Seminaries respond to task force report

by James Morgan

Acting-president Dr. Tom Winger (Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Catharines, Ont.) and President Dr. Manfred Zeuch (Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton) in consultation with seminary faculty members prepared responses to the task force report.

To shine further light on the current discussions across synod regarding the report from the Board of Directors’ Task force on Cost-efficient and Sustainable Seminary Education, Lutheran Church–Canada’s Board of Directors (BOD) has posted the responses  it received from LCC’s two seminaries.  

The BOD received the responses in late December and will consider these and others received from interested parties during a conference call scheduled for February 15. The cut-off date for written submissions is February 10. (READ MORE)  

Both Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (CLTS) in St. Catharines, and Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS) in Edmonton have common concerns about the report.  

The CLS response, signed by Dr. Edward Kettner, academic dean, on behalf of President Dr. Manfred Zeuch and the faculty, focuses on three areas. The first, headed biases and inaccuracies, states the report portrays both CLS and CLTS in an equal level of financial crises, when in fact 90 percent of the combined deficit for the two institutions in 2008 was held by CLTS.  

In addressing the second area of concern, pastoral formation, CLS believes the report focuses too much on course delivery and not enough on issues surrounding the formation of pastors, such as character development, and pastoral skills it believes can only come from extensive interpersonal contact.  

The third area of concern for CLS, under the heading practical implications, deals with the feasibility of implementing the report’s recommendations, particularly in the area of faculty teaching load, finances regarding a real cost analysis of the proposed program, and accreditation.  

The concerns expressed by CLTS, in the response signed on behalf of its faculty by Acting President Dr. Thomas Winger, echo many of those stated by CLS. The St. Catharines seminary believes certain statistics regarding enrollment, staffing levels, and teaching loads are misrepresented or under-represented.  

Beyond this, CLTS responds to each of the report’s nine main points by applauding Lutheran Church–Canada’s support for seminary training while, agreeing with the resolution of the 2008 convention, stating the Synod is “unable to materially increase its financial support for two operating seminaries.” However, CLTS believes any synodical support needs to be quantified with more concrete proposals to sustain the seminaries financially.  

CLTS appreciates LCC’s commitment to maintaining seminary education both in St. Catharines and Edmonton, but believes the proposal to merge the corporate structure and administration has both positive and negative features and simply referring to both facilities by the same name would be easier than a formal merger.  

With regard to fund raising, CLTS wants to ensure regional sensitivities are respected. It also suggests that budgeting takes place in a way that serves both locations fairly, and agrees there is a need for more cooperation with strategic planning and curriculum. However, CLTS says the report does not adequately discuss the potential costs of a merger and how a joint Board of Regents would reduce fiscal problems.  

There are also concerns about how a proposal to have one president for both locations would work. CLTS says the plan to reduce faculty by 50 percent at each facility and to have one president serving both locations would compromise pastoral formation and education.  

Following an initial discussion in early January, the Board of Directors asked the task force to provide some additional information which would address board concerns similar to those expressed by the seminaries. (READ MORE)  

To read the responses from each seminary, go to: www.lutheranchurchcanada.ca/executive  .

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