facilities of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod
serve the greatest possible constituency at the least possible
expense to the participants.

Concordia Theological Se minary

The formal beginning of what is now Concordia Theological
Seminary, Springfield, IIl., started in 1846 in Fort Wayne, Ind.
More than one million German-speaking immigrants came to
America in the 1840s and 1850s. The main concern of these
immigrants was survival. The need for training young men for
pastors was soon evident. The need was of an immediate nature,
and lengthy seminary training was impractical. From Fort
Wayne, Ind., this practical seminary was transferred to St. Louis
as an economy move and largely for economy reasons was finally
established at Springfield, III., in 1875 to fulfill the practical needs
of supplying men for parish work among a rapidly growing immi-
grant population. Though this was extremely vital to the growing
church, at least a majority of the young Synod felt that a learned
clergy who had the advantage of being able to read the original
text of the Bible was vital to the church’s future.

Throughout the history of the Springfield operation it is
evident that the needs of the practical seminary frequently
were not given a high priority. Several attempts have been
made to terminate its programs or to transfer the operation
elsewhere. The strengthened academic standards developed
during the early 1960s and the need for recognition of the
graduates having received a quality academic education have
altered the status and financial support of the practical seminary
in a very positive manner. During the past 100 years Springfield
has survived rather difficult obstacles and attempts to close the
seminary. In spite of this, Springfield has proved its ability to
perform a vital service for the Synod.

As a part of its total recommendations the Task Force feels
that the Synod would be well served by reasonably equal
facilities and financial support for the seminary programs. A
variety of servants are needed to serve a diversity of congrega-
tions and ministries. Education for this variety dictates that
quality offerings be made available to meet these needs. The
expense of improving the Springfield facilities to provide for
the future will not overcome the other concerns attendant to
that location. The facilities at Fort Wayne were originally
developed to serve the Synod for the education of future pastors.
The Task Force feels that, although some remodeling and
adjustments are necessary, it would be prudent to utilize all
the resources involved at that location as an appropriate setting
for the Springfield seminary and for other uses of benefit to
pastors and congregations in that region.

The Task Force Recommends

H-B2. That the best use of synodical resources requires that
the facilities at Fort Wayne, Ind., be utilized for seminary
education by Concordia Theological Seminary:

H-B2. That the Board for Higher Education be directed to
transfer Concordia Theological Seminary to Fort Wayne,
Ind., by Sept. 1, 1976:

H-B3. That the Board for Higher Education and the seminary
Board of Control explore the potential of locating various prac-
tical special ministry programs at the Fort Wayne facilities: and

H-B5. That the proceeds from the disposition of the Spring-
field property be used to offset any costs involved in (1) the trans-
fer of appropriate resources of the seminary, (2) the transfer
of appropriate resources of the preministerial program at Fort
Wayne, and (3) for any necessary remodeling of facilities to
accommodate these purposes. Any remaining proceeds shall be
set aside as an endowment for needy students attending a
synodical seminary program.

The Needs for Seminary Training in Canada

The report of the Committee on Colloquies to the 1971
convention indicated that a problem of obtaining a sufficient
number of candidates for Canadian parishes through training
in the United States-oriented seminaries has always existed.
Recruitment of students from Canadian universities has been