 |
|
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod was theologically and ecumenically the most conservative of the three largest Lutheran communities in the U.S.A. during the 1950s and 1960s. However, during those decades a significant number of scholars earned their doctorates in non-Missouri, U.S. and European universities and gained new intellectual and ecclesial perspectives. As a result, a developing ecumenical spirit, the use of historical criticism and the liturgical revival inspired by Vatican II emerged within the LC-MS context. These developments were supported by LC-MS President, Oliver Harms, and Concordia Seminary President, Alfred Fuerbringer. New faculty members representing these priorities were called to serve at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
May 19, 1969 - John H. Tietjen is elected President of Concordia Seminary July 12, 1969 - Jacob A.O. Preus is elected President of the LC-MS after a concerted ecclesial-political campaign let by Hermann Otten and his Lutheran News (eventually Christian News ). Spring 1970 - Martin Scharlemann, Professor of New Testament, writes a letter to Preus requesting a fact-finding effort to determine whether false doctrine is taught at Concordia. September 9, 1970 - Preus creates a Fact Finding Committee (FCC) to investigate the faculty. December, 1970-March, 1971 - The FCC interviews the faculty and gathers data. July 1971 - The Milwaukee Convention of the LC-MS turns the FCC report over to Concordia's Board of Control. The Board begins its review of the report in September 1971. December 1971 - The Board of Control refuses to reappoint Prof. Arlis Ehlen. January 1972 - Preus announces that disciplinary action will be taken against Tietjen. September 1972 - Preus issues the "Blue Book" which condemns unnamed faculty members for teaching false doctrine. Tietjen responds with "Fact Finding or Fault Finding?" January 1973 - The Board completes its interviews of the faculty and clears all of charges of false doctrine. July 1973 - The New Orleans Convention of the LC-MS condemns the faculty for teaching false doctrine. The faculty responds with "A Declaration of Protest and Confession." The election of new members to the Concordia Board of Control results in a Preus majority on the Board. August 1973 - The Board of Control suspends Tietjen but delays implementation of the suspension. September 1973 - The Board of Control "vacates" the Tietjen suspension. January 20, 1974 - The Board of Control suspends Tietjen. January 21, 1974 - The students of Concordia call for a moratorium on classes, and the faculty declares itself to be suspended February 12, 1974 - The faculty announces that it will resume teaching on February 19 but stipulates that Tietjen's suspension be revoked and that the contract of Prof. Paul Goetting be renewed. Contingency plans for alternative teaching sites had already been made. February 17, 1974 - The Board of Control demands that the faculty resume classes or be held in breach of contract. It does not respond to the faculty's stipulations. February 18, 1974 - The faculty takes no action on the Board demand. February 19, 1974 - Students and faculty decide to resume classes in exile. After morning worship the majority of students and faculty process off the Concordia campus and are welcomed by Dean Walter Brueggemann from Eden Seminary. February 20, 1974 - Classes of Concordia Seminary in Exile (Seminex) begin at St. Louis University and Eden Seminary. Seminex carries on its programs in St. Louis from 1974-1983. May 24, 1974 - The first Seminex graduation is celebrated with degrees granted by LSTC. June 21, 1974 - Seminex is legally incorporated. October 12, 1974 - The Board of Control removes Tietjen as President and faculty member of Concordia Seminary. February 1, 1975 - The Seminex Board elects Tietjen as President. August 1975 - Seminex occupies rented facilities at 607 N. Grand in St. Louis. December, 1976 - The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC) is organized. October 28, 1977 - Concordia Seminary in Exile changes its name to Christ Seminary-Seminex. April 1978 - The AELC formulates "A Call for Lutheran Union" and invites the ALC and the LCA to begin conversations leading to merger. 1980 - Negotiations begin regarding the deployment of Seminex staff and students. 1983 - Nine Seminex faculty plus Paul Manz, the majority of students, President Tietjen and four administrative staff are deployed to LSTC. Four faculty members join PLTS and two faculty members, as well as the Seminex library, move to Austin. Fall 1983 - December 31, 1987 - Seminex faculty members teach in partnership with colleagues of the three sister institutions and continue to be supported by contributions to Seminex. January 1, 1988 - With the inception of the ELCA, Seminex faculty become members of the LSTC, PLTS and Austin faculties. Pres. Tietjen and Seminex administrators accept other positions.
The legacy of Seminex includes its students, faculty and staff who have served and continue to serve the church; a faculty presence in three sister seminaries; a strong biblical, confessional and liturgical heritage; the AELC; the initial impetus for the creation of the ELCA and such gifts as Currents, Crossings and the Lutheran School of Theology in St. Louis. For a personal account of the Seminex story and a much more extensive chronology, cf. John H. Tietjen, Memoirs from Exile. Kurt
K. Hendel
|
