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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 446

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

2013 Convention Workbook
0
1
6
7

Disagree

Neither Disagree Nor Agree

Agree

Strongly Agree

5

6

2

0

0

2010

8

9

1

1

0

2011

90

In February 2009, the then executive director of Synod’s Board for Pastoral Education was chairing a task force
mandated by 2007 LCMS Convention Resolution 5-02 (To Address Lay Deacons). A part of this task force’s
work was to gain an accurate understanding of how many districts were utilizing licensed lay deacons and in
what specific ways they were being utilized. Since it was expected that the SMP program would have an impact
upon the utilization of licensed lay deacons, the task force also desired to gain from district presidents an initial
reaction to the SMP program after approximately 18 months of its operation. In order to gain this information,
the executive director secured the appropriate permissions and conducted a survey of the LCMS Council of
Presidents (see below).

Other Phenomena:

The data depicted in the table above for the fall of 2011 is depicted in the chart below.

0

2009

Strongly Disagree

Response

90

71

Functioning under direct supervision, and serving as a part-time
provider of preaching and sacrament ministry;
Functioning under direct supervision, and serving as a part-time
provider of preaching (not sacraments);

TOTAL

540

196

13

Functioning under direct supervision, and serving as the primary
provider of preaching (not sacraments) ministry;

Functioning under direct supervision, and serving as a part-time
provider of non-preaching, non-sacramental care (e.g., Bible studies,
devotions, liturgy, visitation, youth ministry, etc.).

81

Functioning under direct supervision, and serving as the primary
provider of preaching and sacrament ministry;

24

5

Functioning nearly or completely autonomously in providing
preaching ministry (no sacraments), with only occasional
communication with a supervising pastor;

Functioning under direct supervision, and serving as the primary
provider of non-preaching, non-sacramental care (e.g., Bible studies,
devotions, visitation, youth ministry, etc.)

60

Number in Your
District (2009)

Functioning nearly or completely autonomously in providing
preaching and sacrament ministry, with only occasional
communication with a supervising pastor;

Category

602

259

35

35

152

12

70

7

32

91

Number in Your District
(2012)

Please	
  respond	
  by	
  providing	
  the	
  number	
  of	
  licensed	
  lay	
  deacons	
  in	
  your	
  district	
  who	
  are:	
  

With the above qualification noted, the data below describe the responses received from district presidents in
2009 and 2012:

I realize that no direct cause-effect conclusions can be established concerning the relationship between
the SMP program and licensed lay deacons based strictly upon the comparison of data from the two
surveys. Many other contextual variables, not the least of which is the economic downturn that has
occurred in recent years, are involved. That said, the comparison should be interesting and your
comments, now offered after more than three years of SMP program operation, are highly valued.

In February of 2012, the executive director of pastoral education (formerly the executive director of Synod’s
Board for Pastoral Education) posed to the SMP Committee the possibility of repeating the February 2009
survey of the Synod’s Council of Presidents in order to compare the data in 2012, precisely three years from the
2009 survey. The executive director’s e-mail message to district presidents accompanying the 2012 survey
included the following qualification concerning any attempt to draw conclusions concerning the relationship
between licensed lay deacon data and the SMP program:

446
Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Task Force