LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 320

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

320

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

concept of “ministry.” Such offices call for functions that not only are
necessary for the functioning of the public ministry but that only the church
performs as an institution. Thus, the teaching of the faith in a Christian
school is a function unique to the church. Properly speaking, a professional,
trained teacher who is called as a teacher by the church may be said to be
performing a function of the office of the public ministry. The teaching of the
faith to the children and youth of the flock is a major duty of the pastoral
office. To refer to it as “the teaching ministry” is less awkward and readily
understandable in the church.

By using the term “teaching ministry” we are indicating the special
nature of the auxiliary office of teacher in our church. One who is in the
“teaching ministry” (man or woman) meets the following qualifications
established by the church. He or she

— has been trained in the educational institutions of the church, has
received specific training in the understanding and teaching of
religion, and has been certified as suitable and eligible for the teaching
ministry by a faculty of the church. In some cases the requirements
have been met by means of a colloquy program that includes training
and evaluation

— has been placed into the teaching ministry formally and officially by an
assignment of the Board of Assignments. which is the Council of
Presidents of the Synod.

— is given authority to function in the teaching ministry in specific places
by the formal call of a congregation or other legitimate calling agency
(e.g., a District. the Synod, or others).

— serves under the supervision of the called pastor in a congregation or
under other pastoral supervision in nonparish calls

— does work that is specifically spiritual in nature. Although he; she may
teach some “secular” subject, the philosophy of Lutheran education
includes the demand that the faith of the church be evident in all
activities of the school. Law and Gospel, sin and grace are operative in
the curricu:um and methodology of a Lutheran schoo!

— knows and publicly subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions

— is accepted formally as a member of the Synod, with the obligation to
attend official conferences and District conventions

— may be chosen to represent groups of teachers as a delegate to
conventions of the Synod.

— is answerable for the confessional purity of his her teaching and 1s
pledged to a life that befits the Gospel of Jesus Christ

— may be removed from office because of impure doctrine, an ungodly
life, or incompetence

— is pledged to be concerned for the spiritual and eternal welfare of
those committed to his; her care

18

G. PARISH AND NON-PARISH PASTORS

In considering the office of the public ministry one must consider the
relationship between “parish pastors” and “non parish pastors.” Some would
deny the necessity for any distinction. To them only men whose office of the
public ministry is carried out as pastors of congregations that are geo-
graphically locatable are really in the ministry of Word and sacrament.
Others point to the personnel listing for The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod in The Lutheran Annual. It includes 18 categories under the heading
“Pastors of Missouri Synod.” Only one of them is “parish pastor.” To be sure,
the vast majority of names listed are designated as “parish pastor,” and the
parish pastorate is the primary form of the pastorate. But other kinds of
pastors serve to provide a support system for the work of the parish pastor
and his congregation. The classification code of the Synod also includes such
designations as “Administration-District,” ‘“Administration-Synod,”
“Campus Pastor,” “Military Chaplain,” “Professor Serving a Synodical
School." These are all listed as “pastors” and are often called “pastor” by
people in the church. The question therefore arises whether or not only
parish pastors are holders of the office of the public ministry

Some would solve problems in this area by asking what a man does
during the week. Does he preach from the pulpit every Sunday? Does he
celebrate communion once a month or more often? Does he make sick and
shut-in calls? On that score only parish pastors—and not even some of
them—would qualify as being in the office of the public ministry.

The more theologically appropriate questions to ask are the following:
Has the church found an individual to be qualified for the office of the public
ministry? Has the church called him to exercise an overseeing and
shepherding ministry in the church? Has the church formally called him to
hold the office of the public ministry and entrusted him with the responsibility
of that office, even though it may ask him to specialize in certain functions of
this office? And is he, upon installation into the office, pledged to be and
remain accountable for the faithful conduct of his office to God, to the
church, and to the believers committed to his care? Questions such as these
indicate a need for clarity and precision in the issuing of “calls.”

The question is also asked: Is it possible to exercise the office of
shepherd and overseer in the church only in a typical parish situation? In the
case of “administrative officials,” for instance, is the church calling as an
“elder of the church” a man qualified to exercise oversight when it calls him to
be a District president? or a seminary professor? or a campus pastor? The
answer may be yes or no. It depends on the call. If a man is asked merely to
perform a necessary but only secular function for the church but is not called
to public accountability as an overseer in the church, hes not in the office of
the public ministry. However, District presidents who are charged with the
oversight of the overseers of the flock, or professors who are charged with

20

Although not pledged to remain in the teaching office for a lifetime, the
normal expectancy of the church and of teacher candidates is that, unless
prevented by persona! circumstances, the teaching ministry of an individual
will be followed as a lifelong calling.

