LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1989, Page 112

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112 RESOLUTIONS

ers, Lay programs approved by the Board for Higher Ed-
ucation Services be continued.

2. That Districts and other entities be assisted by the
Synod through the Board for Parish Services in developing
training programs for lay workers which are for a specific
context and are locally available.

3. That the training of lay workers by Districts and
other entities for service within the District be encouraged
and that minimum standards, including personal quali-
ties, skills, theological preparation, and academic training
appropriate to the field of service for which the prospective
worker is being prepared be established by the District.

4. That information and resources regarding the train-
ing of lay workers be gathered, developed, and dissemi-
nated by the Board for Parish Services reflecting current
use, supervision, trends, and issues.

5. That conferences for leaders in Districts, Circuits,
and other groupings of congregations training lay workers
be sponsored by the Board for Parish Services.

B. Nomenclature

In order to aid in removing the confusion with regard
to the nomenclature which exists at the present time, the
committee recommends the following:

1. That the category Certified Professional Church
Workers, Lay be changed to “Certified Church Workers,
Lay.”

2. That the present titles of positions in this category
be retained.

3. That locally trained workers be referred to as lay
workers and that those using these services be encouraged
to use titles other than those used by synodically certified
church workers.

4. That the title deacon be established by which a lay-
man would be addressed while he is temporarily serving
in Word and Sacrament ministry “in exceptional circum-
stances or in emergencies.” This title would distinguish
him from an ordained pastor.

C. Guidelines for Congregations regarding the Per-
formance of Pastoral Functions When No Ordained
Pastor Is Available

Lutherans believe, teach, and confess that God has in-
stituted the office of the public ministry (AC V) and that
“nobody should publicly teach or preach or administer the
sacraments in the church without a regular call” to serve
in this office (AC XIV). Therefore, only those who hold the
office of the public ministry should exercise distinctive
functions of this office. However, when no pastor is avail-
able, and in the absence of any specific Scriptural direc-
tives to the contrary, congregations may arrange for the
performance of these distinctive functions by qualified in-
dividuals, lest God’s people be deprived of the opportunity
for corporate worship and the celebration of the sacra-
ments. The following guidelines are presented in order to
assist congregations in providing for an orderly way of
carrying out distinctive functions of the pastoral office in
the absence of an ordained clergyman.

These guidelines consider four distinctive functions of

the office of the public ministry, as identified by the Com-
mission on Theology and Church Relations, namely,

© preaching in the services of the congregation;

@ leading the formal public services of worship;

@ the public administration of sacraments; and

@ the administration of the Office of the Keys as it pertains
to the public pronouncement of absolution and church
discipline.

1. Preaching in the Public Services

In dealing with this function, a distinction should be
made between the responsibility and function of composing
and delivering sermons and the simpler task of serving as
a “reader” who reads a sermon that has been composed
and prepared by one who holds the office of the public
ministry. In the latter case, the reader is serving as a kind
of announcer or deliverer of a message composed by a pas-
tor. The responsibility for supervision (episcope) will be
exercised by the supervising pastor.

a. Reading Sermons Composed by a Pastor

t. In an emergency situation when the regular pastor
or vacancy pastor of a congregation is unable to be present
to preach because of illness, transportation problems, or
some other circumstances in which the congregation or
mission would be deprived of corporate worship, the elders
of the congregation or responsible congregational leader-
ship may with the consent of the pastor select a male mem-
ber of the congregation to read in the public worship service
a sermon composed by one who holds the office of the public
ministry.

it. In circumstances where no resident pastor is avail-
able and the regular pastor or supply pastor is unable to
preach in the congregation for a prolonged period of time,
the selection of the lay reader should be approved of in
advance by the District President, who will assure that the
individual possesses qualities which would commend him
for this ongoing role (e.g., spirituality, exemplary Christian
life, excellent standing in the congregation, good commu-
nications skills, and a readiness to grow and learn).

6. Composing and Delivering Sermons by Individuals Not Hold-
ing the Office of the Public Ministry

i. In circumstances where there is no resident pastor
and no pastor available to lead worship and preach reg-
ularly, arrangements may be made by a congregation or
the responsible board, in consultation with the District
President, to secure the services of a layman, licensed to
preach and serve under the supervision of an ordained
pastor.

Such laymen shall have

1. successfully pursued appropriate courses of study at
a synodical seminary and been recommended by the sem-
inary faculty to serve as a field worker or vicar; or

2. been approved and licensed by the President of the
District to which the congregation belongs.

it. The license to preach in a given District shall be
issued by that District’s President in keeping with criteria
and standards adopted and maintained by the Council of
Presidents. The license shall be initially for no more than