LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 211

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HIGHER EDUCATION 211

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm its constitutional procedure
for addressing official accusations and complaints (Bylaw 6.47);
and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod encourage its officers and members to
fulfill a faithful ministry to all who initiate or persist in bringing
false accusations against their brothers and sisters in the Synod (cf.
Dt. 19:15-19; Matt. 18:15-20).

Concordia University
Portland, OR

To Develop Standard for Training
of Professional Church Workers

WHEREAS, It appears that the ongoing need for experienced and
professionally qualified church workers within our Synod is reach-
ing emergency proportions; and

WHEREAS, In past emergency situations, the LCMS has trained
and involved qualified laity to participate in Word and Sacrament
ministry under the supervision of ordained pastors; and

WHEREAS, There is no specific person or office currently set up
on a synodical level to coordinate the many independent LCMS
professional church worker training programs throughout the U.S.;
therefore be it

Resolved, That an office be set up under the synodical Board
for Higher Education (BHE) to develop a uniform minimum stan-
dard of training and supervision for all professional church workers
(deacons, deaconesses, and lay ministers); and be it further

Resolved, That the proposed uniform minimum standard of
training be presented to the individual LCMS Districts at their next
District conferences or conventions, or at least prior to the 2004
synodical convention; and be it finally

Resolved, That upon approval by the LCMS in its 2004 con-
vention we wholeheartedly support such training and willingly ac-
cept these trained professional church workers as co-workers in the
kingdom of God so that God’s Word can continue to work mightily
in our land.

Greenfield Park
West Allis, WI

5-16

To Not Allow Districts to Prepare Pastors

WHEREAS, Some Districts within The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod have voted to establish District-run schools for training
men to become pastors (1.e., SED Res. 00-01-02, May 2000 con-
vention; at the SED convention we were informed that other lib-
eral districts had adopted similar resolutions); and

WHEREAS, The SED convention adopted Res. 00-01-02, which
requests the Board of Directors of SED to establish a task force
with the power to “a. Study, develop and implement as a high pri-
ority new and creative ways of training, equipping and certifying
professional and laypersons for various ministries within our dis-
trict and Synod. This may include the use of electronic media, vis-
iting professors, workshops and distance learning; b. Develop
methods of identifying potential professional and lay church work-
ers to be trained and sent out into ministry”; and

WHEREAS, We already know what kind of “creative ways” will
be used, since the SED President licensed a former Baptist minister
for Word and Sacrament ministry under supervision of a retired
pastor (“A Covenant and Partnership in Ministry,” 12-2-99); and

WHEREAS, This licensed former Baptist minister had no more
than 12 hours of instruction in Lutheran doctrine at the time his li-
cense was issued (Jan. |, 2000); and

WHEREAS, Area pastors were forbidden by the SED District
President Arthur Scherer from asking the former Baptist pastor var-
ious critical doctrinal issues, i-e., Lutheran understanding of the
Lord’s Supper, Baptism, etc.; and

WHEREAS, Such actions by the SED District President cause one
to question whether |2 hours of catechetical instruction are enough
to qualify anyone to carry on a Word and Sacrament ministry; and

WHEREAS, The SED District President resisted any suggestion
by the area pastors to have the man first sent to one of the semi-
naries for theological training, which leads one to doubt whether
any theological school run by a District without properly theologi-
cally trained professors and without synodical approval or super-
vision is in the best interest of the Synod for maintaining doctrinal
unity; and

WHEREAS, It has been documented that liberals are trying to
circumvent our two fine seminaries by training their own men to
become pastors like unto their liberal leaders (VISION, March
2000); and

WHEREAS, Such actions seem to be contrary to Art. III of our
Synod’s Constitution: “1. Conserve and promote the unity of the
true faith (Eph. 4:3-6; | Cor. 1:10), work through its official struc-
ture toward fellowship with other Christian church bodies, and pro-
vide a united defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17),
and heresy”; and

WHEREAS, Such action seems contrary to Bylaws Chapter VI,
“Colleges, Universities and Seminaries”; and

WHEREAS, Such action seems to be in direct violation of Res.
3-07A, which was adopted at the 1995 synodical convention, which
states: “In exceptional circumstances where no local pastor is avail-
able” since there are an abundance of LCMS pastors in the area
and “he has his District President or supervising pastor work with a
committee of the seminary ...”’; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2001 synodical convention instruct the Pres-
ident of the Synod to contact all District Presidents and inform
them that any attempt to establish a school for the training, equip-
ping, and certifying of professional and laypersons for the purpose
of a Word and Sacrament ministry (ordained Pastoral Office)
within the Districts and the Synod is strictly forbidden; and be it
further

Resolved, That any District President who ignores or refuses to
carry out or abide by the Synod’s policy for training and education
of men to carry out a Word and Sacrament ministry, namely, being
educated at one of our synodically established seminaries, that such
District President be immediately removed by the President of our
Synod, and that the synodical President then appoint some other
minister in that District to fill the office of District President.

Salem
Taylorsville, NC

5-17

To Remove Psychological Profiling
and Restore Theological Interviews at Seminaries
WHEREAS, The office of the holy ministry is primarily spiritual
in nature; and

WHEREAS, Psychological evaluations often ignore or even de-
mean the spiritual realm in individuals; and

WHEREAS, Even as “God has chosen the foolish things of the
world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of
the world to shame the things which are strong” (1 Cor. 1:27), so
also God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9); and

WHEREAS, Psychology often denies and militates against the
spiritual benefit of human weakness as a vessel of God’s power,
especially as regards the proclamation of the Gospel; and

Wrereas, Psychological tests often posit only two responses,
both of which may, in the extreme, disqualify a person for consid-
eration for placement as a pastor; and

WHEREAS, The best evaluation of a prospective pastor is made
by those who have themselves trained for and served in the minis-
terlum of Christ’s holy church; and

WHEREAS, Casual and classroom contact is not necessarily suf-
ficient for a proper evaluation of the theological and personal

2001 Convention Workbook