LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 236

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

236

VII. 2013 RES. 4-06A TASK FORCE REPORT TO THE SYNOD

of the Gospel who are faithful to the Gospel and Scriptures, of high
moral character, and—especially—“able to teach” the saving truth
of Christ with clarity, competence, and gentleness (see 1 Tim. 3:2–3;
2 Tim. 2:1–2; 2:24–26). Lutheran churches have addressed the need
for pastors by seminary training and in various other ways.8
Providing pastoral care has often been challenging, however. At
present in the LCMS, several difficulties may be mentioned.
1.

Financial Challenges: Many smaller congregations have inadequate
resources to provide for a full-time pastor (and sometimes even for
a part-time pastor) to serve them and are struggling to find or afford
even temporary pastoral service. 9

2.

Geographical Challenges: In other locales, small, isolated congregations in remote areas face not only a similar financial challenge but
also a difficulty in finding pastors who are in geographic proximity
to them.

3.

Demographic Challenges: Urban, minority, and ethnically diverse
congregations and missions—particularly those located in areas with
few retired pastors—may have no practical options to fill their pastoral needs with ordained, synodically rostered pastors.

Background (Laymen Serving in a Pastoral Role in the LCMS)
The LCMS has, since its inception, recognized our Lord’s mandate
for the pastoral office, as attested to in Scripture and the Confessions.
Originally published in 1852 as Die Stimme unserer Kirche in der
Frage von Kirche und Amt, Walther’s Church and Ministry lays forth
quite clearly a scriptural and confessional case for distinguishing the
Office of the Ministry from the priesthood of believers, emphasizing
that the ministry10 is a particular office established by God which the
church is bound to uphold by divine command and not on an arbitrary or optional basis.11 Church and Ministry anchors this teaching in
a multitude of scriptural witnesses and AC V, XIV, XXVIII, Ap XIII,
the Treatise, and FC SD XII, among other confessional sources. In
addition, Walther cites Luther and many Lutheran fathers to make
his case. Such an array of biblical, confessional, and historical witnesses to the necessity of a rightly called Office of the Ministry has
led many in the LCMS to voice significant discomfort and objections
to the practice of lay preaching and administration of the Sacraments
that is present in some LCMS congregations.
As a consequence of such circumstances, two valid concerns are
seemingly entangled: the need for people to have access to God’s
saving Means of Grace and the necessity of regular pastoral administration of those means. These two valid concerns and the tension
that may ensue from them is not unique to the Missouri Synod or
new to Lutherans. Historically, the Synod has sought to serve small
congregations and missions or other churches in challenging circumstances and locales primarily by having pastors serve in dual
or multi-point parishes. It has also addressed other challenges by
providing alternative, nonresidential training programs for clergy,
such as Distance Education Leading to Ordination (DELTO) and its
recent replacement, Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) training, and also
through the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT), the Center
for Hispanic Studies (CHS), and the Cross-cultural Ministry Center
of Concordia Seminary (CMC), centered at Concordia University,
Irvine. More recently, an increasing number of laymen have been
serving in congregations and ministries of the LCMS in ways that
involve pastoral responsibilities, such as preaching and the administration of the Sacraments. Sometimes laymen serve only infrequently
when a pastor is ill or unavailable for a Sunday by, for example, reading a sermon prepared by the pastor. In other cases, however, laymen
receive some training on the district level and serve as deacons in
2016 Convention Workbook

an ongoing pastoral role, but under varying levels of supervision by
ordained pastors of the Synod.
The practice of nonordained men serving pastorally has resulted in
questions, objections, and debate. Concerns have been raised, primarily, because of the Synod’s shared commitment to Article XIV of the
Augsburg Confession, which states: “Concerning church government
it is taught that no one should publicly teach, preach, or administer
the sacraments without a proper [public] call.”12
The passage of 1989 Res. 3-05B increased these discussions and
debates. The genesis of the resolution was the report of a Lay Worker
Study Committee (hereafter referred to as Committee), appointed in
1987 and asked to make recommendations to the Synod regarding
“consecrated lay workers” of the LCMS. The Committee was asked
to consider three needs in particular:
1.

For church workers to plant new congregations

2.

For outreach to minorities and non-English speaking groups

3.

For the care of isolated congregations13

The Committee considered such issues as the training of such
workers, whether those who are called to positions that involve pastoral functions should be ordained, and what nomenclature should be
used for these workers, specifically mentioning the idea of “renaming ‘lay minister’ and ‘lay ministry’ as ‘deacon’ and ‘diaconate.’ ”14
In its report to the 1989 Convention, the Committee focused on
three areas of “lay ministry” (using the term ministry in a broad sense
as all types of service in the church). Its first focus was “the question
of pastoral services, functions, and responsibilities being carried out
by men who have not completed a seminary program and who are not
ordained.” Second, matters “of nomenclature, preparation, deployment, and supervision” were addressed. Third, the report explored
ways of involving the laity in expanded service to the church “and
especially in the planting of new missions.”15
The report recommended that Synod continue its programs for
“Certified Professional Church Workers, Lay,” and also recommended
district-sponsored training programs for laity with standards to be
developed appropriate to the needs laity would fill. The report held
to the ideal that only an ordained pastor should preach and administer
the Sacraments. It also, however, indicated a need for laymen to serve
temporarily in preaching and the administration of the Sacraments,
recommending that the title “deacon” be used for such men while
serving “in exceptional circumstances or in emergencies.” (It noted
that such pastoral services were already being exercised by about 135
laymen under Synod’s approval in special situations at that time.)
Distinguishing four functions of the Office of Public Ministry—
preaching, leading public worship, administration of the Sacraments
in worship, and exercising the Office of the Keys (absolution)—the
report recommended that only the first three functions be exercised
by deacons, prepared and licensed for up to two years by their districts, and that such pastoral responsibilities be carried out only while
under the supervision of an ordained pastor.16
The 1989 Res. 3-05B adopted the Lay Worker Study Committee
recommendations and guidelines as indicated in the foregoing paragraphs. The resolution included a final section on bylaw review
recommending that the Synod provide a means of placement, supervision, listing, and referral for all “Certified Church Workers, Lay”;
that the Council of Presidents provide the necessary arrangements for
such Synod services; and that the necessary bylaws for such actions
be prepared for the 1992 convention.
Debate at the 1989 convention over this resolution was vigorous
and protracted. It continued thereafter, with objections to the resolution raised by a partner church body, by LCMS districts, and by