LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 310

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310 HIGHER EDUCATION

6-07

Concordia Theological Seminary
Springfield, Il.
Board of Control

Members of the Board of Control of Concordia Theological
Seminary are: Mr. Harold M. Olsen, chairman: Rev. Walter
C. Maas. secretary: Mr. Edward J. Werner, Mr. John D. Biese-
meier, Mr. Earl Boucher, Rev. Arthur Kuehnert, and Rev.
Theodore F. Nickel, D. D. The board met at regular bimonthly
intervals with two extra meetings necessitated by exigencies
that arose during the biennium. In addition to its normal super-
vision of personnel, programs, and property, the board spent
much of its time in considering the possibility of inaugurating
a Doctor of Ministry program, in searching out new professors
and staff people, and in upgrading both the development pro-
gram of the school and the academic program. The board and
faculty wish once again to thank God for the privilege of serving
in this mission preparing men for the public ministry of Word
and sacrament.

Statistics

Enrollment

1973—74 school year 377
1974—75 school year . . 409
Placed in Pastoral Office 1973—75

Year Fall Winter Spring Summer Total
1973-74 2 7 54 6 69
1974-75 ss «66 11 88 6 111

Coloquy Placements
1973-74__ 1 — 2 - 3
1974-75 1 5 - 6

The students at the seminary manifest the highest degree of
motivation and commitment to the ministry. About half of the
students came to the seminary from secular campuses, slightly
less than half from Concordia Senior College and other synodical
schools,

Faculty

As of March 1, 1975, the faculty consists of 29 people. During
the biennium a number of changes have taken place. Dr.
Richard Schultz, president of the institution, accepted a call to
Village Lutheran Church, Forked River. N. J., where he is
also to serve as educational consultant to the New Jersey
District.

On May 24, 1974, Dr. Robert Preus, professor at Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis. was issued a call to become president and
accepted. During the biennium a number of professors accepted
calls. Prof. William Meyer left to become a member of the faculty
of Concordia College, Austin, Tex. Prof. Dennis Schlecht ac-
cepted a call to Grace Church, Modesto, Calif. Rev. Jon Diefen-
thaler accepted a call to Bethany Church, Waynesboro, Va.
Prof. John Fritz left to become pastor of Christ Memorial
Church, Houston, Tex. Prof. Lorman Petersen accepted a call
to Faith Church, Appleton, Wis. Prof. John Johnson accepted
a call to St. Lorenz Church, Frankenmuth, Mich. Two men have
accepted calls to fill these vacancies. Prof. William Houser
is now on campus helping in vicarage supervision and in teach-
ing courses in the practical department. Prof. Alvin Schmidt
has accepted a call to teach in the practical department in the
areas of church and society, ethics, urban society, church and
world society, and related courses. Rev. Robert Rowland has
been engaged to assist the faculty in the creation and use of
media instructional materials. Calls at the present time have
been extended to five more competent scholars to fill out some
of the vacancies that have occurred during the past several
years. Dr. Clarence Spiegel has become professor emeritus but
is still teaching symbolics, and Dr. Fred Kramer, who is on
modified service, is still teaching a two-thirds load in Syste-
matic Theology. Prof. Roy Suelflow from Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis, is presently engaged as guest lecturer in historical
theology. A team-taught course is being offered on the subject
“Know Your Synod” by leading officials and leaders in our
Synod. Another team-taught course is being offered by staff

people from synodical headquarters in evangelism. Seven
professors are engaged in postgraduate and doctoral work. Six
study leaves have been granted professors during the past
biennium, and two sabbatical leaves have been given professors.
Aid in helping these professors carry out their advanced work
has been generously forthcoming from the Aid Association for
Lutherans.

Academic Program

A broad curriculum has been offered not only during the
three quarters of the usual academic year but also in the summer
session throughout the biennium. Increasingly students are
graduating from the seminary at times other than the end of the
spring quarter, thus providing our Synod with pastors through-
out the year and increasing the efficiency of our academic pro-
gram. Despite the loss of several veteran professors during the
1974—75 academic year, the curriculum was held to and even
broadened during that time with the help of several staff people
and guest lecturers. Practically all of the students now receive
the M. Div. degree, except a very slight percentage who came
without the B. A., B.S., or other university or college degrees.

An excellent crash course in Greek is offered to all students
who come without that prerequisite and are candidates for the
ministry with the competence and enthusiasm for preaching
and teaching on the basis of the original text. A new track
offering Old Testament exegesis on the basis of the original
Hebrew language, which is competently taught at our seminary,
is now inaugurated and is very successful. We expect to have
at least half our students follow this track before long. Alumni
are able to receive M. Div. degrees on completion of additional
studies here or at extension centers. Extension courses have
been taught at St. Paul, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor, Fort Wayne,
Selma, Austin, Los Angeles, and Edmonton.

Extensive research work has been done by the academic
dean and other staff people toward initiating a Doctor of Minis-
try program. A visit by representatives of the Association of
Theological Schools will take place soon, and it appears that
there will be a program available by the fall quarter of 1975.
The D. Min. is a new degree within the higher educational
structure of the Synod. It is designed primarily for pastors in
service who wish to take a leave of absence and study courses
and engage in workshops intended to improve their position as
pastor, administrator, Seelsorger. and evangelist. Pastors in
the immediate area, of course, can take courses on a more
casual basis. At the present time, the concentration of this pro-
gram will be on evangelism, church growth, missions, adminis-
tration, and homiletics, areas where our faculty already has
strength. In special cases recent graduates of our seminary may
enter the program, but it is usually designed for those who have
been in the ministry for at least 3 years. It is hoped that this
program will complement the graduate school already operative
at our sister school in St. Louis.

Two graduates of our seminary will be called as staff persons
on a 2-year contract, one to carry out recruitment work. the
other to assist in seminary development.

The Board for Higher Education has asked both seminaries
in our church to concentrate more on evangelism and even to
require courses in that area of study and work. Concordia
Theological Seminary tends to comply with this request by
offering new and exciting courses and workshops in evange-
lism. Four different courses in this vital aspect of the church's
work will be offered next year. Prof. William Houser will be
asked to develop the entire field of study, along with Prof. Otto
Hintze. who as professor in missions has been teaching in this
area for several years.

The seminary also intends to call a man qualified in Hispanic
studies to teach courses in Spanish and Hispanic studies and
other practical courses for seminarians desiring to go into that
vital ministry. It is the hope that, after completing 2 years of
concentration in that area of work and special Spanish-language
training, students will be able to vicar in a Spanish-speaking or
bilingual situation and then finish their work, probably on an-
other campus closer to large concentrations of Spanish-speaking
people and university training Hispanic studies. The seminary
recognizes the urgency of this program at just this time.

Schulz Memorial Library

The library’s book collection has now reached 75,000 vol-