Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2004 · 62nd Convention, St. Louis › Page 155
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 155

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

156 DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES

teachers in the planning, teacher database maintenance and reloca-
tion services, and preschool] through grade 12 school curriculum
development services of the Synod; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Director of School Ministry be named Ex-
ecutive Director of School Ministry Services to represent Lutheran
schools and teachers on the executive administrative staff of the
Synod.

Southern District; Oklahoma District; Nebraska District;
Atlantic District

2-41

To Evaluate Pastoral Shortage

WHEREAS, There are 6,150 congregations in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod (as of 2001, according to the 2003
Lutheran Annual, p. 727); and

WHEREAS, There are 360 congregations that are no longer call-
ing a pastor; and

WHEREAS, 8,497 pastors are on the clergy roster, although a por-
tion of these are retired (5,138 are in active service); and

WHEREAS, 920 parishes do not have a pastor, as of Nov. 15,
2002; and
WHEREAS, 835 pastors are serving the Synod outside of the
parish as executive assistants to the Synod President; to the Dis-
trict Presidents; in various staff functions both in the Synod and at
the seminaries and Concordia University System; and
WHEREAS, Many large parishes have two or more pastors, while
many pastors in rural settings serve two or more parishes; and
WHEREAS, The pastoral vacancy problem appears to be a distri-
bution issue; therefore be it
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention direct the Board of Directors to evaluate the distribution of
pastors; and be it further
Resolved, That if the Board of Directors find pastors are serving
in redundant positions or in positions that could be filled by other
well-qualified church professionals or well-qualified laity, those
pastors be reported to the appropriate District Presidents, who will
place them on call lists for vacant congregations.
Circuit Forum 20 (Mondovi Circuit)
North Wisconsin District

2-42

To Increase Number of Pastors in Parish Ministry

WHEREAS, In 1847 the LCMS was organized for the principal
purpose of establishing seminaries at which to train pastors; and

WHEREAS, From its beginning until 1970, the Synod fulfilled its
obligation to support the seminaries; and

Whereas, In 1970, the Synod’s support of the seminaries fell
to approximately 70 percent of the annual operating expenses; and

WHEREAS, In the year 2000, the Synod’s support of the semi-
naries had declined to 3 percent of the operating expenses, repre-
senting .06 percent of the Synod’s budget; and

WHEREAS, The Synod has approximately 6,000 congregations
with almost 1,000 vacancies; and

WHEREAS, Each year the pastors serving the congregations of
the Synod decline by the following

amounts:
Retirement 175
Leave the ministry 175
Die 50
400
and

WHEREAS, Each year the Synod has a goal of starting 65 new
congregations and dispatching 25 missionaries with the result that

90 of the annual graduates of the seminaries are not available to
enter the parish ministry and serve existing congregations; and

WHEREAS, The two seminaries of the LCMS combined are cur-
rently graduating about 200 new pastors each year; and

Whereas, The LCMS is currently experiencing an annual re-
duction of 490 men from the roster of pastors able to serve congre-
gations in the LCMS while graduating just 200 new pastors each
year from the two seminaries of Synod; and

WHEREAS, If nothing is done to correct this annual reduction of
pastors able to serve in the congregations of the Synod, in the short
time frame of the next decade the serious question arises as to
whether the LCMS will be a viable body to preach the Good News
of Jesus Christ; and

WHEREAS, Over the past 20 years the bureaucracy of the Synod
and District offices has risen from 247 to 835, an increase of 588
pastors; and

WHEREAS, The combined operating budgets of the seminaries
are approximately $23.5 million per year; and

WHEREAS, The cost of the 588 pastors (including support staff
and overhead expenses) working in District and synodical offices
represents a cost of $59.3 million per year; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative to increase the number of graduates
of the two seminaries of the LCMS and determine the reason(s) for
pastors voluntarily leaving the ministry before retirement; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That our congregation hereby request the Pacific
Southwest District convention in 2003 and the LCMS convention
in 2004 to adopt the following recommendations: (1) that the job
positions of the 588 pastors which have increased the bureaucra-
cies of the District and synodical offices be eliminated over the
next three years and the pastors serving in those positions be en-
couraged to take calls into the parish ministry of our church, and
(2) that the funds currently being expended to provide support for
these 588 positions be expended directly to the two seminaries of
the LCMS in order to enable the seminaries to at least double the
annual graduates of pastors able to serve the congregations of the
Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS conduct a survey, after appropriate
funding is procured from interested parties, to determine the cause
or causes which are prompting pastors of the LCMS to leave the
parish ministry prior to retirement. The questions of the survey will
include, but will not be limited to the following areas:

1. Compensation and benefits of current pastors and those who have
left the parish ministry
2. Working conditions in parish ministry
Our Savior
Fullerton, CA

2-43

To Make More Ordained Pastors Available

WHEREAS, Our Synod has a serious shortage of parish pastors;
and

WueREAS, The Synod and its Districts have many staff positions
that are filled by ordained clergy that could just as well be served
by other talented individuals; therefore be it

Resolved, That the various boards and organizations of the
Synod and its Districts review the job descriptions for their vari-
ous staff positions and make changes wherever appropriate allow-
ing talented non-ordained persons to fill certain positions and mak-
ing more ordained persons available to serve vacant congregations.

Trinity
Creston, IA