LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 125

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

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laborating with the Synod’s Set Apart to Serve church work recruitment initiative, the LCMS Office of Pastoral Education and the two
seminaries are exploring new ways to create a culture of recruitment for future pastors and other church workers in the LCMS.

One of the ten objectives of the Synod (Const. Art. III 3) is to
recruit and train pastors and other professional church workers.
Both seminaries are actively recruiting students for pastoral and
deaconess ministry.

C.1.b. Mutuality in the Relationship of Synod and
Seminaries

The Synod has resolved (2019 Res. 6-01) to support and participate in a comprehensive multiyear church worker recruitment
initiative. Currently, the Synod, seminaries, and other Synod stakeholders are collaboratively aligned around this effort: Set Apart to
Serve LCMS church worker recruitment. A full update on Set Apart
to Serve is contained in the LCMS Office of Pastoral Education
report (a subsection within the report of the LCMS Chief Mission
Officer) in this convention workbook.

The Synod supports its seminaries through disbursements of
funds from corporate Synod to each seminary. (The term “corporate Synod” refers to the nonprofit legal entity headquartered at the
LCMS International Center in St. Louis and incorporated in the
state of Missouri.) Direct subsidies from corporate Synod and Forward in Remembrance earnings, combined with collaborative advancement efforts such as the Joint Seminary Fund and the Global
Seminary Initiative, result in substantial support for the seminaries
each year. At the same time, the seminaries support Synod through
a substantial commitment of human resources in the implementation of various mission and ministry programs and initiatives, both
domestic and international. The result is a strong, healthy, and mutually supportive relationship.

C.2. 2019 Resolution 6-03A
“To Enhance the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Program.”
Res. 6-03A’s second and fifth Resolves are of particular importance
for this PFC report:
•

“That the PFC work to enhance the curriculum and standards
of the SMP program between the two seminaries, in light of
the curriculum and standards of the residential seminaries,
including instruction in biblical languages.”

•

“That the Council of Presidents in coordination with the PFC
draft guidelines and training to enhance the mentoring and
supervision of specific ministry pastors, taking into account
the wide variety of abilities of pastors and the contexts in
which they serve, to assist district presidents, circuit visitors,
and supervising pastors in supporting the SMP pastors under
their care.”

C.1.c. Alignment of Synod and Seminary Strategic Plans
In 2019, the Synod in convention again affirmed its seven mission priorities, the second of which speaks directly to the relationship of Synod and seminaries: “Support and expand theological
education.”
The primary responsibility of the two seminaries is to supply
the LCMS with faithful, well-formed pastors. Bylaws 3.10.5 and
3.10.5.1 state that “each seminary of the Synod, with its president
and faculty, shall be governed by a board of regents, subject to general policies set by the Synod. … The board of regents of each theological seminary shall consider as one of its primary duties the defining and fulfilling of the mission of the seminary within the broad
assignment of the Synod.” Within this framework, both seminaries
have established strategic plans that pertain to the mission, vision,
and core values of each institution.

C.2.a. Routes to Ordained (Pastoral) Ministry
Currently, there are seven Synod-authorized routes for men to
serve in the OHM (that is, the pastoral office) as a rostered individual member of the LCMS under the category of “minister of
religion—ordained.” For a complete description of each route, see
Appendix, “The Synod’s Routes to Ordained (Pastoral) Ministry.”

C.1.d. Confessional Alignment

The residential routes to ordination in the LCMS:

While the Synod and seminaries each have their own unique
goals, emphases, and strategic plans, collaborative alignment exists
between the three in our life together as Synod. As “agencies” (Bylaw 1.2.1 [a][1]) of Synod, the seminaries accept without reservation the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions (Const. Art.
II). As a foundation of the seminaries’ plans, Synod’s confessional
standard is reflected in the mission, vision, and core value statements of both seminaries. The strategic documents for CSL use the
following language: “faithfulness to the Scriptures and Lutheran
Confessions” and “to be faithfully Lutheran.” The documents for
CTSFW use this language: “distinctively Lutheran teaching, practice, and worship.”

1. Master of Divinity (MDiv) at CSL and CTSFW

C.1.e. Recruitment and Training Alignment
Since the formation of the Synod in 1847, a primary purpose
and priority of the LCMS has been “to support the establishment
and maintenance of theological seminaries, colleges, universities,
and other institutions of learning to train ministers of religion—ordained, ministers of religion—commissioned, and laity for service
in the Evangelical Lutheran Church” (Articles of Incorporation,
Article II d). Training pastors for the church continues to be of
highest priority to the LCMS to this day.

2. Residential Alternate Route (RAR) at CSL and CTSFW
3. General Pastor Certificate (GPC) at CSL, an option available to men who have completed the SMP program. (GPC
is an extension of the SMP path. This can be completed as a
residential route in two years or as a nonresidential program
in four years.)
The nonresidential routes to ordination in the LCMS:
4. Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) at CSL and CTSFW
(CTSFW SMP EsE)
5. Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT) at CSL
6. Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS) at CSL
7. Cross-Cultural Ministry Center (CMC) at Concordia University, Irvine, California, under the authorization of the
CSL board of regents, using defined working roles, responsibilities, and protocols with CSL
A final route to ordained (pastoral) ministry in the LCMS:
8. Completion of an approved colloquy program (2019 Bylaws
2.7.2; 2.7.5).
2023 Convention Workbook