Seminary Enrollments Decline; Urgent Need for More Pastors

Through the 1960s, seminary receipts were such that tuition was unnecessary. Contributions to LCMS churches relative to real income are now a little over one-half the late 1960s. But with average real personal incomes about three times the late 1960s, total receipts have exceeded $1.0 billion since the late 1990s. But seminaries lack resources to develop enough pastors to meet needs of LCMS churches. The reasons for this anomaly are many (see below). The premise of this project: If the pervasive unawareness by members of the dire seminary situation is rectified, participation in support of seminaries/seminarians would significantly expand. The requisite information should be presented orally and/or through other means to individuals and groups in many congregations, Members could be encouraged to make direct contributions to the seminaries, starting at low thresholds (e.g $10.00 per month).

Why Synod Reduced Support For Seminarians
Historically, rapid growth of LCMS has been associated with generous provision of resources. Since 1990 some factors affecting Synod’s funding potential have changed.

Some of these are:

• Members’ contribution levels; relative to personal incomes declined by early 1990s and have continued at historically low levels. (See Slide 8)
• Churches are using more receipts for their own operations and some are increasing ministries. (See Slide 9)
• Increasingly, churches are sending mission assistance directly to end-users. (See Slide
  10)
• Synod has received declining portions of church offerings also because Districts have expanded support for ministries in their areas( Regular Synod payments to help seminaries virtually ceased in 2004).
• Synod’s allocations to seminaries have been greatly reduced relative to other categories as a whole. In terms of purchasing power, inflation has compounded the effects of reductions in current dollars. (See Slide 5)

Background Chronology, etc.

1. Seminaries’ enhanced assistance for students’ tuition helped lead to nearly a 40% increase in the seminaries’ combined enrollments from 1999 to 2003.
   
   
2. But both institutions experienced rising operating costs (including tuition support) compared to their current incomes. They drew on financial reserves and deferred some maintenance measures.
   
   
3. In the 4 years (ended in 2007) adjustments were made in conditions of support, including introduction of means-testing ( in 2005-06 for Ft Wayne and 2006-07 for St Louis).
   
   
4. Enrollment of first year students declined about 40% from the peak in 2003 to a level below that at the beginning of enhanced tuition assistance efforts in 1999. Enrollments in (Sept 07) vs. a year earlier: up 10 at Ft Wayne and down 16 at St Louis.
   
   
5. Yearly number of seminary graduates total less than one-half the exodus of pastors.
   
   
6. In the U. S. as of April 2008, 364 churches had calls pending to fill pulpit vacancies; 440 churches with vacancies were not calling.
   
   
7. In the current decade, up to one-third of present pastors will become eligible for retirement. Hence, a still greater future need for seminary graduates.
   
   
8. Annual tuition for 2008-09 will be $21,600 at both seminaries. The maximum support per student at Ft Wayne will be $11,000, 55% of tuition. For St Louis the maximum will be $11,478. In the 2007-08 school year assistance level at both institutions for married students with one child, the maximum benefits as percentages of total costs were in the mid-20s range. Greater assistance is needed to encourage enrollments of more first year candidates and avoid excess debt for graduates.
   
   
9. In its Triennial Convention in 2007 a relevant resolution stipulated:
   
   a) “Continued direct funding of the seminaries by the corporate Synod from its annual budget... ” (Such payments have been 1 to 2 percent of seminaries’ incomes).
   
   b) “ ... the seminaries be made tuition-driven institutions... ” and that The LCMS as a whole assumes primary responsibility for helping with tuition.
   
   
10. Given the timing and other impact uncertainties of the above resolution, it is urgent that more LCMS members join in making direct contributions to seminaries for tuition support. At present each seminary has contact with about 5% of LCMS households. It is of concern that direct gifts restricted for student aid fell noticeably (at St Louis) in the four years ending with 2007.

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

1. Click on the Give Now link.
2. Enter information in the form fields to make a donation.
   
3. Enter planned periodic (or single) amount on Student Aid line.
4. "donation from" line, click box and choose one of three possibilities
5. "Donation Frequency" line, click box and choose one of three possibilities.
6. "Donation start date" , click box and choose one of three possibilities.
7. "Optional Area" enter information if contribution is in honor/memory of someone
8. Enter routing and account number if from checking or savings account; usual data if using credit/debit card.
9. Click "Process donation".

NOTE:
Both seminaries accept on-line payments by Thrivent's "Simply Giving" program which employs a paper application form. Some churches have forms available.

