LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 453

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ROUTES TO MINISTRY
13-23

To Affirm and Encourage Ministry
of Licensed Lay Deacons
Rationale
• A congregation identifies a ministry need that can best be served by
someone trained for Word and Sacrament ministry. One of those
options is to use the services of a licensed lay deacon. The function of
a licensed lay deacon is to extend the Office of the Ministry under the
supervision of an ordained pastor.
• The congregation and the Northwest District Office determine and agree
that the ministry need of the congregation could be served by a deacon
licensed for Word and Sacrament ministry (normally, a local individual who is already a member of that particular LCMS congregation).
•

The candidate is then trained through Mission Training Center (or its
partners) with a set of common core areas.

•

Upon successful completion of all training and an interview with the
office of the district president, if the candidate is determined ready
he will be licensed.

•

The licensed lay deacon is supervised by a rostered, ordained pastor,
which includes but is not limited to the following:
• Regular monthly agenda-driven meetings
• Annual review
• Plan for continuing education

•

The re-licensing of the licensed lay deacon is reviewed annually. It
is not automatically granted.

(For more details, please see “Guidelines for Licensed Deacon
Ministry,” available at www.nowlcms.org/ and http://nowlcms.org/
crossroads/resources#991&2700 for access on the website.)
Proposed Action
Whereas, God is multiplying His work among us so we can be
Christ’s “witnesses to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:1−8); and
Whereas, When the Early Church saw a need in the Church that
was not being sufficiently met by the apostles, the apostles responded
to that need by appointing seven deacons including Stephen and Philip
(Acts 6:1−7); Stephen engaged in the public preaching of the Word
(Acts 6:8−7:53), and Philip administered the Sacrament of Holy
Baptism (Acts 8:26−40). God used this to expand the ministry of
the apostles; and
Whereas, The ministry of ecclesiastically supervised licensed lay
deacons currently being used in many LCMS districts, including the
Northwest District, has assisted greatly in maintaining and expanding Word and Sacrament ministry in many congregations and mission
areas, especially for smaller congregations and new outreach areas
unable to support the services of a full-time pastor or missionary; and
Whereas, The removal of the current licensed lay deacon program would immediately eliminate Word and Sacrament ministry
in at least 10 percent of the Northwest District congregations and
severely reduce Word and Sacrament ministry in another 10 percent
of congregations nationally, affecting thousands of congregational
members and their efforts to serve their communities; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Northwest District in convention affirm and
encourage district circuits and congregations to continue the use of
licensed lay deacons in ministry settings to extend the function of the
local pastoral office; and be it further
Resolved, That the selection, training, supervision, and service of
the licensed lay deacons within the Northwest District be held to the
highest standards of accountability and adherence to the “Guidelines
for Licensed Deacon Ministry”; and be it further

453

Resolved, That the Northwest District in convention respectfully
decline attempts to restrict or cancel district-authorized ministries
served by licensed lay deacons under the supervision of ordained
pastors; and be it further
Resolved, That the Northwest District in convention respectfully
decline attempts to require licensed lay deacons to enter the specific
ministry pastor (SMP) program when this would restrict, hinder, or
stop ongoing Word and Sacrament ministry in our local congregations and mission areas; and be it further
Resolved, That we rejoice together and give thanks to God for
equipping His Church both with the Means of Grace and dedicated,
called, and trained workers, both lay and ordained, who faithfully and
passionately reach people in their communities with the Good News
of Jesus Christ; and be it further
Resolved, That delegates to the 2015 Northwest District convention rise to thank the Lord of the harvest for the many gifts and
blessings He has bestowed on our congregations and local ministries
through the dedicated and faithful service of supervised licensed lay
deacons; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Northwest District convention memorialize
this resolution to the 2016 LCMS convention.
Northwest District; Immanuel, Puyallup, WA
13-24

To Encourage and Affirm Ministry
of Licensed Lay Deacons
Whereas, The need for proclaiming the Gospel in our communities is vital to the salvation of all people and remains the most urgent
and necessary ministry of the congregations of the CNH District; and
Whereas, God continues to multiply His work to, in, among, and
beyond us so we can be Christ’s “witnesses to the ends of the earth”
(Acts 1:1−8) and serve Him faithfully as the “Lord of the harvest”
(Luke 10:1–12); and
Whereas, Scriptures teach that there are several and various gifts
that the Holy Spirit pours out upon His Church for proclaiming His
Word with the intent that all people be authorized to repentance and
faith, that all saints are equipped for the work of ministry, and that
Christ’s Body be built up in love (Rom. 10 and Eph. 4); and
Whereas, The ministry of pastors with vicars, deacons, elders,
teachers, deaconesses, and other Spirit-gifted church workers continues to nurture baptized believers and communing members and equip
them for evangelical witness and service in the world (1 Cor. 12:14;
Eph. 4:1−16; 1 Pet. 4:4−7; 1 Thess. 1:8); and
Whereas, The ministry of ecclesiastically supervised licensed
deacons currently being used in many LCMS districts, including the
CNH, has assisted greatly in maintaining and expanding Word and
Sacrament ministry in many congregations and mission arenas, especially for smaller congregations and new outreach areas unable to
support the services of a full-time pastor or missionary; and
Whereas, The CNH District presently has more than 15 licensed
lay deacons who faithfully proclaim the Gospel to people in mission
arenas and small congregations otherwise inadequately served; and
Whereas, A specific concern underlying the decision to authorize
the practice of licensing of lay deacons by the 1989 LCMS convention was “identifying various and perhaps new ways of involving
laypeople in specific congregational ministries, and especially in the
planting of new missions”; and
2016 Convention Workbook