Directors take first step to streamline seminary education

Acting on a mandate from the 2008 Synodical Convention, Lutheran Church–Canada’s Board of Directors (BOD) began a process which should result in cost-efficient, sustainable seminary education.

During a conference call March 11, the BOD decided to send a draft Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement to the Boards of Regents of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Catharines and Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton under which the two institutions can work together and harmonize their operations.

Among the items addressed by the draft document is a framework for two seminary locations under one president; a single curriculum between the two institutions; a cap on the size of faculty; and a budget cap for both seminaries. The agreement also commits the institutions and synod to exploring further ways of achieving cost-efficiencies.

The Boards of Regents and seminary presidents received the draft document following the conference call. The agreement calls upon the seminary boards to acknowledge their intent to move forward based on the draft document by April 10, 2011. Once the directors have received a notice of intent from the regents, representatives from both institutions and synod will begin discussing the details.

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