Thirty years ago, the ELS, WELS, and LCMS were rather prosperous and their educational systems were relatively inexpensive.
In spite of the Schwan gusher, or because of it, all three groups are strapped for funds. Their tuition costs are gigantic and offer little at the end of the road. Teachers and pastors have to spend or borrow a fortune to qualify for a lack of positions.
The children of those pastors who ran away from the doctrinal battle are now graduating with huge debts and no jobs. Many of the ovine shepherds no longer have a call. Afraid of the consequences of speaking up, they are paying the price now. More accurately, their own children are paying the price.
---
bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "The Sheep Are Seeing Their Own Lambs Punished - Th...":
From what I've seen, the congregations don't send as much money to synod--and it's the synod which is supposed to subsidize the synodical schools.
On this blog and others I've seen comments complaining about how Lutherans don't have large families anymore, and this is the reason for the decline in membership. The synodical schools don't help in this regard, though. Their tuition is pricey, and while there is a small break for a 2nd and 3rd child enrolled, it barely put a dent in the total bill. The message sent by the synod and society is don't have large families, hence the synod is at fault for its own declining membership.
Remember that pastor in west-central Wisconsin that died falling off a ladder while trimming a tree? A month later the church posted a letter saying that he sent his sons through synodical schools, and thus left his wife penniless. The letter was asking for donations so she could at least put down a down payment on a house. Fortunately, housing is cheaper in rural parts of Wisconsin (and Minnesota.)
What really troublesome is the synod doesn't pester congregations don't send money in to synod. Not only do I know this is the case from my familiarity with one WELS congregation that paid its pastor according to synodical guidelines, but then didn't send a dime in to synod, but when the synodical budget tanked at the start of the Great Recession, people were saying for the first time, that we have to put the screws to those congregations that don't give anything, or nothing. So the synod is at fault for its own budget predicament. Moreover, it makes the student and pastors rather cynical. They paid their dues for getting into the pension plan via tuition and years of study, and so they deserve higher wages and a pension, the thinking goes.
***
GJ - WELS is certainly large enough to have a group life policy on every church worker, payable to the spouse. They could even bill the congregation if they had to do it. Ministers and teachers are long-lived as a group. I had a group life policy in the LCA. The results were so good that the coverage went up over the years. Accidental death, which is more likely at an earlier age, could be included for a tiny amount of money. There is something in the Bible about leaving widows penniless, but there is nothing about the need to attend Fuller Seminary. The priorities are wrong in that flint-hearted sect.
