1 00:00:06,900 --> 00:00:09,800 Hello and welcome to Mission Works. 2 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,500 Thanks to donors. 3 00:00:11,500 --> 00:00:13,200 I'm Dale Meyer. 4 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:20,300 Here is great news. After a 15-year downward trend enrollment in 5 00:00:20,300 --> 00:00:25,300 Concordia Seminary Master of Divinity program is growing. First-year 6 00:00:25,300 --> 00:00:26,500 enrollment in the MDiv 7 00:00:26,500 --> 00:00:30,800 program is up more than 50% over last year. 8 00:00:32,100 --> 00:00:33,600 Let me share some background. 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,500 The Master of Divinity program is the traditional route to becoming a 10 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:38,700 pastor. 11 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:40,400 That's true 12 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,900 not only in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, but also in most of 13 00:00:43,900 --> 00:00:48,000 the 270 seminaries of the Association of Theological Schools. 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:53,000 The ATS is one of our seminaries accrediting agencies. 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:54,400 And without any doubt 16 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,400 the ATS is the best source of information about trends in theological 17 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,500 education in North America. 18 00:01:01,500 --> 00:01:06,600 Now for years MDiv enrollments have been in decline throughout ATS 19 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:07,100 schools. 20 00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:13,200 We know the reasons but here I want a report that the Seminary 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,800 responded. Several years ago 22 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,800 we began to alert the church about the pressing need for pastors. 23 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:25,100 We added new positions and personnel and because of your generosity, 24 00:01:25,100 --> 00:01:32,100 we provide financial aid at least equal to 100% of 25 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:32,700 tuition. 26 00:01:33,700 --> 00:01:39,100 This year we have 201 students in the Master of Divinity program, 65 27 00:01:39,100 --> 00:01:40,500 are first-year students. 28 00:01:40,500 --> 00:01:43,100 Thanks to you our donors. 29 00:01:43,100 --> 00:01:48,500 Thanks to our Lord for raising up new servant leaders and thanks to 30 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:52,800 pastors and people who are encouraging young people to consider 31 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,300 careers in church work. 32 00:01:56,700 --> 00:02:02,700 Jesus says the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 33 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,100 Concordia Seminary also has five other routes that lead to ordained 34 00:02:09,100 --> 00:02:14,100 Ministry. LCMS conventions over the years directed us to put these 35 00:02:14,100 --> 00:02:15,200 programs in place. 36 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:20,000 These are the center for Hispanic Studies, the Ethnic Immigrant 37 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,900 Institute of Theology, the Specific Ministry Program, the residential 38 00:02:24,900 --> 00:02:30,300 Alternate Route Program and the SMP to General Pastor certification 39 00:02:30,300 --> 00:02:30,800 program. 40 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:38,100 These five specialized programs have 180 students. For more information 41 00:02:38,100 --> 00:02:46,600 about all our programs visit our website csl.edu and our Deaconess 42 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:47,800 program is growing. 43 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,600 We have a total of twenty-three Deaconess students. Next spring we'll 44 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,200 add online Deaconess instruction. 45 00:02:55,900 --> 00:03:00,400 And while I'm giving numbers, we now have 209 students in advanced 46 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:01,700 studies programs. 47 00:03:01,700 --> 00:03:09,500 Tally it all up and Concordia Seminary has 628 students. That makes your 48 00:03:09,500 --> 00:03:13,000 Seminary one of the largest in North America. 49 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,400 And with your support the Seminary is working toward the goal of 50 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:22,900 increasing enrollment 10% every year until we reach optimal 51 00:03:22,900 --> 00:03:23,900 enrollment. 52 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:30,900 But it's less about numbers and it is much more about telling people 53 00:03:30,900 --> 00:03:32,500 about the faith, 54 00:03:32,500 --> 00:03:35,300 hope and love that Jesus brings us. 55 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,400 In a survey of incoming MDiv students they point your Seminary's 56 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,900 world-class reputation for excellence in theological education. 57 00:03:44,900 --> 00:03:50,500 Formation that is faithful to the scriptures and Lutheran confessions 58 00:03:50,500 --> 00:03:56,200 the foundation on which our Seminary began and it's still our bedrock 59 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,600 182 years later. 60 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,900 Sometimes we have to wait patiently for God to fulfill his promises, 61 00:04:04,900 --> 00:04:09,700 but here here is an answer from God we can see. 62 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:16,600 The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray 63 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:20,800 earnestly to the lord of the harvest to send laborers into his 64 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:21,200 harvest. 65 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:26,600 Our encouraging enrollment statistics show that the Lord of the church 66 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,200 is fulfilling his promise right before our very eyes. 67 00:04:31,900 --> 00:04:33,600 Thank you donors. 68 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:38,800 The Lord of the church makes his mission work.