THE SPRINGFIELDER December 1971 Volume 35, Number 3 "Congratulations and Commendations" A SGXIIhXli1 1S prinlal-ily people. Thc~.cf(xc :IICYC li~~c,?, 2" u~lt to unnumbered inclil-icluals in all tlic \\-orlcl \r-Iio i~~ti~ll;~ti'lv and effectively liar-e been idcntifictl \\-it11 C'onc.c)rn~li:i Ifi~olo~icil Scminarv, Springfielcl, ill thcx past, or tlii. 11ot ilic.c!lisidcr,il~lt. ,iLrnl- of persons \rho are l~romoting thc intercsts of thi~ kcliool of [hi prophets toclay. Actuafl!-, this little article tlocs ;1ot c\cl~rcic .III\ onc 11-ho will bc led to dei-otc lii~ilsclf, or l:crsclt'. to t IIL* ~lr:c.clh ot tllis institution in d;t\.s to conli.. The rostcrs of tt.;tchcrs, stutlcnts, dist1.ic.t llt.c.itlc.[~t>. ;~tiil 1)oarrl of c*ontrol ~ncrn~rs she\\- that somc. of the grc3,~tcS.t 111cll ot' 0111- church had a hand in thc ~~rc.scr~.~ttion and tlc\.clol>lncnt of our >rs11linnl.\., thron.11, 3s it \\.ere, illto tlic 1;1p of our s\~~od. \\-h:~t tllc51 Il;id 10 IYOI~~ with \\-as ~iiodest ,unJ LI~I~>I'C'~C'I~~~OLIS. 'rli~' little ~o~~~~>(l~l~i~l, I\illg about a mile and 3 half to the north-cast of thc to\\lisitc,, clitl ha,-c one thing of beaut!-, thc gr0i.c. of giant trccs, n liic,li \\ c~tiiu\ cd bv students and facult!. f;oiiilics. Bc.!.ond this tlicrc. notllins-t(i ~nt~ll thc c)-e of 3 persoIl strolli~lg throoug~i thc :tl-i.;t. Jjirt tl~cs ~lcoldc' in charge of this cainpus niadc thc ii~ost of thcit- ai rluisitio~i, ;~lirl \r-ol.kcc1 tirelessI!. at establishing thc best seininar!. that theby coulcl ;ifFord with their limited means. Considering these cil-cu~i~>t.~~;ccs onc \\.oiiIrl judge that thcv clitl much with littlc. People calnc, anel coiitinuccI to comck, c1czpitcb thc. F:!ct tllilt tl~cic comforts \\-crc practjcallv nil. The!. carriecl 011 . co~i tvn t t(i supl~lv \vorkcrs for the Lore1 3s best thcv could. T11c rcsourc.c't'ulnc.ss ~iia~ii- festcd hv many of these carl~ ilie~llbcrs of thc scmin;~i-\. +';IIJJ~I\. \\'is phenorn&al. Tltc earl! cur;iculum, for instance., clitl' 110t pio\itlc. for thc stud\- of the Scriptures in the original long~~iigcs. Sot a f~i\- students, lio~vc\.er, acquired a 11-orking knoulcdgc. of Grc~vl; iuld Hebrcn- on the sidc.. Somc of theill were so successful that they co~i~n~anded a place anions the rankiilg scholars of thcir elit!-. Thc church nhich was being served h!- this school left her, for the most part, to her own resources, giving- thought to hci- ~icnls only now and then. as circunlstanccs practlcnI1y compcllecl nttcn- tion. As the !c;irs 11-orc on, the physical and capital rtsscts of thc property detcrioraterl sIo\\-ly, a fact that will bc founcl to ha1.e lasteci through thrcc-fourths of the history being re\ it.\vccl now during our ceIebration. If'hatevcr is to he set forth 3s reprcsentati~.~ of ndvancc- nient and progress came during the past thirt!--five !cars. Indeed, the people \\-I10 were the sen~inar! fatnil! in the 1~1rge sense through the grcatcr span of this institution's histor). prcsent a roster of Illen and wonlen who command the attention and respect of i~nbii~scbtl, contcriiplati\~ stutlcnts of histor!., as \\-ell as all sober- ~nintlctl pcoplc. \\-I1 at s110illd one %;I\. to ~JCSS~IIS 1~110 11a\.c spent man\- !.ears of pr;~!-crs .~ntl s\\c.;it ant1 tcirs in the ~iii~intenance and furthkrance of a sc~1iw)l that has bl-oiiqht countless blessings iiot only to her own comnlunit!~, hilt to thc ;-orld at large nmnny ti~iies over? \\:e all 1lar~c the ansn t:r. .Iiid thc more onc kno~vs in detail about the circum- stances \\hicl~ c:~usc.d the prayers ;~ncl sn-eat and tears, the niore lxohusc one's congratulations will bc. \\-c wish t11c historialis iiiuch success in their nttcmpts at cnliglitcnin~ the public in that regard. -All\. one 1\-11o has bcen brought closc enough to affairs at this sciiiinar\ to I;1101\. \\-hat has bccii done callnot but be filled \\it11 i~nstint~tl ~iclmir~ition for the valiant, unsung heroes, 1j.110 lia\.e \I-cathcrcd iii31i\. ;I storill to bring Clon~ordia \\-here she is todav. It is not ;III o\crst;~tcl~lcnt to sa! that the workers at this place tl1r6u~ll tlic !cars li:l\.c. bccn long on trials and woes, but short on support :111tl cncou ragcnlen t. 'The Lord's unfailing promises, however, to those \\.I10 scnc Him under stress ancl adversit!. not only sustained these pc*oplc \\hilt. the\- str0j.e manfull! to keep this school going, hut 1la\.c. sccn their * fulfillment in thc Concordia Theological Scliiinnr\,, of Springfield, Illinois. now celebrating her onc hundred tn.cnt,-Gftli nnnivcrs;iry. 