LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 272

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272

3.

IX. REPORT OF THE RES. 5-14A TASK FORCE
congregations have obtained Master of Divinity degrees outside the
LCMS (see below).
Licensed Deacons of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod:
Men who have been licensed by the president of a district of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to carry out, as a licensed deacon,
the full responsibilities of the pastoral ministry in (a) congregation(s)
of the Synod, and who have carried out these responsibilities for at
least ten years,* may apply for admission to the pastoral ministry by
colloquy. In all cases, such applications also must be accompanied by
the recommendation of a congregation that holds membership in the
Synod, on the basis of that congregation’s observation of and experience with the applicant. The application must also include written
documentation from the congregation and the district president that
the applicant actually has been responsible for carrying out the full
responsibilities of the pastoral ministry for at least ten years. Finally,
to be considered by the committee, the application must be accompanied by the congregation’s written commitment to extend a divine
call for the applicant to become its pastor once the colloquy process
has been completed.
* Note: Should the sponsoring district president be convinced that
the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry ought to consider, on the basis of an applicant’s special circumstances, an
exception to one of these specific eligibility requirements (asterisked above), the sponsoring district president must furnish with
the application a written recommendation detailing the special
circumstances and the rationale for the recommended exception.
The Colloquy Committee, however, retains the responsibility and
authority for deciding to grant or to decline the exception. The
decision of the Colloquy Committee shall be regarded as final by
all parties to the colloquy application.

Others
Other applicants for the ordained ministry, such as commissioned ministers of religion, laymen of a special ethnic or linguistic group, and
laymen who have fulfilled at least 10 years of significant service in a
congregation, will participate in special theological education (“alternate routes”) under the direction of the seminaries. LCMS laymen and
commissioned ministers who receive a Master of Divinity from a nonLCMS seminary will also participate in an “alternate route” at one of
our LCMS seminaries. All individuals who do not fit the three specific
categories open for colloquy are to be directed to one of the seminaries
of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.29

“Alternate Routes” (both seminaries)
Before 1995, male ministers of religion—commissioned of the
Synod who wished to become pastors and men with significant service in the church could apply for colloquy. The normal program
outlined for such colloquy applicants involved approximately two
years of seminary instruction, plus a vicarage. After the 1995 Synod
convention, these men were no longer directed to the Colloquy
Committee, but rather to the seminaries for an alternate route. Under
this approach, the academic and admissions officers of the seminary review the academic transcripts and the life and character of the
applicant and then design a program of study for him, including a vicarage/internship. Those completing such a program do not receive an
academic degree but a theological diploma certifying that they are eligible to be called, placed, and ordained to the pastoral office. Some
alternate route students also obtain a Master of Arts in religion, but
that is optional. Here are the particulars:
Program Goal—forming general pastors
Year Program Began—1996. Previously, this route was under the
auspices of the Colloquy Committee.30
Special Church Needs That Prompted the Program—Residential
alternate route is the certificate program more closely parallel to the
2016 Convention Workbook

MDiv, for men 35 years of age and older, commissioned ministers,
or men with significant parish experience.
Specific Needs Not Addressed through Other Programs—
Residential alternate route provides a comprehensive theological
education with extensive grounding in both theology and practice,
exegetical skills based on Greek language, and ministerial formation
leading to certification as a general pastor for those with significant
prior church experience.
Total Number of Pastors Produced—Since 1996, Concordia, Fort
Wayne, 127; Concordia, St. Louis, 85
Program Completion Rates—not available
Financial Assistance—provided at the same rates as master of
divinity students
Placement—at completion of program
Call and Ordination—at completion of program
Ministry Context—general pastor, upon final placement
Educational Prerequisite—ability to work at a master’s-degree
level, two years college minimum; ordinarily will possess bachelor’s
degree, though some do not
Age—at least 35 years of age
Experiential Prerequisite—Mature, “second career,” need at
least 10 years of significant experience directly related to Word
and Sacrament ministry (elder, lector, evangelism calls, Bible class
teacher, etc.) in an LCMS setting. May also be graduates of a synodical college/university or on the synodical roster of commissioned
ministers with at least eight years experience as commissioned ministers of the LCMS.
Unique Admission Requirements—see above
Language and Level—English
Region—nationwide
Location of Instruction—residential at seminary
Supervising Pastor Required—only during vicarage
Vicarage/Internship—one year, generally after completion of
course work
Degree or Certificate—certificate, though some also obtain a
Master of Arts in religion
“Growth Path”—may pursue an MA or master of divinity degree
Biblical Languages Required—Greek
Curriculum Length—90 quarter hours, plus 12 hours Greek, plus
vicarage
Program Length—generally three years
Roster Status—general pastor
Other—No supervising pastor required during course work, but
faculty advisors assigned. There is a field education pastor supervising assigned field work in a parish.
Center for Hispanic Studies (St. Louis)
The Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS) was established in 1987
by the LCMS and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Concordia
University Chicago to provide a linguistically and culturally contextual route to certification for ordination of qualified men in Hispanic
contexts.31 In July 2006, the program was moved from Chicago to
the seminary campus in St. Louis. The CHS is a certificate program
at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, which offers pastoral formation through a four-year, 18-course, nonresidential program with a
concurrent two-year vicarage. The main language of instruction is
Spanish, but bilingual activities are encouraged. The delivery method
of instruction is a hybrid of online and short-term residential learning experiences. Graduates of this program do not earn an academic
degree, but receive a theological diploma. However, once ordained,