ST. LOUIS — With little debate, delegates to the 62nd Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) established separate governing boards for the Synod’s colleges and universities and for its seminaries.
Resolution 5-02A, adopted by a 684-507 vote on Sunday (July 11), creates a new Board for University Education for the Concordia University System, and a new Board for Pastoral Education for the two seminaries.
The resolution was the result of an 18-month study established by the Board for Higher Education/Concordia University System (BHE/CUS) in January 2001. The resolution calls for the two new boards to meet in the same location at least yearly for “collaborative discussions,” and it specifies how many ordained and lay people may serve on the boards.
Rev. Carl Krueger, president of the SELC District and chair of the higher education floor committee, said Resolution 5-02A provides “stewardship of focus” by creating two boards with eight members each. Until now the BHE oversaw colleges and universities and seminaries, with a committee for each of the two types of schools.
With the restructuring, all BHE/CUS board member positions will cease to exist. Current BHE/CUS board members whose terms expire in 2007 will transfer to the new board corresponding to the committee on which the member currently serves.
The resolution also specifies the duties and responsibilities of both new boards.
The resolution was informed by five principles identified by the BHE/CUS board to guide the future of higher education in the Synod. That board said the Concordia University System will work to maintain and enhance the Christ-centered Lutheran character of its institutions, train professional church workers, ensure a strong fiscal future, establish expectations for quality, and institute principles requiring focused accountability and governance of its institutions. The CUS includes 10 colleges and universities.
Posted July 12, 2004
