LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 416

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416

Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Task Force
...As Offered By Faculty and Staff of Seminaries

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A need for faculty members specializing in distance learning was
identified that would supplement the seminary faculty for this type of
teaching. Distance education costs more than residential if it is done
well, and, if the seminaries are going to do this, then they need to do
it well.
It was suggested that focus should be placed on well-defined paths to
ministry and making sure to properly weed out students who should not
be in the program. Work with faculty members so that they continue to
get better at distance teaching. Train faculty in online pedagogy and
recognize the discipline needed to be successful with online classes.
Make learning more interactive, i.e. study and then come back and
discuss.
Raise the profile and commitment of SMP among the faculty.
Give a clear path for SMP students to achieve their M.Div. and go on
to general ministry. There should be a way for SMP students to receive
credit toward a M.Div. degree. It was acknowledged that many of these
suggested improvements for the SMP program will also improve residential teaching.
Legitimate uses of a SMP pastor were identified by some professors
as being ethnic outreach and providing pastors to areas that cannot
afford a full-time pastor. There needs to be a way to make SMP truly
specific. This could be done through bylaw changes through a floor
committee.
The fact that SMP students are being looked down upon by brother
pastors in the church as not being good pastors needs to be addressed
so that all are walking together as brothers in Christ. The issue of two
classes of pastors is problematic.

... As Offered by District Presidents
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Provide safeguards to the SMP program so that it is not simply an easy
route into the pastoral ministry.Make sure that SMP students are well
equipped and well educated to deal with the multi-faceted ministries
that are part of being a pastor in a congregation today.
Provide some level of training to SMP students for use of the original
languages in Bible study and preaching.
Put more emphasis on the mission field contexts in which these men
serve. The program recognizes the mission field reality of our world
and attempts to address it. Because of the pervasiveness and complexities of today’s mission challenges, we need to be even more deliberate
in forming the missionary heart and mind.
Support the seminaries in their attempts to develop a program that is
non-residential and that draws from the great strengths of this Synod’s
theological education experiences. In addition, find ways to address
those who pit those going through the M. Div. route against those going
through the SMP route to pastoral ministry.

...as Offered by Mentors
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Provide better identification and coordination of responsibilities
between the SMP mentor, district, and the seminary.
Provide positive endorsement of the SMP program by LCMS leaders
and pastors.

... as Offered by SMP Students
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The concept of “specific” in the program has been somewhat of a misnomer thus far. So far, students have all pretty much been in the exact
same course of study with no real differences allowing for “specific”
ministry.
As students continue in the program, the ministry in which a student
is called may morph and change. Allowance should be made for a student to change his “specific” ministry if the situation dictates such a
change.
There needs to be an answer to whether or not this “specific” ministry
affects how or where an SMP pastor can serve in the future. If the educational path of all the students is essentially identical, is it necessary

2013 Convention Workbook

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for a “specific” ministry to be identified? Would a common track be
just as beneficial? If so, would a name change be advisable?
Those having gone through several ongoing educational opportunities and starting and/or completing a couple of advanced degrees have
found this program to be well thought out with a nice beginning design.
Students understand the growing pains and are pleased with both the
ability of the seminary to adapt and to deal with those growing pains.
The program needs to continue to adapt as it goes forward.
Have a break during the summer to allow time to rest, relax, and refuel.

... as Summarized by the Task Force
In order to do distance education well, supplementing seminary
faculties with faculty members who specialize in distance learning
while also working with involved current faculty members to improve
distance teaching skills will be helpful. It will also be helpful to raise
the profile of and the level of commitment to the SMP program by
the entire faculty, since improvements to the SMP program will also
improve residential program teaching. Work also needs to be done
to provide a clear path for SMP students to achieve M.Div. degrees.
Work needs to be done to make the SMP program truly specific
in its nature and content, with particular attention given to ethnic outreach and hard-to-serve ministries. Attention should also be given to
address what currently results in two classes of pastors on the roster of the Synod.
Better communication with district presidents and greater accountability of mentors for providing assistance and oversight will be
helpful in the proper preparation of students. Improved guidelines
for the application and acceptance process will also be helpful, not
only creating more uniformity across the Synod but also helping to
avoid abuse of the program by those who would otherwise attend the
seminary residential program.
Continued care should be taken to make certain that SMP students
are firmly grounded in confessional Lutheranism, willing and able to
defend the faith, and properly educated to carry out the work of the
pastoral ministry. Some level of original biblical language training
should be added to the existing SMP program. Attention will also
need to be given to developing guidelines to regulate the calling and
lateral movement of SMP pastors.
Given the workload being borne by SMP students, working
in opportunities for a break from studies would be helpful to the
program.
VI. Recommendations
As tasked by the President of the Synod, the task force herewith
offers a list of recommendations to make the existing program better.
1. Retain the SMP Program
Special circumstances (e.g. small parishes which cannot afford
a pastor) exist. Flexibility is vital as the church fulfills her vocational calling to preach the Gospel to everyone everywhere. While the
church cannot maintain her theological integrity, fidelity, and courage in these bewitching times unless she has an overall well-trained
and doctrinally steeped ministerium, special circumstances warrant
less-trained pastors so the means of grace can be delivered by a called
and ordained pastor. Therefore the task force recommends the retention of the SMP program for special circumstances.
2. Narrow the Specificity of the SMP Program
According to Res. 5-01B of the 2007 convention, the SMP program is to address the needs of congregations and/or mission settings
which cannot support a full-time pastor or missionary. Additionally,
other categories included “church planter, staff pastor, and others as
needs arise.”