# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S289
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

IX. REPORT OF THE RES. 5-14A TASK FORCE

289

experientially in resident field education and in some basic pastoral skill
courses. And they have completed a vicarage, with the same requirements
and reports as the residential program.
51. The call is valid, but the individual in the call, by the rubrics of the
program, can no longer remain on the roster of the Synod. Therefore he must
resign from the roster and from the congregation, since a congregation is not
allowed by the Bylaws to be served by a pastor not on the roster of the Synod.
52. Task Force Recommendation 1 (see above) recognizes that specific
ministry pastors constitute a category of pastors always under the supervision
of a general pastor (de jure humano).
53. This does not mean that commissioned ministers would be doing
Word and Sacrament pastoral ministry, but serve in positions that support and
assist the pastoral office.
54. The task force recognizes this proposed change is controversial. SMP
was designed, among other things, to “regularize” those situations where
licensed deacons were serving as de facto pastors without ordination. Would
delaying ordination until the end of the SMP program increase the amount of
time or the likelihood that men will be serving as de facto pastors without the
recognition of the wider church through ordination? The task force believes
this should not be the case but that normally the vicarage supervisor/mentor
(or another pastor could be found) should preside for the administration of the
Sacraments. In most areas of the church, that should be possible. However,
in those areas where, due to distance or other insurmountable factors, the district president and congregation could be allowed to ask for the student to be
ordained half way through the program.
55. See the specific recommendations of the 4-06A Task Force, especially Recommendation 1 (Colloquy for Licensed Lay Deacons) “ … that
those licensed lay deacons who are regularly preaching and administering
the Sacraments be required to apply for a colloquy to examine their ability
to teach and overall fitness for ministry. Upon certification by the Colloquy
Committee they will be called by the congregations where they have been serving, ordained into the Office of the Public Ministry, and placed on the roster
of specific ministry pastors.”
56. All bylaw references are taken from the 2013 Handbook.

2016 Convention Workbook