LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — December 2, 2025, Page 5

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The university is thanked for its submission and for its work to revise these Bylaws. The commission looks
forward to a subsequent draft addressing the above. The proposed bylaws and this review will be shared
with the Board of Directors in pursuit of the work assigned by 2023 Res. 7-04B, part C.
158. Director of Family Life Ministry Authorization (25-3072)
By an email of September 21, augmented by submission of further documents on September 22, the
chairman of the Concordia University System (CUS) Board of Directors (BOD) requested an opinion of
the commission on the following question, related to the CUS BOD’s motion, taken September 19, to wit:
[Resolved,] To approve the minor curricular changes to the Director of Family Life
Ministry (DFLM) Program and authorize it to be offered at the Master’s level at Concordia
Nebraska and Concordia Wisconsin under Bylaw 3.6.6.1 (b), contingent upon review by
the Commission for Constitutional Matters.
The commission was also provided with document entitled, “White paper in support of changes to colloquy
requirements for commissioned status of Commissioned Family Life Ministers in The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod,” as was provided to the CUS BOD, and a number of other backup documents. At the
suggestion of the Secretary, the question was worded thus:
Question:

Does the CUS BOD possess the authority under Bylaw 3.6.6.1 (b) (as opposed to the
authority reserved to the convention under Bylaw 3.6.6.1 [g]) to authorize implementation
of a commissioned minister preparation program previously offered at the bachelor’s level
at one Concordia campus in the form of a master’s level program including substantially
equivalent subject matter at the same or a different Concordia university?

Opinion:
On the recommendation of the Board for Higher Education (BHE) / CUS, 2004 Res. 504A authorized the Director of Family Life Ministry (DFLM) as a type of commissioned minister and
authorized BHE/CUS, presumably under 2004 Bylaw 3.8.3.4 (c) to “review and approve new programs” in
this area under its broad assignment to “have overall responsibility to provide for the education of
commissioned ministers” (2004 Bylaw 3.8.3.1). The resolution described the program thus:
The family life program is multi-disciplinary, emphasizing theology, sociology, law,
economics, and scripturally sound psychology. The family life graduate will possess the
theological, academic, and practical training needed for providing specialized services to
families in a variety of situations and settings. Students preparing for the position of
Director of Family Life Ministry will participate in a program of study that conforms to
the requirements established by the Concordia University System for admitting,
monitoring, and placing church-vocations students. The requirements for the study of
theology are the same as for Lutheran teacher and director of Christian education students.
Family life ministry programs on Concordia University System campuses will maintain
required academic standards so that graduates will also be eligible for professional
licensure.
Today, CUS is charged:
•

on the one hand, to “review and approve new implementations of and discontinuance, whether
actual or constructive, of programs of study leading to professional church work in the interest of
the institution(s) and the Synod” (Bylaw 3.6.6.1 [b]), to maintain standards for such programs
(Bylaw 3.6.6.4 and its subparagraph [c]), and to conduct visitation and possible disaffirmation of
such programs (Bylaw 3.6.6.4.1 and its subparagraph [d]), and

•

on the other, to “receive, revise, and recommend to conventions of the Synod for approval any
proposals for creating, essentially revising, or renaming programs of study and certification for
commissioned ministry” (Bylaw 3.6.6.1 [g]).

CCM Minutes – December 2, 2025 – Page 131