LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 75

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
R13.5

POLICY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
SPECIFIC MINISTRY PASTOR PROGRAM:
ADMISSION, ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION
— LCMS PASTORAL FORMATION COMMITTEE —
NOVEMBER 2025

PREAMBLE

The 2013 convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) charged the Synod’s “SMP Committee” with providing refined parameters and policies for continuing and strengthening the Synod’s Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program.1
This assignment was never completed, and the “SMP Committee” no longer exists. Therefore, the 2019 and 2023 LCMS
conventions tasked the Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC) to provide such parameters to the church.2 The PFC has explored
these matters through significant engagement with the broader Synod at many levels, including one-on-one formal interviews
with all 35 district presidents; additional informal conversations with many of the district presidents; surveys returned by more
than 1,800 pastors; attendance and conversations with pastors and laypeople at most of the 35 district conventions in 2025; and
meetings with the SMP directors of the seminaries, the seminaries’ boards of regents, the LCMS Council of Presidents (COP),
the COP and seminary faculties together, and a joint meeting of the two seminary faculties. Informed by Synod convention
actions and the above interactions, the PFC hereby establishes the following policy requirements for the SMP program. These
are preceded below by several premises that have emerged as important considerations.

PREMISES
Premise 1: “[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Our gracious Lord

established the Office of the Holy Ministry and calls men to serve as pastors over His dear flock. Moved by compassion as He
looked upon crowds, Jesus declared, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of
the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:37–38). St. Paul says that those who desire to serve in this way desire
“a noble task” (1 Tim 3:1). God has established the office of preaching that, by means of “the ministry of teaching the Gospel
and administering the Sacraments” people might receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation “freely … for Christ’s
sake, through faith” (Augsburg Confession V and IV; hereafter, AC). This office of preaching should be treated in the church
with diligence and good order, so that “no one should publicly teach in the Church, or administer the Sacraments, without a
rightly ordered call” (AC XIV). It is a serious and necessary calling, for pastors “are keeping watch over your souls, as those
who will have to give an account” before God (Heb. 13:17). For these reasons the LCMS has always given great care to the
preparation of its pastors.

Premise 2: The LCMS has entrusted its two seminaries with the task of preparing well-formed pastors for the flock of God and
for Christ’s commission to make disciples of all nations. These pastors must be wise and faithful disciples of the Holy Scriptures
and confessors of Book of Concord Lutheranism. These undershepherds of Christ must be bold, faithful, joyful proclaimers of
Christ. The church needs many such pastors.
Premise 3: The Synod’s SMP program was created by action of the 2007 convention “to address real-world needs with an urgency for bringing the Gospel to a dying world” while acknowledging the reality that “emerging needs and economic pressures
often make it impossible to call a pastor who has received a broad and thorough theological education to every congregation or
mission station where, nevertheless, people need to hear the Gospel” (2007 Res. 5-01B). The SMP program, as implemented at
1

2013 Res. 5-03E and 5-04B.

2

The PFC is “responsible for ensuring that the Synod’s objective of training pastors is fulfilled consistently (Constitution Art. III 3)” (LCMS Bylaw 3.10.4).

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our two seminaries, has served the church well by providing basic theological and pastoral formation for men willing to serve
as pastors in such situations, who then serve under certain restrictions and under ongoing pastoral supervision. We thank God
for the pastors formed through our SMP program and regard them with honor as called and ordained servants of Jesus Christ
conducting valid ministry.

Premise 4: The intention in creating the SMP program was not that it become a preferred or prevalent route for pastoral

preparation, given its more limited scope. Since its creation, regular appeals have been made, with formal requests issued by the
2013, 2019 and 2023 conventions, that the Synod provide more specific direction and policy parameters regarding the optimal
uses of the SMP program for the well-being of the church and her mission. The PFC has engaged in extensive conversations
with LCMS constituencies and, with this document, is providing clarified SMP policy parameters to the seminaries, to district
presidents and to congregations, as directed by the LCMS in convention.

