Around the Tower Feature Story 3 Drowning Pastors: Th E Cost of Seminary Patrick Gumz We Are Drowning Men...Drowning in Our Debt
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Arroundound the Toowerwer A Student Publication of Concordia Seminary Spring Edition - Two Th ousand and Eleven Around the Tower Feature Story 3 Drowning Pastors: Th e Cost of Seminary Patrick Gumz We are drowning men...drowning in our debt. Th e water is deep and is only gett ing deeper. Th is article proposes radical changes on all levels, from the student to the synod, in order to foster discussion among our ranks to see that the current system is unsustainable. Content 8 Movie Review: Th e Social Network Patrick Fertitt a 10 Music Review: Sanctus Real, “Pieces of a Real Heart” Chad Elfe 12 Athletics: Preacher Basketball Andrew Wilson 15 Phase One Renovations 16 Student I.D. Eric Hutchison 18 Pro-Life or Life Affi rming? Joe Seifert 21 Lett er from Student Association President Joshua Errer 22 Sermon: We Get to Rejoice Dallas Dubke 27 Refl ections on a Seminary Career Ted Hopkins 31 A Piece of Stone History Dr. Bob Caldwell 39 Th e Last Word Carl Deardoff , Editor Spring Edition - Two Th ousand and Eleven DrowTHE COST OF SEMINARYn We are drowning men. We have been thrown into the ocean with stones tied around our ankles and we are barely treading water. We are drown- ing in our debt. Th e only thing that keeps us from sinking is a sliver of wood called the hope of future employment and benefi ts. More and more of us are beginning to realize that the fi nancial cost of this endeav- or is higher than the return invest- ment. All of us know that we did not enter seminary in order to make the big bucks. We came to be shepherds of a lost fl ock living in a broken world. We knew before signing the application that seminary would be expensive, but we are a group of men committ ed to the ministry even if it results in poverty to some degree. Th is article has a two-fold purpose. First to expose how deep the water is and how it is only gett ing deeper. Second is to propose radical changes on all levels from the stu- dent to the synod in order to foster discus- sion among our ranks to see that the current system is unsustainable. Feature Story ning PastorsBY PATRICK GUMZ Let’s start with a single number and break the sake of convenience assume $200 a it down into its parts. $116,352. Th is is month from both for four years which cuts the approximate amount paid by all parties $19,200. Th is leaves the single seminarian to make the lowest cost single student a to pay $51,319. Th ere are of course other pastor. Here is how it breaks down: factors and numbers that can move the cost up and down. Some districts and home 119 credit hours x $585 an hour = congregations pay much more than $200 a $69,615 month , but some don’t (sorry PSW district 9 qtrs. of tech fee x 105 = students). Th ere are also scholarships $945 from congregations within your district 1 year of vicarage tuition and fees = and other parties that can help the overall $11,109 cost. For the sake of ease let’s assume that 9 qtrs. of double room for single student the cost per year to the single seminarian @ $2,043/qtr = $18,387 is $17,000. Th at means every year you are 4 years of CHP health insurance = a residential student at St. Louis you are $10,896 required to pay at least $17,000 out of your Anticipated books and supplies @ pocket. Th at is the amount of money you $1,800/year = $5,400 are responsible to make with your pre-sem Total = $116,352 degree and three months of summer work. Now, I said it was the cost to all parties For the married student and the married not to the seminarian because we receive a student with children all other costs go up substantial amount of aid in our four years. besides tuition and books. Health insur- Vicarage year is practically paid for by the ance, housing, and food costs go up, way congregation you serve which eliminates up. Beyond these added expenses students $13,833. Th e seminary through its grants have travel costs, car payments, and other and adopt-a-student program covers ap- living expenses. With all these expenses the proximately $32,000. Th en there is home most popular way to pay for everything is to congregation and district aid which for take out loans. 3 Th e average amount of student loan taken aid budget by $35,000 this past year. Th e by a seminarian is $26,144 over the course economy continues to aff ect the gift s given of 4 years. If you ask many seminarians they by individuals and groups. Enrollment is typically take the max amount available decreasing which causes income for the every year which is $20,500 or $61,500 for seminary to decrease while costs stay high. the three years here. Over the last four years It is hard to imagine that the current situa- the average percent of students taking loans tion is sustainable for the future, even if the is a litt le over 70%. In the last four years we economy improves. have sent out 335 graduates with an average of $26,000 in debt. Th at is $8,750,000 owed Th e debt to future income ratio is also an to the government by the newest pastors in area of concern. According to the LCMS our synod. Th ese are the same pastors who Ministerial Growth and Support website, are gett ing married, starting families, and they suggest that in order to have healthy trying to buy houses. fi nances it is best to keep “In the last four years your total debt to income Th ere is one last number ratio under 38%. With that is diff erent for each we have sent out 335 many districts guidelines person in regards to stu- graduates with an sett ing the starting salary dent loans, undergrad. A average of $26,000 in at approximately $32,000 majority of students here with other benefi ts like went to a Concordia for debt... these are the housing and health insur- their undergrad. Accord- same pastors who are ance, debt repayment ing to their websites the gett ing married, start- may be very diffi cult. Not sample cost without fi nan- only debt repayment but cial aid of four years of col- ing families, and try- purchasing a house with lege is between $128,000- ing to buy houses.” a credit score burdened 140,000. It could be even with copious amounts of more for those not att ending Concordia educational debt can become strenuous if schools. It’s hard to assume it is possible for not impossible. Th ere may also be stu- students to graduate without debt. dents struggling with credit card debt and car loans. All of a sudden that percentage All of these numbers assume the cost of the begins to get into the 50’s and 60’s and extra present year extrapolated over time, but income is necessary, but diffi cult to acquire the costs are not staying the same. Under- without a hard working spouse. grad continues to become more expensive. Since 2001 seminary tuition has increased Now, I am very pleased with the education seven times and is increasing again next I have received here and take great pride in year by fi ve percent. eTh synod and dis- the academic standards at our seminaries. tricts continue to cut spending. My home Th e four year program is great in terms of district, Indiana, cut their church worker time spent preparing for the ministry, but Feature Story it is time to explore alternatives to this pro- gram. Beyond just alternatives, resolutions and system changes would be required for any system either current or proposed. Moving from simple to radical, here are some suggestions: 1)Uniform or minimum district and congregational aid. I mentioned the Pa- cifi c Southwest District (PSW) earlier for one reason; it is the most affl uent district, but sends seminarians the least amount of aid. Having either uniform aid or a bare minimum would require districts and con- gregations to properly budget to support their seminarians. 2)Require all calling congregations to have a seminary debt fund. If a congrega- tion is planning to call a seminarian in the future they should budget money to assist in paying off his education. Every year the new pastor is there, they receive assistance in paying their loans off . 3) Establish a synod loan fund similar to the LCEF in which seminarians can take low interest loans from the synod. Instead of taking government subsidized and unsubsidized loans or worse private loans from Sallie Mae, seminarians benefi t from ultra-low interest loans governed by their non-profi t church. 4)Require a bachelor’s degree in educa- tion or other trade skill prior to entering seminary so that seminarians can earn money either before entering seminary or during seminary or aft er seminary before taking a full time call. Th is is not a worker priest, but someone using a skill in order to pay off debt prior to serving as a congregation’s pastor. 5 5)Change seminary program to 5 year B.A. and M.Div. program without fi eld ed. and all seminarians serve as assistant pastors for a few years before taking other calls.