LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 279

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IX. REPORT OF THE RES. 5-14A TASK FORCE
Summary of Recommendation 1
Specifically, to summarize Recommendation 1, the task force
encourages the Synod to adopt by resolution the language above clarifying the three categories outlined: (1) Pastors Prepared for More
General Service across the Synod; (2) Pastors Prepared for Service
in Particular Ministry Contexts; and (3) Specific Ministry Pastors. All
of these several means by which the Synod recruits, trains, and forms
pastors are both appropriate and needed for the life and mission of the
Church, but the Synod also needs to have the highest possible standards for all of them, both academically and spiritually.
Continuing Education
All pastors need continuing education, but to these ends and as a
corollary to this recommendation, especially specific ministry pastors and pastors with only a certificate-level of education will need
to be encouraged to obtain further education to increase their knowledge and to improve pastoral skills and abilities. Section Five of this
report outlines a “growth path” concept to accomplish this goal.
Recommendation 2—Establish a Pastoral Formation
Committee
To provide for general oversight of the various means by which
men are raised up and prepared for the pastoral office, the task
force recommends that the Synod establish a Pastoral Formation
Committee. Why? Pastoral ministry has never been easy, but it is
going to become even more complex, more demanding, more in need
of what our seminaries can teach. Thus, we must be strong advocates
for rigorously and thoroughly training our clergy. We also recognize the need to provide for greater coordination and collaboration
between our two seminaries.
In particular, the task force recommends that this Pastoral
Formation Committee work with the seminaries to bring all non-MDiv
routes to ordination under a common set of pastoral competencies and
outcomes. As the seminaries conduct ongoing reviews and revisions
of their respective curricula, the task force recommends that the outcomes and standards for the various non-master-of-divinity tracks be
fully evaluated against those of the MDiv curriculum. Those responsible for each of our pastoral formation programs must coordinate
and collaborate in working toward this goal for the sake of our unity
and mission as a Synod. A Pastoral Formation Committee could be
one means (though not the only one) to ensure that similar pastoral
outcomes are met in formation programs across the Synod. Why a
special committee? Prior to the restructuring of the Synod in 2010
(mandated by the 2010 convention), the Board for Pastoral Education
and the Office of Pastoral Education in St. Louis provided the necessary structure and accountability for this to take place. Following the
Synod’s restructuring in 2010, there has been no Board for Pastoral
Education. Now, the “new” (as of 2010) Office of Pastoral Education
must work through the two respective seminaries’ boards of regents.
Each board of regents will naturally make its own institution a priority. Going forward, the task force believes it will be important,
especially in regard to whatever multiplicity of routes to the pastoral office we deem necessary, that there be an entity ensuring that the
seminaries do coordinate and collaborate with respect to these various
programs. The task force does not believe, however, that the Synod
needs to reinstitute a special board elected by the Synod in convention to accomplish this, but that a committee appointed along the lines
suggested below will be able effectively to accomplish these goals.
Therefore, in light of all the above, the task force herewith proposes the creation of this Pastoral Formation Committee to oversee

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all the means by which the church recruits, trains, and forms ordained
pastors. Outlined below are the responsibilities of this proposed
committee:
[The Bylaws of the Synod state:]
3.4.3.8	The Chief Mission Officer shall, on behalf of the President,
provide leadership, coordination, and oversight for preseminary education programs, seminary education, and
post-seminary continuing education, and by providing advocacy for pastoral education and health within the Synod.
The task force recommends that the following bylaw establishing a Pastoral Formation Committee be inserted at an
appropriate place in the Bylaws of the Synod:
A Pastoral Formation Committee
Assisting the Chief Mission Officer, a Pastoral Formation
Committee shall serve the members of the Synod by approving any
new routes leading to ordination and by reviewing, assessing, coordinating, supporting, and making suggestions for improvement of all
existing non-colloquy routes leading to ordination in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, including seminary and pre-seminary education programs. Seminaries and CUS schools finally determine all
curricular matters (e.g., outcomes, specific course content, credit
hours, schedules, manner of instruction, textbooks, and the like). The
Pastoral Formation Committee monitors and receives general reports
regarding all the routes to the pastoral office and fosters coordination and collaboration among them.43 The chief goal of the Pastoral
Formation Committee will be to ensure that similar pastoral outcomes are met in all pastoral formation programs across the Synod.
The Pastoral Formation Committee will coordinate its work with the
SMP Committee mandated by 2013 Res. 5-03E.
The Pastoral Formation Committee shall consist of these members:
1. Chairman: The Chief Mission Officer or a staff member reporting
to the Chief Mission Officer appointed in fulfillment of his duties
under Bylaw 3.4.3.8 and designated by the CMO as chairman of the
committee.
2. One member from each board of regents of the seminaries appointed
by the President of the Synod
3. The academic dean or provost of each seminary
4. Each seminary president or his delegate
5. The Chief Mission Officer of the Synod (if not already serving as
chairman)
6. The Executive Director, Program Director, or head of each of the
Certificate Routes to Ordination program (advisory, nonvoting)

The Pastoral Formation Committee shall meet on a seminary campus at least once per year. Additional meetings shall be determined
by the chairman in consultation with the committee.
The Synod in convention should instruct this Pastoral Formation
Committee and the Executive Director for Pastoral Education to consider the issues outlined in this report the top priority.
Recommendation 3—Clarifying Eligibility for Colloquy
The task force recommends that eligibility for regular colloquy be clarified in the Synod Bylaws by the inclusion of language
from the Policy Manual for the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral
Ministry regarding commissioned ministers and LCMS laymen who
obtain master of divinity degrees from non-LCMS seminaries. In
other words, the Bylaws of the Synod should state that, under normal
circumstances, commissioned ministers and lifelong LCMS laymen
who obtain an MDiv from non-Lutheran schools will be directed to
one of our two seminaries to design an alternate route for them rather
than apply for colloquy.
2016 Convention Workbook