Lenoir-Rhyne University and Southern Seminary Agree to Merge

[loschwitz]

Here is something from the L-RU web concerning religious life on campus.  University pastor is Andrew Weisner.  Apparently there is no chapel on campus, but there is a Lutheran congregation right next door.  The school has a weekly chapel service  BUT..... a daily Eucharist!!!!!

http://ministry.lr.edu/

[Steven Tibbetts]

There is a chapel in Koinonia House, which the L-R map puts right next to the Cromer College Center.  St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, which is about the same distance from K House as the Rudisill Library, appears on the L-R campus map.

spt+

[jpetty]

jpetty writes:
The problem--if it is a problem--is that each one of the existing seminaries has (1) a constituency which supports it, and/or (2) interesting history, and/or (3) a specific reason for being, such as Pacific as the "seminary of the west," or LSTC as the "urban seminary," or Wartburg as the "rural seminary."

I comment:
Hogwash. Seminaries exist for the church today and its needs. If "constituencies" care about the church, they can support changes in their beloved alma mater. "Interesting history" is not lost if a college or seminary were to merge, move, or even close. Philadelphia might contest an LSTC claim to be the "urban seminary" and I'll bet Wartburg sends graduates into urban areas also.
The point is, how best can we educate future clergy and how can we financially support the institutions that do so? Silly "loyalties" or indistinct "labels" on what our schools are won't help.

"Hogwash" in the sense that these are silly reasons for maintaining a seminary; not hogwash in the sense that Pastor Petty accurately describes the REASONS that closures or mergers have not taken place. Are they good reasons? No, but they are influential reasons. My own guess is that the declining revenues of the ELCA will ultimately push it to close some of these schools. Some synods are closing congregations, selling off the property and using the money to keep themselves afloat.

I don't have any good reason for saying this, but I think the ELCA membership will plateau at around 4 mil.  We will be forced to streamline some things, which will be good in the long run probably, but difficult in the short run. 

I think of the UMC, which is organized for about 13 million people, but now serves about 8.  Their administration is still top-heavy, more than it needs for its size.  Even the website reflects the "over-administration" of the UMC.

It's always difficult to "ratchet down," and you could make the argument--some surely will--that eight small seminaries serves the church just as well as 6 slightly bigger ones.

[LTSSeminarian]

It's always difficult to "ratchet down," and you could make the argument--some surely will--that eight small seminaries serves the church just as well as 6 slightly bigger ones.

Correct, some will make that argument, but they will be wrong.  Heading into the recession, many of the eight seminaries were in precarious positions due to debt load and declining enrollment.  Decline in ELCA membership and revenue will eventually level off, but it will likely continue or even quicken over the next few years.  This is not just the effect of CWA '09.  There are lots of things at work.  Look in your own respective synods.  How many congregations are economically viable enough to have a full time pastor?  Will there be more or less of these congregations in the next 10 years?  What is the median age of the members of churches that worship under 100 in your synod? What will be the viability of those congregations in 15 years?  Yes, there are many retiring pastors out there.  But they are leaving fewer viable congregations behind.  The fact is evident.  The ELCA will need fewer pastors than beleived even a few years ago.  Declining demand, rising costs, and decreasing support for the seminaries themselves mean the seminary system within the ELCA will have to change. 

I was not paying attention to such matters when the ELCA was formed, but I imagine part of the justification for leaving all 8 seminaries in place was that our "NEW" church body was going to grow so fast that we would need all eight seminaries. 

Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but consolidation should have happened at the formation of the ELCA.  Yet, lots of things should have happened that never did.  So now the market will come in and force the "correction".

[JMerrell]

One question that jumped out at me is that if LTSS is to become the department of theology of LRU, but remain in SC, then what happens to the existing dept of religion and center for theology at LRU in NC? 

That's a good question, especially since Dr. Larry Yoder, STS, who is the Director of the Center for Theology, is no longer on the ELCA roster.  I don't see a change happening there, instead, I see more LR students pursuing a MAR by attending LTSS.  LTSS does has some trouble recruiting, but by far their best recruitment tool is Lutheridge + Lutherock ministries in Asheville, NC.  In my years at LTSS, there were no less than 30 of us on campus (various classes) that had worked together at Lutheridge.  Lutheridge in turn is aggressively recruiting summer employees from places like LR and Newberry.

[frluther1517]

One question that jumped out at me is that if LTSS is to become the department of theology of LRU, but remain in SC, then what happens to the existing dept of religion and center for theology at LRU in NC?  

That's a good question, especially since Dr. Larry Yoder, STS, who is the Director of the Center for Theology, is no longer on the ELCA roster.  I don't see a change happening there, instead, I see more LR students pursuing a MAR by attending LTSS.  LTSS does has some trouble recruiting, but by far their best recruitment tool is Lutheridge + Lutherock ministries in Asheville, NC.  In my years at LTSS, there were no less than 30 of us on campus (various classes) that had worked together at Lutheridge.  Lutheridge in turn is aggressively recruiting summer employees from places like LR and Newberry.

