LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 334

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

334

PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES

WHEREAS, The Cross-Cultural Ministry Center at CUI has, for
27 years, offered the only master’s-level degree in the LCMS with
a hybrid model of online and in-person education leading to general
ordination with certification through CSL; and
WHEREAS, Enrollment in the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center is
currently limited by: 1) a cap on the number of students that can
enroll in the program; 2) where those students are geographically
located (typically LCMS Region 5–Western US); and 3) whether
the student’s ministry context is appropriately “culture crossing”
enough to qualify for enrollment; and
WHEREAS, There is the opportunity for the Cross-Cultural
Ministry Center and the districts of the Synod to work together to
identify ministry settings and candidates and to provide for their
training while they serve alongside ordained ministers; therefore be
it
Resolved, That the California-Nevada-Hawaii District
memorialize the 2023 Synod convention to enhance the CrossCultural Ministry Center’s ability to meet the increasing demand for
pastoral candidates by removing current restrictions on enrollment,
geographic location, and ministry context; and be it further
Resolved, That the seminaries of the Synod be encouraged to
study different education models of training general pastors; and be
it finally
Resolved, That the seminaries and the Districts of the Synod
consider how they can work together to increase the number of
students preparing for general ministry through the existing distance
study program opportunities (EIIT, SMP, CUI, CHS), hybrid
models like Cross-Cultural Ministry Center, and residential
programs including the residential Alternate Route to provide more
general pastors for the mission of the Gospel.
California-Nevada-Hawaii District
Ov. 6-24

To Restore Both Biblical Languages
to the Education of Future Pastors on All Pathways
to the Office of the Holy Ministry
WHEREAS, One of the major qualifications for a man aspiring to
the Office of the Holy Ministry is his ability to teach (1 Tim. 3:2);
and
WHEREAS, “We believe, teach and confess that the only rule and
norm according to which all teachings, together with [all] teachers,
should be evaluated and judged (2 Tim. 3:15–17) are the prophetic
and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testament alone”
(Formula of Concord Epitome: Summary, Rule, and Norm 1); and
WHEREAS, To teach, a man in the Office of the Holy Ministry
should be able to understand the Scripture as God breathed it out (2
Tim. 3:16); and
WHEREAS, The Old Testament was initially breathed out in
biblical Hebrew (small portions of the Old Testament are written in
Aramaic), and the New Testament in Koine Greek; and
WHEREAS, Much in the Scriptures that points to Christ and Him
crucified is embedded in the nuances of both biblical languages and
can be lost in translation; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, the English District in convention adopted
Resolution 1-01, calling upon The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod (LCMS) to require instruction in both biblical Hebrew and
Koine Greek as prerequisites for admission to the Office of the Holy
2023 Convention Workbook

Ministry, that the district encourage our seminaries, with Synod
funding, to include biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek in the
curricula for all of the pathways to the Office of the Holy Ministry,
and that the district urge our seminaries to develop continuing
education opportunities for all pastors to obtain and review such
training; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, the Synod in convention adopted Res. 6-02,
“To Promote Residential Seminary Education as the Preferred
Option for the Preparation of Men for Pastoral Ministry,” noting in
the fourth whereas that, “‘Handling the Word of Truth’ (2 Tim.
2:15) rightly requires diligent study of God’s Word and our
Lutheran Confessions, with a foundational understanding of the
original biblical languages …,” and Res. 6-03A, “To Enhance the
Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Program,” including instruction in
biblical languages in the second resolve, yet the residential alternate
route programs to general pastor roster status require the study of
Greek only, and the Center for Hispanic Studies and the Ethnic
Immigrant Institute for Theology, also routes to general pastor
roster status, require no study of either biblical language; therefore
be it
Resolved, That the district once again call on the Synod to require
instruction in both biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek as
prerequisites in all programs leading to admission to the Office of
the Holy Ministry; and be it further
Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to encourage our
seminaries, with Synod funding, to include biblical Hebrew and
Koine Greek in the curricula of all of the routes to the Office of the
Holy Ministry; and be it finally
Resolved, That the district call on the Synod to encourage our
seminaries, with Synod funding, to develop continuing education
opportunities for all pastors to obtain and review such training.
English District
Ov. 6-25

To Create Third Pathway for General Pastoral
Colloquy for Members of Synod Congregations
Who Have Graduated with Accredited Masters
of Divinity Degree from Non-Synod Seminary
WHEREAS, God’s Word calls us to pray for additional workers in
the harvest, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for
them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without
a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful,
but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the
harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” (Matt. 9:36–37); and
WHEREAS, Pastors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
(LCMS) are retiring in larger numbers than ever before (an
estimated 1/3 of our congregations will be without a pastor by 2035)
and the number of men entering our seminaries is less than what is
needed to replace these faithful servants and expand further mission
and ministry; and
WHEREAS, The congregations of the Pacific Southwest District
give thanks to God and celebrate the various alternate routes to
ordination and pastoral ministry available in the LCMS, such as
Specific Ministry Pastors (SMP), there is a growing need for
general ordination pastors who are able to receive divine calls from
congregations without restriction, provide supervision for other
rostered church workers, supervise vicars, hold elected or appointed