# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S332
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

332 HIGHER EDUCATION

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod, as-
sembled in convention at Anaheim, decline the overture of the
Board of Directors of the Northwest District to appoint a Board
of Examiners to certify Seminex graduates: and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod continue to empower the two
faculties of our two synodical seminaries to certify the candi-
dates of those schools for the holy ministry.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Maltby, Wash.

George Stocker, President

Larry L. Reinhardt, Pastor

Louis M. Wetzel, Secretary

6-46

To Require Proper Procedure
in Admitting Candidates for the
Ministry

WHEREAS, Scripture enjoins certain special qualifications for
the office of the ministry of the Word: and

WHEREAS. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has
traditionally considered the Pauline injunction very important
that a pastor ought to “hold fast the faithful Word as he has been
taught’: and

WHEREAS. One of the central objectives for the organization
of the Synod was to train pastors who would hold fast to the
prophetic and apostolic Word: and

WHEREAS, One of the main reasons for the organization of
the LCMS was to certify qualified men for the office of the
ministry and thus to assure member congregations that men
called as pastors from the list of those so approved would be
faithful to their calling in the Biblical and Lutheran sense of
the word: and

WHEREAS. The Synod has entrusted the task of training and
certifying pastors to the faculties of Concordia Theological
Seminary. Springfield. and Concordia Seminary. St. Louis:
therefore be it

Resolred. That the Synod reaffirm its commitment to thor-
ough training and careful certification of pastors: and be it
further

Resolved. That in the LCMS only such men will be admitted
into the ministry of the Word through ordination, commissioning.
or any other rite as have either been admitted through the
official colloquy program of the Synod to the list of eligible
candidates or have been trained and certified by either Con-
cordia Theological Seminary. Springfield. or Concordia Semi-
nary. St. Louis.

Faculty

Concordia Theological Seminary
Springfield. Ill.

Robert Preus. President

6-47

To Reaffirm Bylaws re Ministerial
Training and Placement

WHEREAS. The Commission on Constitutional Matters has
made it clear that no congregation may employ either tempo-
rarily or permanently a student who has not been certified or
approved by the faculty of one of the two seminaries of the
LCMS or by the Colloquy Board: and

WHEREAS. The Handbook of the Synod has been violated by
some members of the Synod through the ordination and place-
ment of Seminex graduates: and

WHEREAS. Such irregular procedures cause confusion,
violate good order. and are contrary to the synodical principle
of “walking together’: therefore be it

Resolved. That the LCMS in convention assembled reaffirm
those Handbook sections that deal with ministerial training and

placement, particularly those which provide that congregations
may call, ordain, or employ either temporarily or permanently
only those who have been approved by the faculty of one of the
two seminaries of the LCMS or by the Colloquy Board: and
be it further

Resolved. That the District Presidents be asked to deal
pastorally with those members of the LCMS who have violated
these sections of the synodical Handbook: and be it finally

Resolved. That those congregations which violate section
4.01 a of the synodical Handbook be dealt with and those who
persist in such violations be expelled from The Lutheran
Church ~ Missouri Synod in keeping with section 4.01 b,

St. John’s Lutheran Church
Brule, Nebr.

Clifford McBride. Chairman
Richard Johnson, Secretary

6-48

To Establish Review Process for
Endorsing Candidates to Pastoral and
Teaching Ministry

WHEREAS, The historic practice of the Lutheran Church
and of our own Synod for many years required an examination
of candidates for the pastoral and teaching ministry by an
examining committee other than the faculty which had trained
such persons: and

WHEREAS, The situation which requires that the faculty
of the institution which has trained such persons alone be the
certifying or endorsing body for the church places an unde-
sirable burden upon such faculties and involves a conflict of
interest: and

WHEREAS, Such candidates should receive endorsement by
the church, not merely by a theological faculty: and

WHEREAS, Such a procedure for the examination and en-
dorsement of candidates would have prevented the present
difficulties involved in the proper certification of many young
men for the pastoral ministry in our Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod assembled in convention at Ana-
heim instruct the President and Vice-Presidents of the Synod,
together with the Council of Presidents, the presidents of the
St. Louis and Springfield seminaries, and the presidents of our
terminal teacher training schools to prepare appropriate pro-
cedures for such examination and endorsement of the candi-
dates: and be it further

Resolved, That, together with the Commission on Constitu-
tional Matters, appropriate Bylaws be prepared to establish
such procedures: and be it finally

Resolved, That such Bylaws be presented to the 1977 con-
vention of the Synod for consideration and approval.

Board of Directors
Montana District
Paul Blunck, Secretary

To Establish Procedures Toward
Certification of Uncertified
Graduates of the “Joint Project”

WHEREAS. The Lutheran Church ~ Missouri Synod has en-
trusted to the faculties of her two theological seminaries the
responsibility for certifying men for ordination to the minis-
terium of the Synod: and

WHEREAS. Both seminaries have had a long-standing policy
of requiring candidates for the ministry to spend at least 1 year
immediately prior to certification in a program of study at the
seminary whose faculty provides certification: and

WHEREAS, Candidates for the ministry who are certified