These are the criteria by which our church designates the occupants of
its teaching ministry office.

F. ONE MINISTRY OR MANY?

Is there one ministry in the church or many?" In common parlance we do
refer to “the pastoral ministry,” “the teaching ministry,” “the youth ministry,”
“the music ministry.” Such terminology does convey meaning. It usually
indicates that someone functions in a special way in the church by
authorization of the church, usually full time and in a capacity that supports
the ministry of Word and sacrament. However, less than cautious use of the
term “minister” and “ministry” tends to blur the distinctions that need to be
made and leads to practices that are theologically insupportable and that
confuse the church about the doctrine of the ministry.

Putting it simply, there is only one pastoral office, but the office which we
formally refer to as “the office of the public ministry” has multiple functions,
some of which are best handled by another, e.g., the parochial school teacher
who is performing that function of the pastoral office. The pastoral office with
all of its functions is mandated for the church. Other offices are established
by the church to assist in carrying out pastoral functions.

Thus, we may speak of various “ministries” in and of the church, but we
must be careful to distinguish them properly. An office is not defined solely by
what one who holds it does (function) but by the duties, responsibility, and
accountability assigned to it. The pastoral office is unique in that all the
functions of the church's ministry belong to it.

*Cf. Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 3d ed.
under “Amt.” “Strictly speaking only the Lutherans have a
doctrine of the ministry, while at the corresponding place the
Calvinists treat of ministries {Aemter, offices} and the Roman
Catholics and Orthodox, as well as, in their own way, the
Anglicans, of the hierarchy . . . . Lutheranism powerfully
underscores, with its doctrine of the preaching ministry
[Predigtamr] (AC 5) as the ministry [Amt], the position of the
Gospel as the lifegiving center of the congregation.” (Our
translation.)

19

the oversight of the men who are preparing to be the shepherds of the
church, or men who are charged with the oversight of the faith and life of the
church's youth on a college campus or in the military can be properly said to
be serving in the office of the public ministry of the church.

This paper cannot delineate all of the possible ways in which the church
may need to assign her spiritual leaders. Good order requires, however, that
the church itself carefully define the offices and their functions to which it
summons its spiritual leaders. It should exercise good stewardship in not
thoughtlessly drawing men from the office of the public ministry to tasks that
are necessary but that do not require one of the pastors of the church. Or, ifa
man agrees to accept a position that is not within the scope of the pastoral
ministry, he should no longer function as a holder of the office of the public
ministry but as a lay member of the church. Confusion occurs when men
“resign from the ministry” but continue to appear as holders of the office of
the public ministry doing such things as accepting occasional preaching
engagements, performing marriages, or setting up business as ministerial
marriage counselors. Since by such behavior a man holds himself forth as a
pastor and performs pastoral functions without a cali and without the
authorization of the church—indeed having removed himself from the
ministry—his actions must be declared wrong.®

Aman who has been called by the church to serve as an elder who labors
in Word and sacrament other than as a parish pastor is available to the whole
confessional fellowship of the church to preach the Word, administer the
sacraments, or perform any of the functions of the office of the public
ministry at the invitation of any segment of the church. He does not need to
be “called” each time he accepts an invitation to preach. The common usage
of the church seems to sense this. Confusion arises when we assume that the
church can function only as one congregation at a time, or that the ministry of
Word and sacrament must be defined only in terms of the activities of a
parish pastor. Worse confusion arises when a man who once held the office
of the public ministry continues to function as such after he has publicly
disavowed his call from the church.

We may say here that this same principle applies to auxiliary offices of
the public ministry. A teacher of the church is defined not solely by his or her

*Ct. “A Statement on the Relationship of the Ordained
Ministry to Pastoral Counseling.” This statement, approved in
1978 by the Standing Committees of the Divison of Theological
Studies and the Department of Specialized Pastoral Care and
Clinical Education of the Lutheran Council in the USA, is
available from LCUSA, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, N. Y.
10010.

21