# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S77
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
dia University, Irvine, conducts classes in Lutheran theology
for Korean speakers ordained elsewhere who wish to colloquize
into the Synod. These men are interviewed every January by the
Chairman of the Colloquy Committee, together with Dr. Moon
and others, and then presented to the full committee at a subsequent meeting. During the triennium now ending, 10 men were
certified through this Korean colloquy program. In addition, as
of this writing, a total of 41 men were certified by the normal
process July 2016 through the end of 2018, for a total of 51
men certified for call and placement as “general” pastors of the
Synod during that time frame. As will be seen below, the past
two years, however, have been anything but typical.
The 2016 Convention of the Synod adopted Res. 13-02A,
“To Regularize Status of Licensed Lay Deacons Involved in
Word and Sacrament Ministry.” Pertinent sections of this resolution state,
Resolved, That the Colloquy Committee for
the Pastoral Ministry establish and implement
an expanded regional colloquy program (with
appropriate regional colloquy committees) to
regularize the status of current licensed lay deacons (LLDs) who are 50 years of age or older
and who have been preaching the Gospel and/
or administering the Sacraments publicly on
behalf of the church for the past two years (de
facto pastors), so that these servants of Christ
can be called and ordained according to the order of the LCMS and be rostered as pastors with
SMP status; and be it further
Resolved, That exceptions to the SMP colloquy
requirements with respect to age and years of
service for LLDs may be granted by the appropriate regional colloquy committee with the approval of the respective district president and the
plenary of the Council of Presidents; and be it
further . . .
Resolved, That until Jan. 1, 2018, district presidents may train and annually license lay deacons
to preach publicly and to administer the Sacraments. Beyond that date in exceptional cases,
as defined in (1) and (2) below, the appropriate
district president may annually grant licensure
with the consent of the plenary of the Council
of Presidents and the Colloquy Committee for
the Pastoral Ministry:
(1) The deacon serves under the direct supervision of an ordained pastor and is currently
enrolled in or preparing for one of the LCMS
training tracks for the Office of Public Ministry
and participates in the public ministry as an aspect of his training (e.g., in preparation for SMP,
EIIT, etc.); or
(2) The deacon serves in distinctive aspects of
the Office of Public Ministry (that is, preaching
or administration of the Sacraments) only during times of emergency or extraordinary need
(when there is no ordained pastor available or
able to serve), only on a temporary or occasional

77

basis, and under the direct supervision of an ordained pastor;
and be it further
Resolved, That those deacons currently licensed
for and serving in Word and Sacrament Ministry (that is, publicly preaching and administering
the Sacraments) shall have until July 1, 2018, to:
(1) apply to one of our seminaries for admission
into an alternate route program;
(2) apply for entrance into an SMP program; or
(3) apply to the regional colloquy committee for
admission to the SMP roster, unless granted a
waiver by his district president, the plenary of
the Council of Presidents, and the appropriate
regional colloquy committee; (2016 Synod Convention Proceedings, pp. 237–239).
In essence, this resolution applied to all licensed lay deacons who were functioning as de facto pastors, that is, preaching and presiding on a consistent and continuing basis, and for
whom there is a congregation desiring to call and ordain them.
Such men were given several choices: (1) enter a seminary program (MDiv, alternate route, seminary SMP, EIIT, CHS, etc.);
(2) apply for colloquy through a regional colloquy committee
working under the Synod Colloquy Committee; or (3) cease
ministry by July 1, 2018 (unless he has applied for one of the
above programs). In addition, as referenced above, Res. 13-02A
allows congregations to apply to the Colloquy Committee and
the Council of Presidents for a one-year waiver to continue to
be served by a licensed lay deacon after July 1, 2018. Implementation of this resolution required a significant investment of
time by both the undersigned and the Colloquy Committee for
the Pastoral Ministry. Steps in this process included
1. Preparation of a detailed policy manual by the chairman, together with a committee of district presidents
appointed by the Council of Presidents (Presidents
Paul Linnemann, Derek Lecakes, and Roger Paavola).
2. One-week seminary intensive courses taught by seminary professors held for licensed lay deacons in four
places: Memphis, TN, Portland, OR, Fort Wayne, IN,
and Irvine, CA.
3. Receiving the applications and assigning them to regional colloquy interview committees.
4. Interviews with regional colloquy committees made up
of the First Vice-President as Chair, the local district
president, a seminary representative, a representative
of the local district board of directors, and a pastor
experienced in supervising licensed lay deacons.
5. Recommendations of the regional committees were
ratified by the Synod’s Colloquy Committee for the
Pastoral Ministry.
The significant investment of both time and resources entailed by the implementation of Res. 13-02A can be illustrated
by the numbers of men brought through both processes since
January 1, 2018.
2019 Convention Workbook