Introduction
Without aggressive measures to expand seminary enrollments, pastoral vacancies and LCMS membership declines will become even more pervasive. After highlighting major factors below, a project is outlined to complement & enhance seminary resources and student recruitments.
 
I.  Status Summary
At any given time, up to 7-10% of the 6000 LCMS churches are calling a pastor. In 12 to 18 months, with rotating, ripple effects, 15 to 20 percent of churches can be adversely affected.
This may be contributing to the decline in number of confirmed LCMS members. From 1983 to 2003, there was a drop of 160,000, over one-third of that in the last 5 years (Slide 2).

II. Contributing/Explanatory Factors

•   Resignations of ordained pastors were unusually high from the 1970’s through 2000.(Slide 3) 
•   Enrollment in both seminaries drifted downward during the late 1980s and early `90s, reflecting in part, the phase-down in synod support to offset tuition levels. Regular synod payments to help cover seminaries' operating costs ceased almost entirely in 2004.
•  Assurance of tuition coverage by seminaries, initiated in the late `90s, was accompanied by up to a 40% rise in new student enrollments by the fifth year. By then, however, cash reserves of both seminaries were exhausted. 
•   Changes/uncertainties regarding tuition support, started for ’04-’05, contributed to a one-third decline in new student enrollment in two years ended June 2005.
•   The Triennial Synod Convention in 2004 declared the seminaries to be in financial crisis. $500,000 (2% of budgets) was pledged for support of operating costs for the seminaries the next year.
•   For the two years ended June 30, 2005, current income at both seminaries was below operating  and tuition support requirements.

"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (MT 6,21)
(For more on subjects discussed herein, please see 7-page paper, “Project Seminarian Support II”).

III. Why Synod Ceased Support For Seminaries and Seminarians
Historically, rapid growth of LCMS has been associated with generous provision of resources. ( Slide 4)
Since 1990, some conditions affecting Synod’s funding potential have changed. Among these are

•  Members’ giving levels relative to personal incomes declined in early 1990s and have continued  at historically low levels.(Slide 8)
•  Churches are using more receipts for their operations and ministries.(Slide 9)
•  Increasingly, churches are sending mission assistance directly to recipients. (Slide 10)
•  Synod has received declining portions of church offerings as Districts have expanded support for ministries in their areas.                       
•  Inflation has compounded the effects of recent declines in current dollars on Synod’s purchasing power. (Slide 5)

The foregoing developments thrust LCMS membership into a historically  different role. The need is for broader participation in directly contributing to seminaries to help cover seminarians’ tuition. Remittances also may be made through churches. A distinct advantage of the former is the opportunity for matching by Thrivent. 

 IV. Main Features of the Project
Churches are encouraged to identify Gabriel Messengers, who will suggest prayers during services at intervals and frequently by individuals for seminaries and staffs, present seminarians and youth still awaiting the Lord’s call. 

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. (MT  9,37)  
The role of Messengers is to—   

Equate challenge with Jesus’ quote “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, ‘move from here to there’ it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  (Mt 17,20)