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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 375

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

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X. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS: 13-03 TASK FORCE
153 Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (2017), 215–216 (bold
emphases in the original).
154 Ex. 3; 2 Tim. 3:16; John 1:18; John 14:6.
155 John 1; John 3:16–18; Mark 16:16; Rom. 3:21–26; Eph. 2:8.
156 John 10; see also John 21; Matt. 9:36; Acts 20:28–30; Rom. 10:17;
1 Peter 2:25; 1 Peter 5:1–2; Heb. 13:20–21.
157 Matt. 18:20; Luke 24:46–47; John 10:27–28; Rom. 1:16; Rom.
3:28; Rom. 10:17; Heb. 2:17; 6:17–20; 1 John 2:1–2.
158 Matt. 18:20; John 10:16; Acts 9:32; 1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 2:19–20; 1
Peter 2:4–10.
159 1 Cor. 5:7; Eph. 5:2; Heb. 9:26; Rom. 12:1; Phil. 2:17; Phil. 4:18;
Heb. 13:15–16; Rom. 12:12; 15:30; 2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col.
4:2; James 5:13–15; Rev. 8:3–4; Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 5:11–22;
Heb. 10:24–25; 1 Peter 2:9.
160 In the Confessions ministry is referred to as “office of preaching”
(Predigtamt) or “ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the
Sacraments” (ministerium docendi evangelii et porrigendi sacramenta).
Lutheran dogmatic theology has distinguished the wide and narrow sense
of ministry using the terms “abstractly” (in abstracto) and “concretely,”
(in concreto). The dogmatic distinction should not be misunderstood to say
that ordinary members of the royal priesthood do not declare the wonders
of Christ in specific, concrete circumstances and ways.

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X. Report and Recommendations: 13-03
Task Force
December 2018
The 66th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod adopted 2016 Res. 13-03, which resolved:
That the Synod in convention establish a task force to be convened by the Council of Presidents (COP) to include five members
of the COP who are representative of the geographic diversity of
the Synod, two persons appointed by each seminary, two non-ordained individuals appointed by the Concordia University System
(CUS) board, and four lay persons appointed by the Synod Board
of Directors:
•

To help the Synod address the needs of small, rural,
urban, ethnic, immigrant, financially challenged, and
geographically isolated congregations

•

To recommend ways to identify candidates to address
future needs in the LCMS

161 The reflexive pronoun αύτὸς underlines the importance that Christ
Himself gives these offices. These offices are not merely for the Church’s
convenience. The offices are filled by specific men in distinct circumstances. At the same time, the offices certainly differ—apostles occurred
only by the immediate appointment of Christ while pastors and teachers
are continually provided immediately as, at least arguably, are prophets
and evangelists. There is no indication that the offices are mere aptitudes.
See Timothy M. Winger, Concordia Commentary: Ephesians (St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 2015), 449–450.

•

To provide strategies for reaching the increasingly
diverse population of the U.S. and Canada

•

To establish minimal standards for pastors (while keeping the optimum in view)

•

To explore alternative methods for ministerial preparation in light of changing needs

•

To recommend avenues to finance preparation of pastors

162 This sense emphasizes the Gospel as the power of salvation and
the only power of the preaching office (AC V).

•

To explore the possibility of providing free seminary
education

•

To consider relevant recommendations in the 4-06A and
5-14A task force reports

•

To consider other matters relevant to their task as may
be identified

•

That the task force provide a report to the next regular
convention of the Synod; and that in its work the task
force encourage the ongoing work of the district lay
training programs and the CUS programs for evangelism and outreach in order to identify, equip, encourage,
and empower men and women for mission, witness, and
service to Christ and His Church.

163 Birth places us in a family where we serve sacrificially as sons and
daughters, sisters and brothers, praying for one another and mutually admonishing and encouraging one another with the Word of God. Marriage
calls us to a sacrificial life with a wife or husband, praying with and for
our children (and grandchildren) and teaching them the Word. Occupation,
location, and citizenship call us to serve co-worker, neighbor, or community and country, making Christ known in appropriate forms of personal
evangelism and in priestly intercession before the Father’s throne of grace
for those in authority. Church membership calls us to serve a congregation
and a wider fellowship in sacrificial gifts for the support of the church,
outreach to our community, preparing workers, sending missionaries into
the harvest, supporting and encouraging the pastor in his work, and also
sharing the Gospel with one another as we utilize gifts and abilities and
aptitudes for the well-being of all.
164 The Office of Public Ministry is not indiscriminate—it does not
call a particular pastor to serve any and everywhere, but only where he has
been assigned. Beyond the specific responsibilities mentioned here, the
call to a pastor may also include other responsibilities or expectations: for
example, “visionary” leadership, outreach, administration. Moreover, the
LCMS recognizes that for some, a call to public ministry may assign them
to serve the church beyond an individual congregation, giving responsibilities for teaching or oversight, or utilizing gifts and abilities in such areas
as administration, counseling, evangelism and so forth (e.g., professors,
synodical or district officers and staff members, administrators, counselors,
etc.).
165 2016 Res. 13-01A, sixth resolve.
166 LC III 2. See also Luther’s reminder of prayer in obedience to
God’s command (LC III 5–18) and in response to His promise (LC III
19–21).
167 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 2016 Convention Proceedings , 235–236. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 911 to 159.

As instructed by this resolution, the following members of the
task force were appointed by the various entities identified in the
above resolution:
Justin Benson, appointed by the LCMS Board of Directors
Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan, appointed by the Council of Presidents
Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy, appointed by the Council of Presidents
David Hawk, appointed by the LCMS Board of Directors
Rev. Shawn Kumm, appointed by the Board of Regents, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Dr. Leo Mackay Jr., appointed by the LCMS Board of Directors
Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, appointed by the Board of Regents, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne
Rev. Dr. Robert Newton, appointed by the Council of Presidents
Rev. Todd Peperkorn, appointed by the Board of Regents, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Christian Preus, appointed by the LCMS Board of Directors
2019 Convention Workbook