And here I thought it was that it says "Golf 12 months a year" on the brochures.  That's what sold me.  

[MRoot]

On smaller seminaries: the problem is that in the years since I began seminary teaching in 1980, the overhead costs of any seminary have significantly increased.  A seminary, no matter how small, cannot survive without an IT person, without multiple library staff to deal with the variety of resources one must be able to offer. without someone to handle federal loans, without much greater staff attention to documenting compliance with accreditation standards, and so forth.  These are not optional.  This places a significant squeeze on the finances of all small, stand-alone seminaries, unless they have sizable endowments.

[JMerrell]

One question that jumped out at me is that if LTSS is to become the department of theology of LRU, but remain in SC, then what happens to the existing dept of religion and center for theology at LRU in NC?  

That's a good question, especially since Dr. Larry Yoder, STS, who is the Director of the Center for Theology, is no longer on the ELCA roster.  I don't see a change happening there, instead, I see more LR students pursuing a MAR by attending LTSS.  LTSS does has some trouble recruiting, but by far their best recruitment tool is Lutheridge + Lutherock ministries in Asheville, NC.  In my years at LTSS, there were no less than 30 of us on campus (various classes) that had worked together at Lutheridge.  Lutheridge in turn is aggressively recruiting summer employees from places like LR and Newberry.

And here I thought it was that it says "Golf 12 months a year" on the brochures.  That's what sold me.  

Friday afternoon golf was a plus!  What was it, $10 to walk 18? Then again, smoking some stogies with Dean Root after graduation was by far the best part... 

[MRoot]

You will be glad to know that even in my post-deanship years, I still have my daily cigar.  In the interests of greater propriety, I have, however, quit chewing cigars in class.

[racin_jason]

A position for head of the merged schools has been posted, Provost of the Lenoir-Rhyne School of Theology.

Anyone interested can apply by hitting the link at the bottom:

http://ww2.lr.edu/hr/ft5/opening3.asp?id=3

Lenoir-Rhyne University (LRU) and Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) invite applications and nominations for the position of Provost of the Lenoir-Rhyne School of Theology. Lenoir-Rhyne and Southern Seminary, two institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), anticipate completing a merger into a single institution in the summer of 2012. The expected merger will result in LTSS becoming part of the School of Theology of LRU, the first such affiliation of an ELCA seminary with a college or university.

[Steven Tibbetts]

Lenoir-Rhyne University has announced the appointment of the first Provost for its School of Theology.

After a national search for a new leader, Lenoir-Rhyne University has selected the Rev. Dr. Clayton J. Schmit as the founding Provost of the School of Theology that includes the Columbia, SC, based Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.  He will assume this position as the chief administrative officer of the School of Theology and its seminary before the fall semester 2012. Dr. Schmit becomes the 18th leader of the Seminary and the first under the newly structured LR School of Theology.

The entire news release can be found under the ALPB Forum Online topic, First Provost for Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.

Pax, Steven+

[Keith Falk]

The word is going 'round that Drs. Yeago, Hawkins, and Havens from LTSS have been... laid off?  I'm not sure what the proper terminology is.  The first public "announcement" I have run down is from Dr. Yeago's daughter's FB page.  That is, not necessarily in order, the theology prof, church history prof, and liturgics/worship prof from Southern Seminary. 

I am sure this is just the first shake-up/restructuring and more which will happen as these two institutions merge.  I think it is appropriate to pray for those three professors, especially since Dr. Yeago has been dealing with health issues recently.

[Mel Harris]

The word is going 'round that Drs. Yeago, Hawkins, and Havens from LTSS have been... laid off?

       Of those three, it appears that only Hawkins signed The Columbia Declaration.

       Mel Harris

[DCharlton]

Here is a letter from Marcus J. Miller, President of LTSS, addressing the reduction of the faculty by three.  It is signed by Miller and by William Trexler, LTSS Board Chair.  I believe the board chair is Rev. William Trexler, former bishop of the FB Synod. 

http://www.ltss.edu/public/files/docs/Letter_to_LTSS_Constituents_062512.pdf

[Steven Tibbetts]

No mention in the letter of who the three are.

According to the ipetition here (my emphasis added):

Drs. Havens, Hawkins and Yeago are gifted teachers, faithful Christians and dedicated to the whole church. Their loss represents a fundamental shift in the direction of the Seminary and the theological education it will be able to provide in the future. These three represent the only—or primary—teachers of the Lutheran confessions, worship and theology.

It also notes that that Prof. Luker, Professor of Hebrew Scriptures (arrgh! that's the "Old Testament" for Christians) has been reduced from full- to part-time status

Incidentally, at this moment there are 173 signatures (oops, some repeaters there, make it "about 165") on the ipetition.

Pax, Steven+