Premise 5: Currently, and for the foreseeable future, the LCMS is facing a shortage of pastors. While robust recruitment efforts
are underway through Set Apart to Serve and through seminary, university and district initiatives, many small congregations
struggle to call and support a full-time pastor. Parameters for the SMP program should be conceived, designed and managed
to address the challenges faced by these small congregations in particular, and to maintain and enhance the overall long-term
well-being of the church and her mission and ministry. The development and calling of an SMP pastor is one among numerous
good options for addressing the need for a pastor in certain small congregations. For many such situations, the church also has
other good, wise and appropriate options: church consolidation or partnerships, multi-point congregations, use of lay readers
of sermons, a blessed closure that enables assets to be used for fruitful ministry elsewhere while ensuring existing members
receive care at nearby LCMS congregations, and so forth.3
Premise 6: There is long-term value to the man himself, to his congregation of origin, and to the church at large when a young
man is sent to the seminary and set aside for years of full-time study by enrolling in the residential pastoral formation programs at our seminaries so that he may be shared with the wider church throughout his lifetime of ministry. The 2023 LCMS
convention appealed to all LCMS congregations, districts and seminaries to prioritize and strongly encourage such full-time,
residential formation for prospective pastors (2023 Res. 6-02A and 6-03A). The SMP program should be structured in such
a way that it does not discourage or detract from full-time, residential seminary preparation for men pursuing a lifetime of
ministry in the LCMS.
Premise 7: The proportion of men completing the most comprehensive program of pastoral preparation (M.Div. at one of the

two Synod seminaries) matters. When the church’s confession is clear and strong, the mission and ministry of the church is
invigorated. The long-term scriptural confession and scriptural confidence of the LCMS is placed at risk if a substantial proportion of its pastors have received less preparation in biblical study, the Lutheran Confessions, Lutheran doctrine, church history
and the disciplines of pastoral theology. The clear proclamation and defense of biblical truth is hampered when fewer of the
Synod’s pastors have learned the original biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek. Martin Luther warned at length that learning Hebrew and Greek must not again be lost among the teachers of the church at peril of losing the Gospel itself (see Luther’s
Works, AE 45:358–68).4

Premise 8: Related to the previous, the men completing the most comprehensive program of pastoral preparation (M.Div.) are
better positioned than SMP pastors to take up an ensuing lifetime of additional rigorous continuing education that deepens
their ability to serve. The ministry of our pastors is greatly enriched by continued theological and practical growth after their
years of seminary formation. The Synod in convention has spoken clearly of its desire to support and encourage rigorous
continuing education (see 2019 Res. 6-04 and 6-07 and 2023 Res. 6-06A and 6-07A). While some argue that the lesser depth of
SMP preparation can be compensated for by continuing education later in ministry, the reality is that richer initial preparation
3
Regarding these options, including the use of lay readers of sermons, see the April 13, 2023, CTCR document President of Synod Request for Opinion on Lay Reading of Sermons and
Conduct of Worship in the Absence of a Pastor and the October 4, 2024, CTCR document Mission and Ministry Principles and Practical Observations and Suggestions, especially “Practical
Observations and Suggestions,” Section 2.e. Both are available at resources.lcms.org/reading-study/ctcr-library-church-and-ministry-lutheran-doctrine-and-practice.
4
As just one brief excerpt states: “In proportion then as we value the gospel, let us zealously hold to the languages. For it was not without purpose that God caused his Scriptures to be set
down in these two languages alone—the Old Testament in Hebrew, the New in Greek. … And let us be sure of this: we will not long preserve the gospel without the languages. The languages
are the sheath in which this sword of the Spirit [Eph. 6:17] is contained; they are the casket in which this jewel is enshrined; they are the vessel in which this wine is held; they are the larder in
which this food is stored … Experience too has proved this and gives evidence of it. For as soon as the languages declined to the vanishing point, after the apostolic age, the gospel and faith
and Christianity itself declined more and more until under the pope they disappeared entirely. After the decline of the languages Christianity witnessed little that was worth anything; instead, a
great many dreadful abominations arose because of ignorance of the languages” (AE 45:359–61).

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–2–

provides invaluable tools for such later learning, including broader perspectives on church history, doctrinal resources and
knowledge of the original languages of the Bible. Bivocational SMP pastors, in particular, may find it challenging to engage
in many continuing education opportunities, such as conferences and weekday circuit pastors meetings, because of work
commitments.

providing pastoral preparation for men serving such settings. At the same time, St. Paul wrote: “Do you not know that those
who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial
offerings? In the same way the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1
Cor. 9:13–14; see also vv. 8–12). In view of our Lord’s command, the Synod should not intentionally plan its future and mission
strategy around part-time pastoral service. For congregations where revitalization or consolidation is in reach, a part-time
pastor may not be the best option, since he may not be able to devote to the task the kind of time and effort needed to achieve
those ends.