'Prul\-, commendations arc in order. Our church should sav to thosc \\liolio\-e 1,-orkcd in the past, as n-ell as to those at ~vork today, \\-el1 done! The\. ditl not \vork for the glor\ that they nligl~t have l~o~wtl to real' f;om thcir labors. They simply had an opportunity to help sonicho\\- in the cducation of pastors. This \\,as important enough for them to become involved in ministerial training to a greater or 1cssc.r clegrce, and to become relativclv insignificant for the sake of our Sn\.ior's Gospcl. Some canle for full-time service. rot a few people tfiink of a place 011 n faculty 3s an advancement above the pastorate. But this is hnrdl\. the case. In the final anal!.sis the Lord's \\-ill is the tletcrmiiiinc,. fnctbr \vhcn one of His servants 1eaj.e~ one position for nnother in the Ch~rrcli. \\'hat is to be commcnded, therefore, is their \vilIingncss to tlo God's bidding for the love of Christ and the flock \vliich Hc has purchasecl with His o\vn blood. TIierc. is niuch that is co~nlnc~idablc about the peoplc \\ho have \\orkccl to\\.arcl the advancement of this seminary for one hundred t\\cnt!-ii\c !cars. Thcir l~ndaunted spirit has nljvavs been n wonder. That gous for s!~iodical officials, board nlembers, administrators, staff mc~nhcrs, pc~oplc in the auxili,~ries, or what ha\-e you. To know some of them pcrsonalIv, as we11 as the circumstances under which they laborcc?, is to undcistand how great they actually were. In many, man! instances tlicir greatness has gone unsung. It goes without saying, llo\vcver, that this scminary \vould not be where it is today, if thcsc \cry pcoplc had fainted along the wa?. Some of them have gone to heaven, others arc still among the living. If any of then1 reads these lines. let him be assured that our church is in his debt beyond 311 human calculation and that, under God. it was his strong spirit of devotion that llelped to make Concordia \\.liii~ sfic i, ,it ~i>iy cclc- bration. IPhatever our cll~irch has failed to cfo 111 c.ci!lill!i~:ic~t~ti~~g him will be made up a thousandfold by our S.tr.i~j~- \\i.iL.j3 11;. t.t>iei\-c.~ us all into glory. "Forasmucll as \c I;no\v t11.1t \t!iir I;il;r;~- i, ~::jt in rain in the Lord." 1. C'or. 15, S S. Zion. does a church rnakc it up to pcoplc \\i>cll tiic\ i!,ii c doi~i' valiantl!. for one of her institutions? Tlicrc. .rrc. it~tii.c.ci. t,ul:it.>lc* evidences that could be effected. Onc nligllt llopc, tli'tt our cllu rch can see herself enabIezl to clo hctter b~ thow \vho arc >t.l-\ing Ilcr interests today. \\'hat has not been done in the p,15t, Iio\rc\~.~-, iiiuounts to an incalculable backIog of debts that far cscccd oil:- p~esc'nt church's ability to pin-. Little more can bc donc. tl~iin to cc~lnnlcncl this great host-of tlescri-ing people to Him, \\-I10 Ilar prrrlilix~rl to bi. the Relvard of those n-ho serve Hirn faithfull?., trust in 1Iill1. .ind ?it-c in His fear, A not insignific~tnt piirt of this one Ilunclrctl t\i tl--f it'tl~ ,inni- vcrsary celebration on thc part of our 1-uthcr,un C l~u;cli-\ li~~i:,ut-i Synod would bc to comnlencl thc mclnv people, \\-110 haic tlirough the vears nlade significant contributions tau-3rd tllc progrcsr; i-,F thib finedsen,inary, to the superabu~idm>t gracc of our Lord Jcsos Clirirt. the Head of the Church, with a \-ic~v ton-ard bringing :ibout ;L rcxcunl- pense of reward befitting their nccds, n-1iiIc. :it thi. 5:inie tiinc., cnhancing the glory of Him. Il'honl to kllo~t- is lifc c.tc.1-rial. and \\'IIoI~ to serve is the greatest of a11 privileges. The people, who ga1.e of themselves unstintingly to furthcr the usefulness of this seminar>- to the ICingcloni of Christ, clicl not work for earthly recognition or material rcn-ard. Thcir s~ltisf uc tion lay in seeing this fine school to rise in thc esti~nation of God's pcoplc in a measure approaching the re~ard which our Goct in 11cnt.i.11 113s had for it since its inception as n seminary of thc Luthcr'irl C'llurch. An unbiased study of the records reInting to thc Ilistort- of this school will establish the undeniable fact that God's l)co131i (lid littlc for many years to advance the interests of this step-child. Still God \vould not let it perish, It lisccl to scc the clay n-lic'l~ ir~tcrcst in it turned up\\-ard and our church snn- fit to gi~e it thc kind of support that n-ould ~nakc growth anrl dcl.eIopn~ent possible. Thcrcf'ore thc comlnendation of Concordia Theological Scminnr!-. of' Sp1-ingfield, Illinois, to God for further blessings and support 011 hcr oric Iiundrcd tsventy-fifth anniversary wouId very much be in order.