When conservative Lutherans in the United States began to operate their own school systems, they realized that they could not just find regular teachers, instruct them in a little Lutheran doctrine, and then expect them to be Lutheran teachers.
So conservative Lutheran synods started teacher training colleges. The teachers in those colleges were called to think about what principles would make the best Lutheran classrooms in the U.S., and then tailor their instruction to put those principles into practice.
Those teachers decided not to distinguish between secular subjects and religious subjects. “Every subject needs to be taught in the light of God’s Word,” they said. “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
It is no simple matter to prepare to teach each subject in the light of God’s Word. If students who want to be teachers did not grow up in Lutheran schools, the basic principles of every subject in school have to be relearned—no simple process.
Those early teachers in the American conservative Lutheran teacher colleges also decided that teachers are ministers of the gospel. That means that students who want to be Lutheran teachers in Lutheran classrooms of Lutheran schools need to learn how to apply law and gospel in the classroom and outside of it, with students and with their families.
Ministers of the gospel, both pastors and teachers, know what an art the proper application of law and gospel is. Martin Luther himself noted that if someone can rightly distinguish law and gospel and apply them appropriately, then the person should be given a doctor of theology degree.
In a Lutheran classroom, law provides the structure for management. But the main point of the law structure is to be able to call a student to repentance, and then speak the gospel. The gospel of forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus creates and strengthens saving faith, which is the most important thing in life. What good will it be for students if they behave perfectly in class, and get 100% on every test, but forfeit their souls? A student who wants to be a Lutheran teacher in a Lutheran classroom in a Lutheran school has to learn and practice how to apply law and gospel—no simple process.
In order to survive, most conservative Lutheran teacher colleges have had to broaden their purpose and teach students also to teach in secular schools, where the basic principles of every subject are different, and where the point of using the law is not to give opportunities to speak the gospel. Don’t misunderstand me: having Lutheran teachers in our secular schools is very valuable for our society.
But we have a gift of grace among us in Martin Luther College, the WELS College of Ministry, where every student in the teacher track is thoroughly and single-mindedly learning the many necessary things for being a Lutheran teacher in a Lutheran classroom in a Lutheran school.
We could find good conservative Lutheran people trained to teach in secular schools, and then try quickly to teach them how to teach every lesson in every subject with a biblical worldview, along with classroom management techniques rooted in the proper application of law and gospel.
But as long as we are able, I prefer that we train our Lutheran teachers at Martin Luther College, in the best teacher preparation system we have for 21st century WELS schools.
Written by Rev. Paul Prange. Paul is the administrator for WELS Ministerial Education.
Martin Luther College does an excellent job preparing workers for the church, however there are some subject areas that are not taught. My undergraduate degree is in education from UW, Madison because I majored in Family and Consumer Education. My undergraduate courses included in study in nutrition, food science, textile chemistry, bacteriology, and consumer ecomonics and many other specific courses that New Ulm is unprepared to teach and shouldn’t teach because of resource restraints. Other areas that New Ulm doesn’t train for are band, industrial education, agricultural education, and business education. Secular colleges do prepare teachers for these specialized areas and those interested in teaching in a specialized subject can and should equip themselves for teaching in the Lutheran setting by getting synodical certification.
I agree with your great points up above except that I would flip your final thought. Rather than future called workers going to a college that offered an area of study that they would like to focus on or gain an endorsement and then work towards synod certification, perhaps a degree through MLC first and then enhancing it with outside studies would be beneficial for building a strong framework for the focus of their ministry.
It is incorrect to state that MLC does not train for band. We have a number of students whose major is instrumental education. They fulfill a number of licensure requirements for this degree, including private lessons on their instruments, technique classes for all instruments, conducting courses, and student teaching in a band setting. This has been the case at MLC for a number of years.
I thiink the word you meant for “conservative” is “confessiona.l”
A solid beginning in speaking of our Lutheran education system. Thank you Paul for starting a valuable discussion. While I did not grow up being educated in the LES, high school, or college, I now see the value with my son being a student in a WELS school.
As a person who taught high school and college in both private and public schools, I also have been privileged to go through the WELS Teacher Certification process. It was an eye opening and invaluable experience in my estimation of preparing to be on the call list.
Having done student teaching in the WELS high school system – albeit for 5 weeks – I can honestly say those teachers I met and worked with were well prepared and very professional in their work. I would have placed them as better prepared in both subject area matter and as good in pedagogical practice as an public school I taught in.
Mr. Prange makes a good point about “law and gospel” and teaching all subject in light of God’s Word. In my experience, this could be practiced more in our Lutheran high schools. It is easy to get caught up in the daily teaching grind and as Prange eludes to – it is hard work to apply Lutheran Christian beliefs, values and doctrine into secular content on a regular basis.
If there are improvements to be made in the 21st century Lutheran educational system, perhaps it is that area of monitoring, self-assessing, providing a framework for teaching secular content in light of God’s Word. After all, that is what makes our WELS Lutheran education system distinct.
Thanks again Paul for your thoughts and service in this vital area.
Paul:
Nice and clear. Much appreciate the bursts of info and ideas, et off by helpful and plentiful paragraph breaks.
This is a very good post. Our Lutheran school system is the heart of how we train all our young people to be ambassadors for Christ.
However, with our Lutheran Elementary Schools in decline, we need to take this comment from Rev. Prange seriously: “If students who want to be teachers did not grow up in Lutheran schools, the basic principles of every subject in school have to be relearned—no simple process.”
I believe that Martin Luther College may need to spend more time and effort training more of our young teachers in the doctrines of the Bible lest our schools become less Lutheran and more secular.