It's been a while since I ran the stats from Call Day, but
this year I’m feeling nostalgic as this marks the tenth year since I was one of
those fourth year students waiting to hear of his fate. And how things have
changed in that decade! There were 144 (an even gross) in my first year class.
By the time we made it to call day, that had been culled down to 120 or so. This
year saw 57 men placed from our Synod’s larger seminary.
Several of us in 2004 were exploring graduate studies. None
are listed as doing so this year, but perhaps they just didn’t put them in the
bulletin.
Every year I have run stats for CSL a clear majority of men
were placed as associate or assistant pastors. This year 54.4% of men were
placed as sole pastors (36.8% as associate/assistant and 8.8% in district
positions, such as missionary at large or church planter).
There were no SMP candidates listed – 84.2% MDiv, 8.8%
Alternate Route, 1.8% Cross-cultural Ministry Center, 5.3% Center for Hispanic
Studies.
At this time there remain one MDiv student and one CHS student who were not able to be placed.
UPDATE: And here are the stats for CTS.
AT CTS forty-four men were placed into calls. That itself is worthy of note: the two seminaries are much closer in size these days based on the number of graduates. Fort Wayne continued its trend of sending about 2/3 of their graduates out as sole pastors: 68.2% this year, with 27.3% as assistants/associates, and 4.5% into CUS or CTS faculty positions.
AT CTS forty-four men were placed into calls. That itself is worthy of note: the two seminaries are much closer in size these days based on the number of graduates. Fort Wayne continued its trend of sending about 2/3 of their graduates out as sole pastors: 68.2% this year, with 27.3% as assistants/associates, and 4.5% into CUS or CTS faculty positions.
May God grant all these men grace to serve their Lord with
faithfulness and zeal.
+HRC
PS: The only deaconess graduate at CSL was not able to be placed either. At CTS there were no deaconess graduates, but a couple internships were handed out.
I'm from the CSL class of 2004. I seem to remember that from 144 first year students we had 101 receive vicarage calls and 93 made it to Call Day. Nearly 1/3 didn't make it all the way through.
ReplyDeleteWow! I had recalled incorrectly by a long shot! Good catch.
DeleteMust be a sign that all your efforts at discouraging men to seek out the OHM has worked, Pr. Curtis!
ReplyDeleteSMP candidates were placed earlier.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.csl.edu/2014/04/smp-spring14-calls/
I'm very pleased to say that this class of SMP men are orthodox and highly eager to serve as ministers of the Gospel. I enjoyed teaching them the SMP "Means of Grace" course. I'm sad to report, however, that the second class I taught wanted their relatively light workload cut in half, and that I suffered rebuke by the Chair of the Systematics Department at CSL for teaching Pieper and being critical of Schlink on his views of Baptism, which are weak and lean towards the Reformed. Star in my crown, as they say.
DeletePr. Baker, can I have your permission to quote that?
DeleteOr, just as likely, that the ever-increasing cost of attending seminary is discouraging men who can do math from seeking out the OHM.
ReplyDeleteYikes, K. I feel bad for the guy that was placed at SoulThirst Lutheran Church in Coppel Texas.
ReplyDeleteAny comment about the pledge that the St. Louis candidates had to promise? http://callday.csl.edu/covenant2014.pdf I thought our ordination vows were enough!
ReplyDeleteDid they really use this "covenant" as part of the call service? How about Fort Wayne? Is this a St. Louis thing, a COP thing, or something worse?
DeleteYeah, and now some LCMS pastors are trying to sick the COP on Pr. Wilken for breaking the 8th Commandment (ie. reporting this debacle).
DeleteSeth: "Lutheran" is never mentioned on the SoulThirst website. It's a Gospel Adventure.
ReplyDeletehttp://soulthirstchurch.com
And from the SoulThirst pastor's blog:
ReplyDelete"When Jesus fills you with true Gospel Rest, He then launches all sorts of beautiful Grace Bombs through you."
http://gospeloutlaws.wordpress.com
There's also some teaching on how Jesus tractor beams us into adventure with Him.
And did you notice the tag line on the top of the "Gospel Rest" blog:
Delete"If you're weary, burdened, frustrated, struggling, or sinful…I'm the King for you, and I will give you rest. – King Jesus"
Sinful optional, apparently.
The deaconess placement at CTS will be May 22nd. My wife will be receiving a call. Just a heads up.
ReplyDeleteGotcha. I like how they separate the two: good work from CTS.
Delete+HRC
The main reason for the separation is because the deaconess interns receiving their calls are out on their internships. It is much more convenient for the interns to have their placement service right before graduation so that they do not have to come back to Fort Wayne twice in less than a month. Also, for the sake of your statistics, definitely tune in May 22 at 10 AM. I believe most of my sisters will be receiving calls (approximately 7, give or take a couple).
DeletePr. Esget,
ReplyDeleteDid you know their children's radio show is entitled "Adventures In Heresy"?