# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2023_S326 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 326 PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES academic programs as compared with residential students; therefore be it Resolved, That the district in convention encourage the seminaries to award the same tuition assistance as residential students to their nonresidential students; and be it further Resolved, That the district hereby memorializes Synod to adopt this, or similar resolutions, at its next convention. Minnesota South District Ov. 6-09 To Encourage and Expand Support for Immigrant and Non-Anglo Pastoral Formation through Learning in Ministry, Non-Residential, Distance Programs that Lead to Ordination WHEREAS, Jesus said, “The Harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:37–38); and WHEREAS, Jesus set an example of what a robust theological education looks like by teaching His disciples theology while they were, at the exact same time, engaged in real-world, real-time, hands-on ministry with Him; and WHEREAS, The Apostle Paul educated and raised up new pastors and leaders by inviting them to join him and assist him and work alongside him in real-world, real-time, hands-on ministry; and WHEREAS, God is bringing thousands of new immigrants to our communities and thereby providing our congregations with new and vast harvest fields; and WHEREAS, Our Pacific Southwest District pastors and congregations are identifying new potential pastoral leaders in and among these immigrant, non-Anglo communities; and WHEREAS, The pool of men who are interested in and gifted for pastoral ministry and who are, at the same time, able to give up jobs, sell homes, and relocate their spouse and children to either St. Louis, Mo. or Fort Wayne, Ind. continues to get smaller; and WHEREAS, An unintended consequence of Synod promoting residential seminary education as the preferred option for the preparation of men for pastoral ministry (2019 Res. 6-02, Proceedings, 158) is that non-residential, immigrant students receive, proportionally, a lower percentage of tuition aid from the seminary to cover the costs of their academic programs than do residential students; and WHEREAS, Pastors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod are retiring in larger numbers than ever before (an estimated 1/3 of our congregations will be without a pastor by 2035) and the number of men entering our seminaries is less than what is needed to replace these faithful servants and expand further mission and ministry; therefore be it Resolved, That the district in convention encourage its pastors, leaders, and congregations to continue to cultivate, from our immigrant, non-Anglo communities, new leaders who are intentionally engaged in the mission of God; and be it further Resolved, That the district in convention memorialize the 2023 Synod convention to encourage the seminaries to maintain and strengthen their non-residential, learning-in-ministry, distance programs, and to award financial aid more equitably toward the students in these programs. 2023 Convention Workbook Pacific Southwest District Ov. 6-10 To Encourage and Support Existing Learning-In-Ministry, Non-Residential, Distance Programs Leading to Ordination WHEREAS, Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2); and WHEREAS, Jesus set an example of what a robust theological education looks like by teaching His disciples theology while they were, at the exact same time, engaged in real-world, real-time, hands-on ministry with Him; and WHEREAS, The apostle Paul educated and raised up new pastors and leaders by inviting them to join him and assist him and work alongside him in real-world, real-time, hands-on ministry; and WHEREAS, God is bringing thousands of new immigrants to our communities and thereby providing our congregations with new and vast harvest fields; and WHEREAS, Synod pastors and congregations are identifying new potential pastoral leaders in and among immigrant, non-Anglo and Anglo communities; and WHEREAS, The pool of men who are interested in and gifted for pastoral ministry and who are, at the same time, able to give up jobs, sell homes, and relocate their spouse and children to either St. Louis, Mo., or Fort Wayne, Ind., continues to get smaller; and WHEREAS, Our Synod seminaries have established a successful track record of providing distance (non-residential) theological education through the Specific Ministry Pastor, Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology, Cross Cultural Ministry Center, and Center for Hispanic Studies programs; and WHEREAS, These non-residential, learning-in-ministry seminary programs support our districts and their congregations in our joint efforts to cultivate leaders who are intentionally engaged in the mission of God; and WHEREAS, An unintended consequence of Synod promoting residential seminary education as the preferred option for the preparation of men for pastoral ministry (2019 Resolution 6-02, Proceedings, 158) is that non-residential students receive, proportionally, a lower percentage of tuition aid from the seminary to cover the costs of their academic programs than do residential students; and WHEREAS, The demographics of the Synod reveal a reduced pool of men to recruit for the ministry, which is estimated to result in a 50 percent reduction in the number of active pastors by 2032; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod in convention give thanks for the new pastors and leaders that God has been, and still is, raising up among us from our immigrant, non-Anglo and Anglo communities; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage the seminaries to maintain and strengthen their non-residential, learning-in-ministry, distance programs; and be it finally Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage the seminaries to award financial aid more equitably to its nonresidential, learning-in-ministry students. Florida-Georgia District