LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 223

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HIGHER EDUCATION 223

Wuereas, PLI puts District Presidents in the awkward position
of favoring, or appearing to favor, certain pastors over others; and

Wuereas, PLI assigns the District President the responsibility
to judge spiritual gifts, which he himself may not be gifted to do;
and

WHEREAS, PL] sets standards for the pastoral office that are be-
yond the purview of Scripture (i.e., especially Timothy and Titus);
and

WHERESS, The District Presidents and PLI have the appearance
and indeed the likelihood of intruding into the work of the Holy
Spirit in His direction and care of the church; and

WHEREAS, PL] in essence invites and involves the Lutheran
Church Extension Fund (and the Foundation) to favor with their
benevolence certain pastors (those involved with PLI) over other
pastors (those not involved with PLI); and

WHEREAS, PLI establishes levels or ranks of pastors, or points to
some priority of some pastors over others, even though technically
Smalcald Articles, Art. [V, paragraph 9 (Triglot pp. 473-74). is not
broken; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS decline Recognized Service Organi-
zation status for PLI; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod request PLI to terminate its operation
in an expeditious but orderly way; and be it finally

Resolved, That the whole PLI enterprise be subsumed under the
management and expertise of our seminaries.

First

Plattsmouth, NE

5-51

To Deny PLI RSO Status

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s seminar-
ies al Fort Wayne and St. Louis are the recognized institutions for
training pastors; and

WHEREAS, The Pastoral Leadership Institute is an organization
which is outside the LCMS, and the Synod does not have control
over what the PLI teaches, advocates, and practices; and

WuereaS, The PLI in its Constitution, bylaws, manuals, and
practices advocates, teaches, and promotes doctrine and practices
contrary to the LCMS doctrinal positions; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS in convention assembled in St. Louis
in July 2001 is hereby solicited to deny the PLI Recognized Ser-
vice Organization status.

Messiah
Danville, CA

5-52

To Not Recognize PLI and Require Refund

WHEREAS, PL] at its founding in 1998 prevailed upon its con-
tacts in the Pacific Southwest District (PSW) to extend a call to its
leader to correct claimed leadership training deficiencies in the
training of our future pastors al our two seminaries. PLI was com-
pelled to withdraw its claim that our seminaries were not providing
leadership training for our future pastors, but it has continued in
business nonetheless; and ‘

WHEREAS, The CCM recently ruled that the several hundred
thousand dollars that the LCEF has given as a grant to PLI was
without authority of any provision of the LCMS Constitution or
Bylaws; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS definitely will never recognize PLI
as an entity of the Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS require PLI to refund immediately all
the money it has illegally received trom the LCEF.

Mount Hope
Casper, WY

5-53

To Work Collaboratively
re Issues of Pastoral Leadership

WHEREAS, A need exists for parish pastors to discuss concerns
and gain both insight and skill in the area of pastoral leadership;
and

WHEREAS. There are significant questions of appropriate theol-
ogy and practice inherent in teaching and applying principles of
leadership within the office of the pastoral ministry; and

WHEREAS, Such education must be pursued in the field with the-
ological integrity from within a confessional Lutheran framework;
and

WHEREAS, The Pastoral Leadership Institute was established in
response to certain needs for continuing education of pastors in
pastoral leadership; and

WHEREAS, The Pastoral Leadership Institute has expressed its
desire to develop a parish leadership training program within a con-
fessional Lutheran framework; and

WHEREAS, The Pastoral Leadership Institute was initiated as an
alternative for pastors who otherwise might seek such training out-
side of a Lutheran confessional context: and

WHEREAS, The Pastoral Leadership Institute has explicitly and
intentionally sought support, assistance, and accountability within
the structures of the LCMS, including theological guidance from
both Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Concordia Theological
Seminary, Fort Wayne; and

WHEREAS, Both seminaries of our church have affirmed the im-
portance of pastoral leadership insofar as it relates to the pastoral
office; and

WHEREAS, Both seminaries have expressed the value of contin-
uing education for pastors through formal courses of training as
well as through seminars, symposia, and other means; and

WHEREAS, Both seminaries have expressed concerns about cer-
tain models of parish leadership regarding their consistency with
Lutheran confessional] theology: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention recognize the impor-
tance of developing programs of parish leadership within a
Lutheran confessional framework; and be it further

Resolved, That the Pastoral Leadership Institute and all other
entities that address issues of pastoral leadership be encouraged to
continue to work cooperatively and collaboratively within the
structures of our Synod and especially with the theological faculties
of our church to ensure that the theology and practice taught in the
area of pastoral leadership are in agreement with the doctrine and
practice of our Synod.

Faculty
Concordia Seminary
St. Louis. MO

5-54

To Commend and Include PLI in Pastoral Training

WHEREAS, The seminaries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod have done and continue to do an exceptional job of training
and preparing young men for the pastoral office in the LCMS, in-
cluding, but not limited to understanding and being faithful to the
doctrinal and confessiona! principles of the LCMS; and

Wuereas, The need for the continued growth for pastors con-
tinues to expand because of the increasing changes and complexi-
ties of our culture; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS values a process whereby LCMS pastors
are able to acquire additional skills within the context of the doc-
trinal and confessional principles of the LCMS, thereby encourag-
ing pastors to acquire such skills within those LCMS principles
rather than seeking such skills outside the context of those princi-
ples; and

2001 Convention Workbook