Tim Frakes Productions Inc. Seminex Memories of a Church Divided

Seminex: Memories of a Church Divided, A Documentary by Tim Frakes

On February 19, 1974, students and faculty at the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s St. Louis Concordia Seminary marched through the campus – out the doors of an institution, church body and well established educational system – and into self-described exile. This story begins in the 19th Century when a new method of Biblical interpretation known as the “historical-critical method”, tore many Protestant churches apart. Were Adam and Eve real people? Was Jonah actually swallowed by a fish? Or, did ancient authors reflect their own historical situation when addressing the people of their time and place?

For Missouri Synod Lutherans, the full impact of these theological debates and culturally conservative verses more modern world views came to a head decades after other church bodies had divided and drifted apart. The debate ruptured the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod at a time of vast American cultural and social upheaval: Viet Nam, the Civil Rights movement and Watergate.

For many students, faculty, administrators and Lutherans throughout North America, the events in St. Louis took a personal toll. The walkout would divide families, split congregations and have a lasting impact on the future of the church.

Interviews include John H. Tietjen, Herman Otten, Gerhard Bode, the grandson of Jacob Preus, author and historian Jim Burkee, and dozens of Seminex faculty and students.

Letters continue to come in following the 2015 release of “Seminex: Memories of a Church Divided.” This is a surprise! In our 21st century digital world, I’m used to Facebook “likes”, Youtube views or download analytics. But with this project, my trips to the post office are marked by a full mailbox (literally, a full mailbox). Cards, letters, many of them hand-written by folks whose lives were impacted by events that took place in St. Louis, Missouri in the early 1970’s.

There is something deeply gratifying about receiving a physical, hand written card or letter as appose to an email or social media text comment. Maybe it’s the 44 cent stamp? Maybe it’s the pen or pencil on actual paper? What ever it is, I like it. Thanks to all those who have written and shared your memories and ordered a DVD copy.

This documentary, “Seminex, Memories of a Church Divided” began back in 2003 when I was producing a documentary about the origins of the ELCA. Not being a Lutheran, the Seminex story was new to me then and we included Seminex as an important part of the larger story which covered the three predecessor bodies (ALC, LCA and AELC) the Commission for a New Lutheran Church, the Constituting Convention in Columbus, Ohio and much more.

At the time, I thought the Seminex story would make a great documentary. Of course, other things got in the way and the project did not immediately materialize. In 2007 I resigned my position as Associate Director of Communication and MOSAIC producer in the ELCA Department for Communication and launched my own production company. One of my clients, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago asked me to record material for two separate theological conferences that included Seminex faculty and student reunions. This gave me an opportunity to record many of the interviews seen in the documentary. From there, I went on my own and recorded interviews with several scholars and a trip down to the Concordia Historical Institute in St. Louis. I half expected my request to review materials would be met with rejection. Just the opposite happened. The folks at CHI were warm, open and most helpful. This project would not have been possible without them.

[joseortegabeede]

J.A.O Preus was unfathomably based. Thank God for him.

[CornCod]

Glad to see my old pal Herman Otten in the documentary. I wrote a lot for his Christian News back in the 90's. As sad as the events were, the fact that these modernist professors and students left was a great blessing in retrospect. The fact that after 1988 these Seminexers found life so congenial in ELCA proved that the confessional crowd were correct. A lot of these Seminex grads wormed their way back into the synod and they fought deviously to push Missouri in a Liberal direction well into the 90's. Thankfully most are retired now. A lot of people don't realize just how close Missouri came to be a part the Liberal Protestant Mainline. Missouri certainly isn't perfect at the moment but I shudder to think what it would have been like if the confessionals didn't make the hard decisions that had to be made.

[kyuhotae]

As a WELS Lutheran here, I am heartbroken for the turmoil in which the LCMS is embroiled. WELS and LCMS had parted ways decades ago, but I would often attend service at LCMS when on business trips and unable to find a nearby WELS congregation.

A number of my WELS high school mates have eventually started attending an LCMS congregation after marriage and that includes the daughter of my own home church pastor through whom I was confirmed in 1980!

I had not really known about these issues affecting/disaffecting the LCMS and am troubled, as I feel this is a problem for all of Christendom!

I pray for your Synod, too, and hope for a Godly, speedy resolution for His glory!


😌

[krbohn]

This was the best explanation video I have watched. I now fully see that what LCMS did, was indeed the best course of action. The folks that left were clearly more interested in worldly, political, and personal ideals rather than Godly.

Unfortunately, it still seems to be happening today. I guess that's the way it will always be until...Come Lord Jesus!

[grbaliveagain]

Interesting video, especially seeing the living faces and hearing their voices. I know this video doesn't pretend to present the entire situation, so I won't criticize it. It's good for what it is.

I noticed how those professors and students who walked out speak about being kicked out. They weren't. Tietjen was removed and they walked out willingly, even after being urgerd to remain.
I also noticed a tendency to present those who remained as "being afraid." You know...phobic. That made me go "hmm."
My own pastor was a student who did not walk out. His story is interesting, too I asked him how difficult it was to stay, as it placed him in the minority. He said it caused him a moment of trepidation, until his former classmates called him and harassed him for staying. That made it easier. Ultimately, he had heard enough teaching contrary to his knowledge of Scripture and the Confessions, that he had to stay.

