LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 193

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Seminary and University Education
and administering the Sacraments—under supervision of an ordained
minister and in exceptional circumstances where no local pastor is
available; and
Whereas, Currently nineteen of our thirty-five districts make use
of supervised licensed deacons to reach hundreds of people in small
congregations and preaching stations that would be unable to support a pastor; and
Whereas, The removal of the licensed deacon program would
immediately eliminate or severely reduce the Word and Sacrament
ministry in communities currently served by licensed deacons; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2010 Synod convention encourage and affirm
the ministry of licensed deacons by allowing it to continue; and be
it further
Resolved, That the Synod respectfully decline attempts to require
licensed deacons to enter the Special Ministry Pastor (SMP) program
when this would restrict, hinder, or end ongoing Word and Sacrament
ministry in our local congregations and mission areas; and be it finally
Resolved, That we rejoice and give thanks to God for the proclamation of Christ that is now being carried out by licensed deacons
for the sake of Christ’s Church and as witnesses for those who do
not yet believe.
Hope
Woodburn, OR
5-14

To Reconsider 1989 Res. 3-05B re Licensed
Lay Deacons
Whereas, In certain situations today the Synod approves of the
preaching and administration of the Sacraments by men who have
not been publicly called to and placed in the Office of the Ministry
(this position is expressed in 1989 Res. 3-05B: “when no pastor is
available, and in the absence of any specific Scriptural directives to
the contrary, congregations may arrange for the performance of these
distinctive functions [preaching and administering the sacraments]
by qualified individuals”); and
Whereas, Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession reads,
“Concerning church government it is taught that no one should publicly teach, preach, or administer the Sacraments without a proper
[public] call,”which includes both call and ordination; and
Whereas, The systematic theology faculties of both seminaries,
acting jointly, have published a detailed statement on “The Office of
the Holy Ministry” (Concordia Journal, 33.3, July 2007, pp. 242–
255), which states in part,
The Confessions never use the truth that the whole church
possesses the power of the keys to make the office of the holy
ministry unnecessary or merely useful. On the contrary, this
truth serves as the basis for the church’s right to call, choose,
and ordain ministers. ... [T]he Treatise [on the Power and Primacy of the Pope] does not imagine churches without ordained
ministers of some kind, even in emergency situations or when
no one else will call and ordain men for the office. As confessors
of the same doctrine, neither should we. … “[C]all and ordination” are essential for conduct of the ministry. ... What is the sign
of authority for ministers today? It is their call and ordination,
which assure that they act by divine right and on the authority
of Christ. This truth makes such ideas as “lay ministers” invitations for difficulties and troubles to ministers whose authority is
doubtful and to laypersons whose assurance of God’s grace may
be questioned. [pp. 253–254, 255];

and

193

Whereas, The Board for Pastoral Education and the two seminaries are now implementing the Specific Ministry Pastor Program
mandated by the 2007 Synod convention; and
Whereas, The Board for Pastoral Education and the Council of
Presidents are due to report to the 2010 Synod convention concerning “situations currently served by licensed lay deacons” (2007 Res.
5-02); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Northern Illinois District in convention express
its concern about the current situation in the Synod at large concerning men who are conducting Word and Sacrament ministry without
being publicly called to and placed in the Office of the Ministry; and
be it further
Resolved, That the Northern Illinois District in convention memorialize the 2010 convention of the Synod to direct the Board for
Pastoral Education and the Council of Presidents to develop a plan
and lay out procedures (a) for how all men who are currently engaged
in the public ministry of Word and Sacrament without being publicly called to and placed in the Office of the Ministry may either be
enrolled in a regular seminary program or the Specific Ministry Pastor
Program or cease from all forms of public Word and Sacrament ministry by the end of 2016; and (b) for how all current Synod and district
tracks, programs, and licensing procedures which train men for public
Word and Sacrament ministry without the benefit of being publicly
called to and placed in the Office of the Ministry can be phased out
in favor of the Specific Ministry Pastor Program or a regular seminary program by the end of 2016; and be it further
Resolved, That the Board for Pastoral Education report on this
plan to the 2013 Synod convention for approval, emendation, and
adoption; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Northern Illinois District memorialize the 2010
convention of the Synod to reconsider 1989 Res. 3-05B in light of the
Scriptures, the Confessions, the report mandated by 2007 Res. 5-02,
and the Specific Ministry Pastor Program.
Northern Illinois District;
Southern Illinois District
5-15

To Affirm Need for Continued Lay Leader
and Deacon Training
Whereas, The Synod in convention established the licensed
deacon ministry, thereby enabling congregations not having the
necessary resources to hire a seminary-trained, ordained pastor to
call a trained gifted person to meet their needs, including Word and
Sacrament ministry needs; and
Whereas, We are a Synod that does significant ministry among
rural communities that are experiencing a decline in residency; we
are a Synod with many smaller churches whose membership and
resources are dwindling; and we see a growing inability of these
churches and communities to maintain a seminary-trained, ordained
pastor for their ministry needs; and
Whereas, There are among the priesthood of all believers in these
communities and churches persons who are qualified by experience
and knowledge and have been trained to do Word and Sacrament ministry through the licensed deacon program of Synod; and
Whereas, Most ordained pastors have the theological training to
support and supervise licensed deacons in their call to do Word and
Sacrament ministry; and
2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 193

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