LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 390

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390 THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

gregations, District Presidents, and seminaries). And, some proce-
dures have been developed to improve communication among the
calling entities as a result of situations where a congregation’s
hopes and expectations have not been fulfilled or met on a previous
call (as some might say, they have been “burned”’). It must be ac-
knowledged, however, that the problem of trust will not be solved
by attempts to find the ideal or perfect procedure. Nor will the need
for trust be eliminated by the adoption of different structures. In
every case fallible human beings administer the process and mis-
takes will be made. But the integrity of the divine call must always
be preserved and nothing done that will cause people to manipu-
late or pre-ordain the results of the process. In all calling situations
congregations should be encouraged to remember that God’s Holy
Spirit is at work throughout the process.

How should names be solicited or nominated? In past practice,
if a congregation desired to call a seminary graduate, it submitted a
request to the seminary through the District President. The semi-
nary and Council of Presidents together would then attempt to
match a graduate with the needs of that congregation. If a congre-
gation wanted to call a pastor from the field, it ordinarily invited
its members to suggest names of potential candidates. Those were
then shared with the District President who would take them into
account and perhaps remove” or add names (based on availability
of candidates and the needs of the congregation) to the recom-
mended list. The congregation would then consider that list, modify
it if so desired, and call an individual from it. These remain good
and sound procedures.

In recent years variations in the procedures outlined above have
become more common. Congregational members may ask family
members for names. Pastors in neighboring congregations may pro-
pose names to members of the congregation or to the District Pres-
ident. In whatever way names are identified for compiling an initial
list of candidates, it is important that the list still be submitted to
the District President for his recommendations. Congregations
ought not to circumvent the process to which all of us have com-
mitted ourselves, as we act together with the whole Synod and not
in an isolated fashion.

May a pastor place his own name on a call list in a particular
region? Again, it is appropriate for a pastor to be open to receiv-
ing a call from Christ to serve anywhere that Christ would make
use of him. It is inappropriate, however, to “campaign,” “pull
strings,” or “finagle” for a call to a particular position. As we have
said earlier, one needs to consider carefully whether an “inner call”
is being confused with personal ambition. This can lead to an ex-
cessive focus on the human factors of a call, and regrettably to a
lower view—and even disparagement—of the call itself. More se-
riously, the focus may actually be shifted away from the office of
the Gospel and the call turned into a mere stepping stone to a “bet-
ter position.”

How does a congregation decide whom to call? The recent past
has witnessed a steady decline in the number of congregations that
select and call an individual based only on the information pro-
vided to them by the District President. If previously we have erred
by obtaining insufficient information, today we risk erring on the
side of seeking too much information. We must take care lest we
assume that the Spirit works better either through more informa-
tion, or through less information. Either approach may fail suffi-
ciently to recognize that the call comes from Christ. Selecting a
man from a traditional (early twentieth-century) Missouri Synod
call list with relatively little information could result, for example,
in calling the individual whose moving costs are the least expensive
or—to cite a more trivial case—avoiding someone with a non-Ger-
man name. On the other hand, more information may encourage
inordinate attention to peripheral matters, with less concern shown
for more important issues such as the characteristics of the pastor

2004 Convention Workbook

(e.g., his aptness to convey God’s Word in its purity and power to
the congregation).

Interviews have become increasingly common when congrega-
tions call from the seminary and from the field. The advantages and
perhaps especially the disadvantages of this practice need to be se-
riously considered. To be sure, an interview may provide much
helpful information to a congregation about an individual. At the
same time, however, a two-hour interview may not be as accurate
an assessment as the process undertaken over years by seminary
faculties, District Presidents, and others. And in the case of semi-
nary graduates, the interview process may even produce the unin-
tended result of creating discouragement and disillusionment in
those candidates who are not interviewed.

What should one do upon receipt of a call? When a pastor re-
ceives a call, he has an obligation to inform his congregation, the
Circuit Counselor, and the District President of that fact and not
keep it to himself. He also has an obligation to acknowledge re-
ceipt of the call to the calling congregation. Upon informing his
congregation, a man should not treat the call as a bargaining chip in
order to obtain, for instance, a better financial package. Further-
more, the congregation should be a part of the decision process and
should be encouraged to pray for the pastor. When a man accepts a
call to serve elsewhere he should seek a peaceful release from the
congregation that he has been serving. The reason for such a prac-
tice is that the Christian congregation is not an aggregate of indi-
viduals, but is part of an organic union called the body of Christ.
Christian congregations, therefore, are mutually responsible and
accountable to one another.

How long should one take to make a decision about a call? No
biblical mandate can be given in this area. It would seem wise,
however, for an individual to take enough time prayerfully and pa-
tiently to think through the decision, but not so much time as to
hinder the ministry of a congregation by undue delay. An unwritten
rule of thumb has generally been that a period of three to four
weeks is most appropriate. This seems reasonable and maintains
the above two principles. Excessive delays in making a decision
may be due more to an individual’s own indecisiveness than to an
earnest effort to discern the Spirit’s guidance.

Should a congregation call twice? That is to say, should a con-
gregation call an individual once again immediately after he has
declined the call? The danger exists that a congregation may think
that by issuing a call a second or even a third time in succession to
the same individual they are showing “how much the Spirit really
wants” this individual, or conversely that the individual has sim-
ply failed to listen to the Spirit. It is possible, one might suppose,
that a misunderstanding between the two parties could result in the
need for a second call. As general rule, however, the congregation
should take the individual’s declination at face value and move for-
ward with nominating and calling another individual. The call
should not be treated as a contract negotiation or a bargaining ses-
sion that takes place over a period of several calls (or offers). Such
a way of proceeding only trivializes the divine character of the call.

Ordination-Installation

Ordination is the public recognition by the church that a partic-
ular man is qualified, has been elected by a congregation, and is
recognized by the wider church as the pastor of a congregation and
as an occupant of the pastoral office. Ordination follows the
church’s approval for service in the pastoral office through its
structures for assessing aptitude, and acceptance of a first call to a
specific field of service. The District President or his designated
representative administers ordination with the assistance of other
colleagues in the office. In this way the entire church affirms pub-
licly that the man has been placed into the office of the ministry
and assigned to the particular congregation.