[michaelbrown]

I prefer a church that sticks to the word of God and not changing their position based on the culture of the country. Obviously, culture changes all the time and the word of God doesn’t.

[traildude]

I have a unique perspective on Seminex as someone who was told by Professor John Damm, the dean at the time as I recall, that I had sunk the place. It came about after an Old Testament class where the professor declared in answer to a question that "God didn't know Jesus was going to be born" and I led a walkout from that class on the spot. I tried to talk with administration, with no luck, and so I wrote a letter addressed to the community and made enough copies for everyone. One result was that I and two friends, and several others, left at the end of the term, this at a time where a half dozen students comprised a significant portion of the student body.
They closed the next year.

[AmillennialMillenial]

Now in 2024, we know there is a straight line from historical critical method to complete apostasy. The LCMS did well to fire Tietjen and kick out the seminarians who walked out.

[danbratten]

I find the story telling by them leaving as if they were so brave, hilarious. They didn't mention that after their "march into exile" leaving Concordia and the news cameras off; they all came back to Concordia wanting lunch.

[d]

Mr. Frakes thanks for preserving history with this balanced documentary so that my generation can try to make sense of how we got here.

[d]

Rebels without a cause. In hindsight 50 years on, the foolishness of youthful rebellion is easy to see.

[thomasjefferson]

Some things are not mentioned in this very interesting video.

1) Dr. John W. Benken, president of the Missouri Synod from 1935 to 1962, did not take lay concerns about the growing liberalism at the St. Louis Seminary seriously, and was always reassured by Alfred O. Fuerbringer, president of the St. Louis Seminary, that all was well. After he stepped down from the presidency, Benken became aware of the real situation, and even wrote to the seminary about it. He was ignored. He took his concerns public, but had no influence; by 1968, liberals were in control where it counted in the still largely conservative Missouri Synod. The new president of the synod, Dr. Oliver Harms, was unconcerned about any liberalism at the St. Louis Seminary, and was more interested in closer ties to the American Lutheran Church, which at the time was rapidly moving away from its own conservative theological heritage.

2) By 1969, Missouri Synod members as a whole had had enough of the mediating to liberal Oliver Harms, and voted him out of office on the second ballot, replacing him with Dr. J.A.O. Preus. At the same time, liberals, well aware that Preus might become synodical president, maneuvered Dr. John Tietjen into position to be appointed the next president of Concordia Seminary, even though his predecessor was still in office. (To help accomplish this the liberal Fuerbringer retired before church bylaws required him to do so). Liberals were still dominant on the Board of Control at this time. What was desired was to see to it that Concordia Seminary would have a man in charge wholly in sympathy with what was going on at the seminary. This maneuvering was done to ensure that Tietjen was seminary president before the new synodical president was in place to have any say in the matter. Tietjen at the time had only a few nominations from local churches, far fewer than had Martin Scharlemann or Ralph Bohlmann both members of the faculty minority in St. Louis.

3) At its convention in Denver in 1969, the Missouri Synod voted to establish pulpit and altar fellowship with the America Lutheran Church (ALC), even though the ALC had pulpit and altar fellowship with the very liberal Lutheran Church in America (LCA). To effect this, Missouri Synod liberals and pro fellowship people in the ALC did their best to emphasize the supposed conservative credentials of the ALC such as its constitution, which referred to the Bible as the "inerrant word of God" (largely a dead letter in the ALC by this time). In order do its best to establish closer ecumenical ties with the Missouri Synod, and obtain a YES vote at the convention in Denver, liberals in the ALC agreed to put off their planned vote on the ordination of women until after the 1969 Convention in Denver. The ALC then voted to ordain women to the ministry- directly contrary to the stance of the Missouri Synod- in 1970. Because it was in pulpit and altar fellowship with the ALC, this would require the Missouri Synod to in effect accept female ALC pastors in its own pulpits, thus obtaining in a round about way women's ordination in the Missouri Synod as well. In 1981, and after the walkout of the liberals, the Missouri Synod ended pulpit and altar fellowship with the ALC.

4) the 1974 walkout by liberals was not the first public protest that liberals had engaged in. In the summer of 1973, ad the Synodical convention in New Orleans, hundreds of them made a public protest when the convention adopted A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles (authored largely by Dr. Ralph Bohlmann, one of the Faculty Minority at the St. Louis Seminary) as an official doctrinal statement. At that same convention, liberals on the Board of Control were voted out, and conservatives voted in to replace them. Now the Seminary no longer had a liberal Board of Control to overlook the growing liberalism at the St. Louis Seminary.

4) The other seminary in the Missouri Synod, the one in Springfield, was wholly out of sympathy with what was going on at the seminary in St. Louis. As mentioned in the video, Dr. J.A.O. Preus had been president of that seminary.

