LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 301

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

HIGHER EDUCATION 301

difficult unless Canadian seminary training was open to them.
Courses of study in the United States seminaries are by neces-
sity oriented toward a United States ministry. Candidates
trained for ministry in Canada are best served by Canadian-
oriented theological training. For those and other reasons
the Colloquy Committee explored the possibility of devising
a way in which Canadian students could receive theological
training in a Canadian seminary under Missouri Synod supervi-
sion.

Through the initiative of the Colloquy Committee a meeting
at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon, was held Nov.
12, 1970. During this meeting a plan for making theological
training possible at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon,
for Missouri Synod students was developed. At the 1971 con-
vention authorization was given for the establishment of a
theological chair on the faculty of Lutheran Theological Semi-
nary, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada (jointly operated by the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada and the Lutheran
Church in America, Canada Section). The 1973 convention was
asked to restudy the cooperative seminary arrangement with
Lutheran Theological Seminary. No action was finalized, how-
ever, but was referred under omnibus resolution to the Board
of Directors.

The Ontario District Board of Directors established a three-
man task force to determine how soon a house of studies or a
branch seminary could be established in Ontario for the training
of Canadian men for ministry in Canada. The study gave con-
sideration to the needs for seminary training in Canada, Cana-
dian geography, Lutheran church in Canada history, placement
of candidates, the potential of an Eastern Canada seminary
extension center, and a site recommendation.

Canadian population projections suggest a population of 35
million by the year 2001, of which some 32 percent, nearly
doubling to 14.7 million, will reside within the province of
Ontario, which represents slightly less than 11 percent of the
land area. The four western provinces are projected to increase
from 5.7 million to 9.6 million people on some 29 percent of the
total land area.

The three major Lutheran segments in Canada are relatively
equal in communicant membership but are rather unevenly
distributed throughout the various regions. The Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Canada (ALC-related) has a communicant
membership of 53,000 with 309 of its 320 congregations and 97
percent of its membership in the western provinces. The Lu-
theran Church in America, Canada Section, with a communcant
membership of 82,000, has nearly half of its 325 congregations
and 58 percent of its membership in Ontario, and 135 congrega-
tions and 33 percent of the membership in the western prov-
inces. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, with 66,000
communicants, has 133 of its 369 congregations and 45 percent
of its membership located in Ontario and 229 congregations and
54 percent of the members in the western provinces. The other
Canadian Lutheran churches have long provided for training
of Canadian pastors in Canada. With the predominant strength
in western Canada, the ALC located its seminary in the West
at Saskatoon, Sask.: the LCA, with broad representation in both
eastern and western Canada, established seminaries at Water-
loo, Ont., and Saskatoon, Sask. The two western seminaries
were merged into the jointly operated Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Saskatoon.

Placement of Missouri Synod pastoral candidates from the
United States seminaries and the subsequent retention rate in
Canada indicate a real need for concern of the effectiveness of
the process. Of a total of 215 candidates placed from 1953 to
1967, 147 were U.S. citizens, of whom 34 are still serving in
Canada as of 1974. Of the 68 Canadian candidates placed, 54
are still serving in Canada in 1974. It is interesting that western
Canadians placed in western Canada during that period totaled
36 with 28 still serving in the West in 1974. Eight western Cana-
dians were placed in eastern Canada with six still serving there.
Of the 12 eastern Canadians placed in the East, 7 are still serving,
but of 12 eastern Canadians placed in the West, only two are
still serving in the West. It is significant to note that U.S. candi-
dates originally placed in Canada do not serve for any great
length of time but that Canadian candidates do remain active
in Canada. The divergence of background between eastern and
western Canada is reflected in the tendency of the eastern
residents placed in the West to return to the area from which
they originated. The same situation exists in reviewing the

enrollment at Concordia College, Edmonton, where we find
that few students from eastern Canada have ever participated
in the educational program.

Canada has historically had a difficult time providing suffi-
cient workers to satisfy its needs. Consequently Canada has
been subsidized with pastoral candidates since work first was
started. Presently nearly half of the ordained clergy in Ontario
alone are not native born. Nonnative Canadians are experienc-
ing increasing difficulty in entering Canada, and historically a
high percentage have not remained for sufficient periods of
time to adapt to the Canadian scene. The size of Canada in
relation to population presents a number of difficulties. In a land
6,000 square miles larger than the United States, a population
of 22 million people resides. The vast majority of this population
lives within 100 miles of the United States border, but 75 percent
live south of the northern United States boundary from Lake of
the Woods to the Pacific Ocean.

People from the Ontario District feel rather strongly that The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is too evenly divided geo-
graphically to consider one seminary as being capable of serving
both regions of the country. They feel that the tremendous
development in the population growth expected in eastern
Canada requires primary attention as it forecasts a tremendous
growth potential for the church. Also, the generally positive
feeling on potential Lutheran unity that exists in western
Canada is not as noticeably present in the East.

In western Canada LCMS officials are reasonably satisfied
with the present arrangements at the Saskatoon seminary and
are supportive of increased efforts to strengthen LCMS partici-
pation. At the same time there is concern that since unity of
the Lutheran bodies has not taken place there is a need to recog-
nize that some pastors and congregations object to having LCMS
students trained largely by non-LCMS staff. The officials of Lu-
theran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon, are willing to make
whatever appropriate adjustments are necessary to accommo-
date LCMS concerns.

It is obvious that seminary education in Canada presents a
number of unique situations. The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod needs to relate to the special circumstances of the Cana-
dian people. The geography of Canada creates barriers not
evident in the United States. The thousand plus miles of virtually
unsettled forested area between the population centers of
Ontario and the farm land of the plains does not lend itself
to a nation speaking with one voice. The political realities,
the cultural, educational and traditional differences of this vast
nation add to the difficulties of seminary education for LCMS
members. In addition strong feelings of nationalism have
developed into a number of legal restrictions that make it nearly
impossible for Canadians to study at the United States semi-
naries. The present situation demands immediate attention, but
it also demands that the seminary programs in Canada be
synodical, so that Missouri Synod congregations are served, be
acceptable to Canadians, be viable for prospective students,
and be flexible, so that future developments concerning po-
tential merger of Lutheranism at least in western Canada can
be adequately accommodated.

The Task Force received voluminous correspondence from
Canadians and also had a number of personal appearances of
concerned Canadian individuals on the various points of view
regarding questions of seminary education in Canada.

The Task Force Recommends

H-Cl. That separate points for seminary education be estab-
lished in eastern and western Canada:

H-C2. That for western Canada a seminary program be de-
veloped in conjunction with Lutheran Theological Seminary,
Saskatoon:

H-C3. That for eastern Canada a seminary extension pro-
gram be established at St. Catharines as recommended by the
Ontario District task force:

H-C4. That the Board for Higher Education through the
administration of Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield
(Fort Wayne), establish appropriate synodical programs of
studies, staff, and financial support at the above locations to
insure certification for Missouri Synod graduates: and

H-C5. That financial support for Canadian seminary educa-

tion be the mutual responsibility of the various Canadian
Districts and the Board for Higher Education.