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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 127

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
to support a general [ministry] pastor or sites where a minister of
religion—commissioned could fulfill the duties pending reception
of the recommendations of the SMP Committee.” The 2019 convention assignments to the PFC Committee and this PFC report
stand as further elaborations of this effort to come to grips with
the strengths, weaknesses, and best use of SMP within the LCMS.
The PFC continues to study, review, and seek conversation with the
seminaries and the broader church regarding the SMP program and
will make further recommendations accordingly.
Questions were raised by 2019 Res. 6-03 regarding certain aspects of the SMP route to ordination. It directed the PFC to address
these questions and to make recommendations concerning them.
The PFC here notes that it might be said that every route to ordination in the LCMS was designed and approved to meet a specific
mission and ministry need. Yet, more narrowly speaking, “A ‘specific ministry pastor’ is a minister of religion—ordained who has
completed the requirements for service as a specific ministry pastor
and has been examined by one of the Synod’s seminaries, has received a regular call, and has been placed by the Council of Presidents into a specific Word and Sacrament ministry context. He is
eligible to serve only in that specific ministry context for which he
has been trained and may not be offered or accept a call for ministry for which he has not been certified as determined by his district president. He shall serve under the supervision of his district
president and another pastor who is not a specific ministry pastor”
(Bylaw 2.13.1; emphasis added).
A specific ministry pastor remains under supervision throughout the entire course of his ministry. Because he remains under
supervision and because he “has been formed in part by and for a
specific ministry context, he may not be placed or called into ecclesiastical roles that exercise pastoral oversight outside the context
of his call” (Bylaw 2.13.1[a]). Therefore, an SMP is not eligible to
serve as a voting delegate to a national convention of the Synod,
hold any elected or appointed office on the district or national level,
supervise vicars or other pastors, or serve as a circuit visitor (Bylaw
2.13.1.[b]).
By way of comparison in educational-course content, the CSL
Master of Divinity (MDiv) curriculum is comprised of a total
98 semester hours. The CSL SMP curriculum stands at 32 credit
hours (or 16 courses). The CSL SMP curriculum is comprised of
8 exegetical (English, not biblical language) credit hours, 2 historical credit hours, 12 practical credit hours, and 10 systematics
credit hours. The CTSFW MDiv curriculum stands at 123 quarter
hours. The CTSFW SMP curriculum stands at 48 quarter hours (or
16 courses). The CTSFW SMP curriculum includes 15 exegetical
(English, not biblical language) quarter hours, 3 historical quarter
hours, 15 practical quarter hours, and 15 systematics quarter hours.
Each of the 16 courses in the CSL and CTSFW SMP programs is
taught at a master’s degree level. Students receive grades and a
transcript as in the seminaries’ other pastoral formation programs.
This enables CSL and CTSFW to transfer SMP credits into their
respective MDiv, GPC, or AR programs should an SMP student
or SMP pastor desire to undertake additional education in order to
achieve general pastor status.
SMP courses are taught mainly online, with a one-week required
on-campus intensive experience each year. During the course of the
SMP student’s studies, the student is supervised/mentored by a local LCMS pastor who is reviewed and approved by the seminary
based upon the district president’s selection and recommendation.
This supervisor/mentor is a rostered minister of religion—ordained

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member of the LCMS, a general ministry pastor who ordinarily
holds an MDiv degree or its equivalent.
SMP vicarage begins concurrently with the initiation of coursework at the seminary. When the SMP student successfully completes his eighth course, at the conclusion of his second year of
studies, the student may be certified by the faculty for first call, and
the first call and assignment process begins with the calling congregation, culminating in the assignment of first call by the LCMS
Council of Presidents. When the SMP student successfully completes his ninth course (at the beginning of his third year of studies), ordination may be authorized. The student is then expected
to complete a remaining seven SMP courses following ordination.
When the SMP student completes the required total 16 courses, he
receives a Certificate of Completion from the seminary.
As of January 2023, a cumulative total of 481 SMPs have been
ordained since 2010 (first SMP cohorts having commenced studies in 2008), with distribution among the Synod’s 35 districts as
follows:
•

Michigan (56)

•

Texas (47)

•

Pacific Southwest (36)

•

Southeastern (31)

•

Northern Illinois (26)

•

Florida-Georgia (24)

•

Rocky Mountain (24)

•

Northwest (23)

•

California-Nevada-Hawaii (17)

•

Missouri (16)

•

Minnesota South (14)

•

Ohio (14)

•

South Wisconsin (14)

•

English (13)

•

Indiana (13)

•

SELC (13)

•

Atlantic (12)

•

Southern (12)

•

Eastern (11)

•

Nebraska (10)

•

Mid-South (8)

•

North Wisconsin (8)

•

Kansas (7)

•

Iowa West (6)

•

New England (5)

•

New Jersey (5)

•

South Dakota (4)

•

Oklahoma (4)

•

Minnesota North (3)

•

Montana (2)

•

Iowa East (2)
2023 Convention Workbook