5) John Tietjen, Concordia Seminary professor (1969-1974) did his graduate study at the very liberal Union Theological Seminary in New York City, which helped him develop his own liberal theology, and where he also established extensive media connections.

6) the walkout in January of 1974 was planned well in advance; the liberals at Concordia Seminary will well aware that things were reaching a crisis point by the fall of 1973. The actual walkout was intended for December of 1973, but Arthur Piepkorn, a member of the Faculty Majority, died on December 13. This led to the Board of Control cancelling its December 17 meeting with the St. Louis Seminary (out of respect for Dr. Piepkorn and at the request of his family), and so the resolutions that liberals knew that the Board was going to implement were put off. Because liberals had already planned responses to what they knew was coming, those plans had to be postponed, because nothing happened in December 1973. This may be why Seminary President Dr. John Tietjen protested the cancellation of the December 17 meeting.

7) the liberals got help from the very liberal Eden Theological Seminary (of the very liberal United Church of Christ), and from the liberal Jesuit St. Louis University (Roman Catholic)

8) the most liberal elements within the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod were in the northeastern states of the country, which were also the most liberal states in the nation

9) Dr. Martin Scharlemann, acting president of Concordia Seminary after Tietjen, was hated by the faculty majority at the Seminary, who regarded him as a turncoat. In the late 1950s Scharlemann had published a number of essays which had significant liberal implications. At the time, he was backed by the faculty majority at the St. Louis Seminary. Scharlemannn, however, had personal reservations about what he had written, and publicly withdrew his essays from circulation in a dramatic reconciliation with the Missouri Synod at its convention in Cleveland in 1962. In 1970, it was Scharlemann who sent a personal letter to President of the Synod, Dr. J.A.O. Preus, expressing his concerns about what was being taught at the St. Louis Seminary, where he was also a professor. This led the the establishment of the Fact-finding Committee. When Scharlemann (part of the conservative minority five on the faculty) was appointed acting president following the suspension (not dismissal) of Dr. John Tietjen, and in spite of his solid academic credentials (three earned doctorates), his appointment outraged the faculty majority.

10) Conservative students at Concordia Seminary had no voice during this time, and had no real say in the direction that the student body, led by Gerard Miller, decided to go.

11) After leaving Concordia Seminary, and helping to lead a breakaway from the Missouri Synod, the liberal professors helped form a new denomination, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC), which, in one of its first statements, issued a plea for Christian unity, and in one of its first actions, passed a resolution approving of the ordination of women.

12) The AELC merged with other liberal Lutheran groups to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1988, which has since approved such things as abortion rights and homosexual weddings, and which saw its membership go from 5.2 million to less than three million by 2023.

13) the split in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod remains the only case in the history of American Christianity where the conservative element won out rather than the liberal.

14) The liberal walkout from the LCMS was miniscule; only about 4% of LCMS members walked out, and less than 250 congregations (out of more than 6, 000) opted to leave the Synod. This was far less than the liberal elites had anticipated, and there was no possibility that such a small number of people could financially support Seminex. Preus was correct when he said rather bluntly at the time that Seminex would "wither away" in a few years- which it did.



This whole story would make a great drama as a feature film.

[Zhought]

Just a hint: if Walter Bruggemann supports you, and you’re seeing women preach and being ordained, that’s likely a sign you departed out of orthodoxy at some point.

[ront]

I would like to find some statistics on Seminex beyond the initial walkout. What was their enrollment in fall 1974 or subsequent years? How many people graduated each year? How many graduates got placed in pastoral positions, either LCMS or AELC? I would suppose that such numbers took a nosedive when Preus successfully outlawed LCMS placement of Seminex graduates and fired the district presidents who had defied him. Once it became clear that career prospects for Seminex graduates were limited, its days were numbered, forcing it to close in 1983

[toddvoss]

Very interesting but much too one sided. But the minority I suppose, being smaller, had sheer lesser number of survivors to interview. There two good books on this - one massive one published by CPH (very strongly against seminex) and another by one of your neutral interviewees

[daniellantz]

I appreciated this very much. While I agree with some of the other comments that it leans heavily to one side of the story, we on the LCMS side of things usually do the same thing when discussing Seminex, and I'm glad to have a more nuanced picture of events.

[danbratten]

The pastor I had growing up in the mid 80s thru 2000 was one of the few students who stayed with the Seminary & the LCMS.

My late Grandfather had this Pastor in his top 5 that he ever heard, which included P.E. Kretzmann in that top 5.

[lvfc_]

>I was finally free from fearing of being examined
>Next clip is talking about how seminex was the first place seeing women as preachers
You know, maybe that wasn't such a good thing.

[piercethelutheran]

inspirational story of our intellectual heritage

[myleshagar]

Seminex people came up to Waterloo Lutheran Seminary in Ontario Canada in the fall of that year 1974. It was clear then that the tide of modernism could not be reversed anywhere. Arch modernist Gregory Baum from the Catholic Church was also feted there. That seminary is closed now to be an all inclusive college in the Lutheran tradition, i.e. on Lutheran real estate. Big surprise. Everything went crazy around 1970 in all the churches right across the continent and the ruin and decline is almost complete now.