# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S449
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES
76). Of note, the Center for Hispanic Studies, the Ethnic Immigrant
Institute of Theology, and the Deaf Institute of Theology, all of
which lead to “General Pastor” roster status, do not require either
Biblical language; therefore be it
Resolved, That the English District in convention call upon the
LCMS to require instruction in both Biblical Hebrew and Koine
Greek as prerequisites for admission to the Office of the
Holy/Public Ministry; and be it further
Resolved, That the English District in convention encourage our
seminaries, with Synod funding, to include Biblical Hebrew and
Koine Greek in the curricula for all of the pathways to the Office of
the Holy/Public Ministry; and be it finally
Resolved, That the English District in convention urge our
seminaries to develop continuing education opportunities for all
pastors to obtain and review such training.
English District
Ov. 6-03

To Increase the Academic Standards
of the Synod’s “Specific Ministry Pastor”
(SMP) Program
WHEREAS, Jesus sets an example of the importance of a robust
theological education by teaching his disciples for nearly three
uninterrupted years during which time he warns them to “beware
the leaven of the Pharisees” (Matt. 16:6), along with many other
admonitions to watch, pray, guard and then to baptize and teach all
nations “to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20);
and
WHEREAS, After his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul
goes away into Arabia to learn the Scriptures anew in light of the
death and resurrection of Jesus and after three years goes up to
Jerusalem to present himself to Peter and to the other Apostles to be
recognized as one called by God to preach and teach (Acts 9; Gal.
1:17–18); and
WHEREAS, After he had preached and taught for many years,
Paul says to pastor Timothy, “Command and teach these things …
set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith,
in purity … devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to
exhortation, to teaching … keep a close watch on yourself and on
the teaching” (1 Tim. 4:11–13, 16). Paul also challenges Timothy
to “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a
worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word
of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), and to “preach the word; be ready in season
and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete
patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not
endure sound teaching …” (2 Tim. 4:2–3a); and
WHEREAS, “Handling the Word of Truth” rightly requires
diligent study of God’s Word and our Lutheran Confessions, basic
understanding of the original Biblical languages, of the dogmatics
and historical texts of the church, of the many heresies that the devil
continues to promote, of hermeneutical principles and homiletical
approaches as well as a good grasp of the entirety of God’s Word
coupled with an aptitude to teach; and
WHEREAS, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), so too does
he desire to destroy the teacher and the pure teaching of God’s Word
of Truth; and

449

WHEREAS, Due to the importance of the work and the challenges
of the vocation, the church is cautioned by Jesus’ brother James,
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you
know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness”
(James 3:1); and
WHEREAS, A teacher who teaches falsely, even from ignorance,
leads many astray from the Truth (Matt. 5:19–20; 18:6); and
WHEREAS, We desire to protect hearers of the Word from false
teaching as well as those who preach the Word from being
unprepared for their divinely given task; and
WHEREAS, Our congregations need well-trained pastors and the
men who dedicate themselves to this high calling need to be wellprepared to succeed in the task for which they are sent; and
WHEREAS, World Lutheranism continues to look to our
seminaries to send teachers and to receive students so that their
church bodies may benefit from greater theological education; and
WHEREAS, Both of our seminaries have recently undergone
adjustments and improvements to their curricula to better serve the
residential students; and
WHEREAS, The education of pastors remains one of the matters
of primary importance, and is one of the reasons the Synod exists;
and
WHEREAS, The Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program of
Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis (CSL), requires only a total of 16
online courses that are taught over four years. Each class being only
“an 11-week class,” and each course is “counted as two-semester
credit-hour courses.” for a total of 32 credit-hours. After the ninth
course is completed, the man in the SMP program is called by and
ordained into the congregation that at the outset signed an
agreement with him to be their vicar and enter this program, he is
rostered as an SMP pastor and is permitted to administer the
Sacraments as any general pastor (“Specific Ministry Pastor,”
Concordia
Seminary,
csl.edu/academics/programs/specificministry-pastor-smp/); and
WHEREAS, Though the SMP program of Concordia Theological
Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), offers a slightly different
curriculum, the number of online courses and credit-hours are the
same as CSL’s program (“Specific Ministry Pastor,” Concordia
Theological
Seminary,
ctsfw.edu/futurestudents/pastoral/smp/program-structure/); and
WHEREAS, In dramatic contrast to the SMP program, the
alternate route program of CSL requires a total of 77 semester
credit-hours, distributed over two years of on-campus education
plus a year of vicarage, prior to Completion of the program,
certification, and ordination with no guarantee of a calling
congregation and placement. In addition, the Alternate Route
program of CTSFW requires 95 quarter credit-hours during two
years of on-campus education plus a year of vicarage and a
theological interview prior to completion of the program,
certification, and ordination, also with no guarantee of a calling
congregation and placement (“About the Alternate Route Program”
Concordia
Theological
Seminary,
ctsfw.edu/futurestudents/pastoral/ar/); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Montana District in convention memorialize
the Synod and her two seminaries, to immediately begin work to
bring the academic standards of the SMP program up to the
standards of the residential alternate route program by the start of
the academic year 2021 so that even though the time spent on

2019 Convention Workbook