To donate to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, CLICK HERE

Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne

1. On Student Aid line, enter intended total amount for a year or other period.
2. Payment Information: Enter answers on all lines that relate to credit cards.
3. Fulfillment Options: check relevant circle.
4. Additional Information - this is optional.
5. In final frame, Student Aid line, repeat amount in item (1), above.

NOTE:
Both seminaries accept on-line payments by Thrivent's "Simply Giving" program which employs a paper application form. Some churches have forms available.

To donate to Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, CLICK HERE

Supporting Gabriel Messengers, Inc.

1. Enter information in the form fields to make a donation.
   
2. Enter planned periodic (or single) amount on the "Donation" line.
3. "donation from" line, click box and choose one of three possibilities
4. "Donation Frequency" line, click box and choose one of three possibilities.
5. "Donation start date" , click box and choose one of three possibilities.
6. "Optional Area" enter information if contribution is in honor/memory of someone
7. Enter routing and account number if from checking or savings account; usual data if using credit/debit card.
8. Click "Process donation".

To donate to Gabriel Messengers, Inc., CLICK HERE

To enhance member participation, it is desirable that a volunteer (Gabriel Messenger) be identified to take a lead role in presenting the matter to a congregation’s members. In some cases the appropriate person may step forward upon the briefest introduction of the subject. In other situations, it may be essential that the introductions be in some depth. Thus a former officer of the body or, if necessary, a present staff member could call together a group of members for a general discussion of the daunting situation. With discussions of the above 10 points, it is probable interest would build in many minds and a potential candidate would be quickly identifiable.

How Ten Dollars (or more) per Month can Make a Difference

Given the large needs for more pastors some members may ask what can be accomplished with a mere $10.00 per month. But remember, in numbers there can be power! And allow for the likelihood some members will choose to make larger contributions. The tabulation below illustrates what could be achieved with different sets of responses. Since seminaries have contact with only 5% of households at present implies that participation levels can be greatly increased without expecting involvement by members at the lower levels of incomes. Enhanced participation would help expand feelings of oneness with a seminary. Thriving Seminaries are Key to a Growing Denomination!!

Let us join in the effort to increase resources for them. Also share information attesting to the importance of recruiting young men and developing pastors.

The following hypothetical tabulation shows what could be achieved,
 (assuming all units contribute $10.00 per month)

* The maximum support level ($10, 900/per student) for both seminaries in Sept, 2007
** Assuming larger contributions by enough members to give average of $25.00/mo.
*** Assuming 50% matching for 20% of contributors at $10.00 per month.

 Think of other potentials, given there are around 900,000 LCMS households!

Coping with Other Charitable Requests

Some readers may recall from the Awareness Survey results section that potential contributors to seminaries encountered significant alternative requests for charitable support. Unfortunately, the task of identifying worthy charitable institutions has become considerably more difficult since 2004. This reflects consequences of: 1) Increasing number of natural disasters in the United States as well as elsewhere in the world; 2) the growing number of U. S. Military personnel returning with a variety of health and other problems, many of which, for the time being at least, can be assisted only by private resources; and 3) more recently, expanding problems due to more prevalent poverty and food scarcities. The urgency of getting large volume results has led many charitable services to engage professional fund raisers in long-term fixed contracts at much higher-than normal costs relative to program benefits. Americans tend to respond generously to such hardship cases without becoming aware of the distortions in cost structures. This competition, at the margin, can understandably erode support for such suggestions of support as $10.00 per month to seminaries to assist with tuition for seminarians.

The challenge is to encourage potential supporters of seminarians to seek out charitable institutions with a level of efficiency that enables LCMS members to contribute to both causes. To start off, potential supporters of seminarians can be assured that direct contributions to a seminary can be achieved at no transactions cost.

For guidance to identify charitable institutions to channel contributions for assistance in meeting other perceived needs mentioned above, individuals are encouraged to intensively question potential charitable entities’ performances. Except for Pennsylvania, there are no government agencies monitoring/ reporting on institutional performances. Pennsylvania has four investigators and 10,000 Charitable institutions. It is suggested individuals utilize the Charity Rating Guide & Watchdog Report. This document is published tri-annually by the American Institute of Philanthropy (www.charitywatch.org). This report contains performance data on many charitable fund raising institutions covering a large number of subject areas. They also offer suggestions on how potential donors can make meaningful inquiries of charitable fund-raising entities.