# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S447
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

3 district responded “Yes.”
7 districts responded “No.”
2 districts responded “Possibly.”

In your estimation, is the SMP program meeting the need(s) for which it was designed? If not, why
not?
February 2009 Results
February 2012 Results

11 districts responded “Yes.”
1 district responded “No.”
1 district responded “Donʼt Know.”

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3)

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RESOLUTION 5-01B
Overtures 5-01–10 (CW, pp. 205–216)
Background
Amidst today’s mission challenges, including the persistent
need to provide pastoral ministry in ways that go beyond
the current residential models, we will do well to engage
the best collaborative thinking and creativity that we
can muster to provide missional pastoral leadership driven
by the depth of theological integrity that remains a
hallmark of our church and its ministerium. The mission
focus ignited by the Ablaze! movement has generated the
need to identify laymen already in place in a local
community to serve as church planters and missionaries.
This work will certainly entail Word and Sacrament
ministry. Historically, The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod and its antecedents have attempted to meet such
needs by preparing men as quickly as possible to be called
and ordained in order to meet the urgent mission needs of
the church. Such men were prepared to catechize, preach,
and provide pastoral care. Within the LCMS, the need for

To Establish Specific Ministry
Pastor Program

Appendix 1

Are there situations in your district that are not currently being served by lay deacons, but will likely
be served by lay deacons in the future? If so, how many?
February 2009 Results
February 2012 Results

2)

22 districts responded “Yes”
3 districts responded “No”
10 districts – no response or unclear

15 districts responded “Yes”
12 districts responded “No”
8 districts – no response or unclear

Such an effort must attempt in some measure to uphold
two significant considerations in the service of our Lord’s
mission and Great Commission. On the one hand, we are

The Specific Ministry Pastor Program seeks to address the
needs of the church by reinstituting a multiple-track
approach and by developing a program that combines a
commitment to faithfulness to a Lutheran theological
confession with a missionary perspective and that is
tailored to the preparation of men for service
in specific kinds of ministries.

Ministers of religion—ordained will have two designations.
“General ministry pastor” will serve as the designation
for pastors graduated from a current approved theological
education program (e.g., M.Div., Certificate,
DELTO), and “specific ministry pastor” will be the
designation for those educated for a specific ministry
context through distance education.

such a track to ordination was initially embodied in the
seminary begun by F. C. D. Wyneken and Wilhelm Löhe in
Fort Wayne, Indiana. However, developments in
ministerial formation since World War II have effectively
eliminated this track altogether.

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17 districts responded “Yes”
14 districts responded “No”
4 districts - no response or unclear

10 districts responded “Yes.”
7 districts responded “No.”

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Are there situations in your district that are not currently being served by lay deacons, but could be
served by lay deacons if they were available? If so, how many?
February 2009 Results
February 2012 Results

1)

In addition to gaining data on the numbers of deacons involved in the particular categories above, please assist us by answering the
following questions:

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Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Task Force
447

2013 Convention Workbook