Seminary task force begins work

WINNIPEG – The five members of the task force created to provide recommendations to the Board of Directors for cost efficient seminary education met in Winnipeg, Monday, January 19.

Members Rev. Nolan Astley, Howard Famme, Rev. Arron Gust, Rev. Robert Krestick, and Rev. Colin Liske reviewed the resolution adopted by Lutheran Church–Canada’s June 2008 convention and established terms of reference to guide their research, evaluation and recommendations. First Vice-president Nolan Astley is the task force chairman and Rev. Colin Liske will serve as secretary. Advisory member, Professor Todd Sands, joined the meeting by telephone.

While the resolution calls for cost effectiveness, the task force also saw its role as providing a framework for sustainability. “This has to be a long-term solution,” noted Rev. Astley, “so being able to sustain the cost efficiency is critical.”

Before the end of May the task force will undertake extensive consultations with faculty, staff and Boards of Regents of Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries. LCC’s three district conventions this year will also provide opportunities to gain input.

The members also decided that the best way to hear from the church was by receiving formal submissions from congregations, pastors, deacons, and circuit forums. These can be e-mailed to the chairman at bod@lutheranchurch.ca. The task force will only consider submissions sent to the e-mail address or hard copy sent to synod office, 3074 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Y2. The submission deadline is June 1, 2009.

Anyone may participate by posting comments on the task force’s public discussion forum.

The task force also moved forward its deadlines so that processing the information is more immediate and recommendations available well ahead of the 2011 convention deadline.

During joint meetings January 29-30 in Edmonton, the two seminaries’ Boards of Regents and LCC’s Council of Presidents will discuss the future of seminary education. Two members of the task force, Rev. Astley and Rev. Krestick, will attend those meetings as members of the boards and Council of Presidents.

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