LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 329

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PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES
(a) In consultation with the President of the Synod, it shall
develop all necessary policies to govern suitability of a ministry
context for a specific ministry pastor and the suitability for a man
entering the SMP program.
3.10.8.3
Prior to acceptance by the seminaries into the SMP
program and initial placement as SMP vicars, the SMP Program
Oversight Board shall approve the placement of all vicars enrolling
in the SMP program.
(a) In order to be accepted into the SMP program and placed as
a vicar, the applicant must have fulfilled at least ten years of
significant service in a congregation of the LCMS and have been
a member at the congregation in whose ministry he will serve for
at least three years.
(b) Subject to the conditions above, decisions to declare ministry
contexts and applicants for the SMP program suitable are at the
sole discretion of the board.
(c) Once a ministry and applicant are declared suitable for the
program, the seminary admissions offices may enroll the student
and the Council of Presidents may assign the vicarage.
(d) If the board determines that the ministry and/or the applicant
are not suited to the purposes of the SMP program, the man shall
be directed to apply to the seminaries for admission in residential
educational programs.
3.10.8.4
Prior to placing a specific ministry pastor in his first call,
the SMP Program Oversight Board shall review the suitability of the
call according to the purposes of the program.
3.10.8.5
Prior to issuing a call to a specific ministry pastor who is
an inactive member, the SMP Program Oversight Board shall review
the suitability of such a call according to the purposes of the program
and the specific contextual training received by the specific ministry
pastor.
(a) The board may specify additional training needed as
preparation to serve in a new context.

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.3.2.2 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.3.2.2
The First Vice-President shall be a full-time executive and
a nonvoting member of the Board of Directors.
(a) He shall be responsible to the President at all times for the
performance of his duties.
(b) He shall serve as the chairman of the Colloquy Committee
for the Pastoral Ministry.
(c) He shall serve as the chairman of the Colloquy Committee
for Commissioned Ministry.
(d) He shall serve as the chairman of the Specific Ministry Pastor
Program Oversight Board.

and be it finally
Resolved, That Bylaw 2.13.1 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Specific Ministry Pastor Status and Limitations
2.13.1
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 which has been approved by the SMP Program
Oversight Board. 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.

329

(a) Because he is under supervision of another pastor and
because a specific ministry pastor’s theological education 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. An example of
this is regular preaching or service in a parish to which he has not
been called, including during a pastoral vacancy.
(b) A specific ministry pastor is not eligible to
(1) serve as a voting delegate to a national convention of the
Synod—but may serve as an advisory delegate to national
conventions and as a pastoral delegate to district conventions;
(2) hold any elected or appointed office on the district or
national Synod level that is assigned by the Bylaws of the
Synod to “a pastor” or “an ordained minister” (although
specific ministry pastors may serve in all other capacities,
especially representing the ministerial contexts in which they
serve);
(3) supervise vicars; or
(4) serve as a circuit visitor.
(c) The ministers of religion—ordained records maintained by
district presidents as well as the official membership roster of the
Synod shall distinguish between specific ministry pastors and
other pastors.
(d) The ministers of religion—ordained records maintained by
district presidents as well as the official membership roster of the
Synod shall include the ordained minister under whose
supervision a specific ministry pastor serves.
(e) At any time a specific ministry pastor may continue his
education through the seminaries. Upon completion of the
requirements and certification by a seminary he shall be
considered a minister of religion—ordained without the
limitations above.
(1) His district president shall be responsible for informing
the secretary of Synod of the change in roster status.
(2) His district president shall publish this change in status in
an official periodical of the Synod.
(3) If the minister is currently an inactive member of the
Synod, unless he has restricted or suspended status, he shall be
eligible for placement through the Council of Presidents acting
as the Board of Assignments or become a candidate.
(f) When a specific ministry pastor serves within a parish which
is also served by an ordained minister who is not a specific
ministry pastor, then that specific ministry pastor shall be
supervised by a pastor of that parish.
(g) When a specific ministry pastor serves in a parish which is
not served by an ordained minister who is not a specific ministry
pastor then the specific ministry pastor shall be supervised by an
ordained minister who resides within the visitation circuit
containing the parish or within similar physical proximity.
(h) Excepting the district president, no ordained minister may
supervise more than one specific ministry pastor, unless it is
required by Bylaw 2.13.1 (f) above.

English District
Ov. 6-16

To Restore Original Intention
of Specific Ministry Pastor Program
WHEREAS, The Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program was
established by 2007 Resolution 5-01B; and
WHEREAS, Specific ministry pastors are a great blessing to the
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and the entire kingdom of God;
and
2023 Convention Workbook