# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S422 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 422 Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Task Force provides the procedures to carry out Article XIII of the Constitution, “Expulsion from the Synod.” However, it does not provide the procedure for the expulsion of the district presidents and the officers of the Synod (Bylaw section 2.15), the President of the Synod (Bylaw section 2.16), or individual members in cases involving sexual misconduct or criminal behavior (Bylaw section 2.17). (C) Add a new section at the beginning of Bylaw section 2.13 to define a “specific ministry pastor” and the limitations on membership privileges and responsibilities that pertain, as follows: Specific Ministry Pastor Status and Limitations 2.13.1 A “specific ministry pastor” is a minister of religion—ordained who has completed the requirementsfor service as a specific ministry context for which he has been trained and may not be offered or accept a call for ministry for which he has not been certified as determined by his district president. He shall serve under the supervision of his district president and another pastor who is not a specific ministry pastor. (a) Because he is under supervision of another pastor and because a specific ministry pastor’s theological education has been formed in part by and for a specific ministry context, he may not be placed or called into ecclesiastical roles that exercise pastoral oversight outside the location of his call. (b) A specific ministry pastor is not eligible to (1) serve as a voting delegate to a national convention of the Synod—but may serve as an advisory delegate to national conventions and as a pastoral delegate to district conventions; (2) hold any elected or appointed office on the district or national Synod level that is assigned by the Bylaws of the Synod to “a pastor” or “an ordained minister” (although specific ministry pastors may serve in all other capacities, especially representing the ministerial contexts in which they serve); (3) supervise vicars; or (4) serve as a circuit counselor. (c) The ministers of religion—ordained records maintained by district presidents as well as the official membership roster of the Synod shall distinguish between specific ministry pastors and other pastors. (D) Change the titles and bylaw numbering of subsequent paragraphs of Bylaw section 2.13 to accommodate the introduction of the “specific ministry pastor status and limitations” paragraphs, as follows: Restricted Status and Limitations 2.13.3 2.13.2 An individual member of the Synod may be placed... Removal of Restricted Status and Limitations 2.13.4 2.13.3 An individual member of the Synod who is placed... Suspended Status and Limitations 2.13.5 2.13.4 When formal proceedings have been commenced... (E) Change Bylaw 3.1.3.1 to read as follows: 3.1.3.1 Each district shall select one advisory delegate for every 60 advisory ordained ministers and specific ministry pastors, and one advisory delegate for every 60 commissioned ministers on the roster of the Synod. Fractional groupings shall be disregarded except that each district shall be entitled to at least one advisory delegate in each category. And be it further Resolved, That the DELTO Oversight Committee be renamed the Specific Ministry Pastor Committee; and be it further 2013 Convention Workbook Resolved, That the Specific Ministry Pastor Committee be placed under the supervision of the Board for Pastoral Education; and be it further Resolved, That the Specific Ministry Pastor Committee develop comprehensive guidelines that are consistent with the theological foundations, educational expectations, rostering process, training of mentors and supervising pastors, and membership limitations intended for this Specific Ministry Pastor Program; and be it finally Resolved, That the Specific Ministry Pastor Committee submit a progress report to the Synod at least nine months prior to the 2010 convention. Action: Adopted (8) (Discussion of this proposed action began during Session 3, when the assembly received background information for Res. 5-01A and received answers during a Q & A session with the committee. The committee announced that the introductory information preceding the actual resolution was supplied only to inform the convention’s decision. The Q & A session continued during Session 5 until Res. 5-01B was introduced by the committee and discussion continued for the remainder of the committee’s allotted time. During Session 8, the committee called attention to several changes, inserting “certification,” before the words “call and ordination” in the second paragraph under step 3 of the introductory information; inserting “or ‘an ordained minister’” after “a pastor” in paragraph a. of step 5 of the introductory information; and inserting the words “or ‘an ordained minister’” after “a pastor” in paragraph (b) (2) of proposed Bylaw 2.13.1. A lengthy amendment was proposed for the introductory materials accompanying the resolution, which the chair ruled a substitute motion and which was not accepted for consideration by the convention. An amendment to delete the words “others responsible for the program” in the first resolve and replace them with “Board for Pastoral Education and Council of Presidents” was agreed to by the committee. An amendment was introduced to delete all of Step 6 after the word “Program” and to replace it with “will be expected, whenever possible, to pursue the path to become a “general ministry pastor.” To accomplish this:”—also deleting the next line, “1. They may remain rostered as a specific ministry pastor.” An amendment to the amendment was then introduced to replace the word “expected” in the amendment with “encouraged.” After further debate, the amendment to the amendment was adopted, but the amended amendment failed to be adopted. As discussion returned to the original resolution, a motion was introduced to add a final resolve: “Resolved, That the Specific Ministry Pastor Committee submit a progress report to the Synod at least nine months prior to the 2010 convention.” After this change was agreed to by the committee, Res. 5-01B was adopted as changed [Yes: 908; No: 287].)