ELCA NEWS SERVICE November 21, 2008 ELCA's Wartburg Theological Seminary Restructures Positions, Programs 08-197-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- At its regular fall meeting Nov. 6-7, the board of Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, approved "a new strategic plan that involves the restructure of programs as well as faculty and staff positions," according to a seminary news release. The action comes during record growth in the seminary's enrollment and record decline on Wall Street. Wartburg is one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "The market has hurt us deeply in terms of our endowment values. We've suffered a significant decline," said the Rev. Duane H. Larson, president, Wartburg Theological Seminary. "Endowment is one of the main income streams we rely on for operations," he said. Because income from endowment is calculated from three-year averages, Larson said something "utterly responsible and responsibly bold" had to be done now to position the seminary for its financial future. "We need to do this particular cash repositioning in light of the fact that we are also absolutely full with enrollment. We've had serial years of increasing enrollment, and this year had the largest first-year class we've had in a generation. That looks to continue," Larson said. The new strategic plan focuses on three growing programs -- master of arts, master of divinity (M.Div.) and the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) programs. "That has meant, quite unfortunately, some changing of faculty positions as well as suspending some programs," Larson said. Changes are to be in place by June 30, 2009. Wartburg will suspend the M.Div. program at the Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest (LSPS), Austin, Texas. Wartburg cosponsors that program with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, another ELCA seminary. Three faculty members and one staff member will be released at LSPS. Larson said LSPS will refocus its energies on being the primary Hispanic ministry school for the TEEM program of the ELCA. "'Suspension' is a formal term," Larson said. If a program were "eliminated," it could not be restored without going through a new accreditation process. "'Suspension' means that we can bring it back on the table without as much formality," he said. In Dubuque, Wartburg will suspend its master of arts in theology, development and education program. It will continue to sponsor the Center for Theology and Land, Center for Youth Ministries and Center for Global Technologies but "under faculty direction." It sponsors the Center for Theology and Land with the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. The seminary will release three faculty, three full-time staff and two part-time staff members. Another faculty member will assume a phased retirement "senior distinguished faculty status," and another faculty member will take a primarily administrative position. The economic downturn and growing enrollments are not unique to Wartburg, Larson said. Other ELCA seminaries have taken similar actions to bolster programs while cutting costs "without going toward release of faculty," he said. In a letter to alumni, donors and other friends of the seminary, Larson said Wartburg suspended withdrawals from its endowment until Jan. 1, 2010, "allowing the portfolio an opportunity to regain its health." Wartburg is taking several other steps to stabilize its income streams. Instead of relying on large contributions from a few major donors who are able to give from assets earning stock dividends, the seminary will concentrate on attracting a large number of donors, who are each able to make smaller donations from their incomes. "We want to raise scholarship support for those students who continue to see Wartburg as one of the better places to come," Larson told the ELCA News Service. "Then we need, of course, to change our financial structure by paying down our own debt," he said. -- -- -- The home page for Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, is at http://www.wartburgseminary.edu/ on the Web. EDITORS: Wartburg Theological Seminary is a separate and distinct institution from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, which is one of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog