# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S227
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Seminary and University Education
5-27

To Encourage Continuing Support of Specific
Ministry Pastor Program
Whereas, Mission work is emerging in new forms requiring a
variety of mission leaders; and
Whereas, There is an unmet need for qualified and capable mission planters to provide the necessary leadership for this work; and
Whereas, There are ministry settings that are vacant and waiting for a worker; and
Whereas, Ministries of the Southeastern District and other districts are being blessed with the service of workers who have come
through alternate routes of ministry education, especially that of the
Specific Ministry Pastor program; and
Whereas, “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); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Southeastern District in convention commend
the LCMS for its bold and courageous work in addressing a real need
with a real solution through the adoption of alternate route programs,
such as the Specific Ministry Pastor program; and be it further
Resolved, That the Southeastern District in convention commend
the seminaries for their work in the development and execution of
this program; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Southeastern District memorialize the LCMS
in convention to continue offering the Specific Ministry Pastor program so that new workers for specific ministries are prepared for
service to the church.
Southeastern District; Florida-Georgia District
5-28

To Upgrade SMP Program
Whereas, Holy Scripture sets high standards for the theological
aptitude of pastors, saying that they are to be “able to teach” (1 Tim.
3:2) and “able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke
those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9), and that “not many of you should
become teachers, my brothers” (James 3:1); and
Whereas, The curriculum and standards for the Specific Ministry
Pastor (SMP) program are significantly lower than they are for the
M.Div. program at our two residential seminaries; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod President and the two seminaries work
together to upgrade the curriculum and standards of the Specific
Ministry Pastor program, bringing them more in line with the curriculum and standards of the residential seminaries.
Farmington Circuit Forum, Missouri District; St. Matthew, Bonne
Terre, MO
5-29

To Discontinue Specific Ministry Pastor Program
Whereas, Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Office of the
Holy Ministry so that called men preach the Word and administer
the Sacraments; and
Whereas, The disciples left their homes to follow Christ (Matt.
19:27); and
Whereas, The Lutheran Confessions state that no one is to preach
or teach without a proper call (Augsburg Confession XIV); and

227

Whereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has two seminaries of the highest quality, providing for the acquisition of sound
theological knowledge; and
Whereas, Each congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, whether large or small, deserves a pastor with theological
training formed in residence at the seminary; and
Whereas, The Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program is causing
much concern in our Synod among the laity and clergy; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2013 LCMS convention discontinue the SMP
program and encourage men presently enrolled in the program to
take up residence at one of the seminaries of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod.
Dubuque Circuit
Iowa District East
5-30

To Appoint a Task Force to Review the SMP
Program
Whereas, The “Specific Ministry Pastor” (SMP) program was
adopted in 2007 with the claim that it would produce “church planters and missionaries” (2007 Convention Proceedings, p. 133); and
Whereas, The SMP program to date has produced no “church
planters” or “missionaries” but, rather, 70 percent of the students in
the program are identified as “staff pastors” of large congregations
(2010–11 enrollment statistics); and
Whereas, The SMP program altered the pastoral training admissions process so that the district offices are heavily involved in the
admissions process with the seminaries, and this inhibits the seminary admissions offices from fulfilling their vocation of ensuring that
candidates for seminary admission meet the biblical requirements for
admission to the pastoral ministry as found in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and
Titus 1:6–9; and
Whereas, There continues to be concern about the fact that SMP
students receive about one-third the amount of training as M.Div. students and also do not have to be graduates of a college or high school;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the admissions process for the SMP program be
immediately turned over to the sole authority of the seminaries so that
all students received for the pastoral ministry, in any program, have
the same process and same rigorous examination of fitness for ministry; and be it further
Resolved, That any duties held by district offices in the pastoral
training admissions process be reduced to whatever they presently
have in the M.Div. program; and be it finally
Resolved, That the President of the Synod appoint a task force
from faculty members of both seminaries and members of the
Council of Presidents to review the SMP program, assess its graduates, and report its findings and recommendations to the 2016 Synod
convention.
Trinity Lutheran Church, Evansville, Indiana; Zion, Corunna, IN
5-31

To Commend and Enhance Specific Ministry
Pastor Program
Whereas, The Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program was
adopted by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention
for the purpose of answering the call to raise up workers for the

2013 Convention Workbook