Premise 9: The SMP program is more suitable for older men than for younger. Evidence shows greater completion rates in
the SMP program for men over 40, compared to younger participants. A man who begins pastoral preparation before age 40
is likely to be able to provide 30 years or more of full-time service to the broader church. Young men preparing for a lifetime
of ministry in the LCMS should attend a full-time residential program at one of the Synod’s seminaries. The church affirmed
this at the 2023 LCMS convention: “Resolved, ‘That the district presidents and seminaries be strongly encouraged to direct men
to residential pastoral ministry routes [at our Synod’s seminaries] as the preferred option.’”5 See also the 2023 PFC Report 60:
“The PFC and seminaries affirm the proposition that ‘the most complete means of preparing a man for the general responsibilities of the pastoral office and a lifetime of service is the residential master of divinity route at the Synod’s seminaries.’”6
Premise 10: The ongoing supervision of SMP pastors throughout their years of service places extra commitments on the other
pastors of the church (work in addition to the call to serve a congregation). That supervisory burden will become more pronounced and more challenging to fulfill as the number of SMP pastors grows in proportion to the number of general pastors.7

Premise 11: Many SMP applications arrive to the seminaries fully completed, with the endorsement of a congregation and
their district president included, before any contact or conversation has occurred between the student and the seminary. In
other words, without any consulation with the seminaries, these men have decided to pursue distance education and more limited-scope service to the church rather than pursuing full-time residential preparation in the M.Div. or Residential Alternate
Route (RAR) programs. These same students often report that they are pursuing the SMP program because it would not be
possible for them to attend the seminary residentially. However, an individual’s perspective on the question, “Would it work
for me to pursue the residential M.Div. or RAR?” will be better informed by speaking with seminary admissions officers, staff
and residential seminarians. If congregations and district presidents can put all men aspiring to be pastors (including those
interested in SMP) into contact with seminary admissions officers as early as possible in their planning process and if seminary
admissions officers will maintain good communication with district presidents, this will benefit these men and the broader
church. The goal should be to fully inform these men so they can make the best decisions regarding the stewardship of their
sacrificial service to the church.
Premise 12: The SMP route should not be seen as a “choice among route-to-ordination alternatives” by a man desiring to

serve, even in his local context, in the pastoral office. The mistaken perception exists among some in the LCMS that the SMP
program is an “online option” as is typical in some fields today. This treats the SMP program as one option among others from
which an individual may decide how he wants to pursue pastoral formation and ministry in the LCMS. The 2023 PFC Report 60
helpfully clarifies this, stating: “Generally speaking, such contexts [approved for SMP ministry] should be thoughtfully identified and assessed by the congregation in careful consultation with the district (especially the district president). … In creating the
SMP route and acknowledging the role that distance learning would play in its implementation, the Synod’s objective was not
simply to offer a nonresidential distance learning alternative to the residential MDiv route.”8

Premise 15: The Synod’s collective aim to increase the number of men recruited for service in the pastoral office must always
be carefully balanced by the Synod’s aim to prepare the highest quality graduates for ministry and mission, and vice versa. In
other words, quantity and quality of pastors must always go in tandem.
Premise 16: The 2007 LCMS convention approved the creation of the SMP program to prepare men for certain specific
(specialized) ministries. The understanding was that an SMP pastor’s future calls and mobility would be restricted to "a similar
specific ministry context."9 However, the SMP program has not, in fact, been developed with any “tracks” or specializations.
(The residential M.Div. program, with greater room for elective courses, is more easily adapted to such specializations.) The
SMP curriculum at each seminary is a single, standard curriculum of general, minimal preparation for pastoral ministry. The
students in each SMP cohort come from varied ministry contexts. The “specific ministry” (specialization) for which an SMP
student prepares is, in fact, the context of their current place/context of ministry. The program routinely asks them to reflect
on the learning taking place in view of their current context, and their mentor pastor supports and advises their development
within that particular context.
Premise 17: SMP placement and service assume the man’s familiarity with the context and community of his place of service, as well as that congregation/community’s familiarity with and established confidence in the man. The design of the SMP
program as originally conceived did not envision a congregation recruiting an SMP candidate from outside the congregation
or a man seeking an SMP placement and, with the assistance of a pastor or district president, finding a congregation where he
might serve.

POLICY REQUIREMENTS FOR SMP ADMISSIONS, ADMINISTRATION
AND SUPERVISION
1. SMP applicants must have membership and significant service in an LCMS congregation for at least the last 5 years. (*)
2. SMP applicants must have membership in the congregation of placement, or a nearby congregation, for at least the last 3
years. (*)
3. SMP applicants must be at least 40 years old. (*)

Premise 13: The SMP program is not designed to theologically re-wire recent Lutheran converts from non-Lutheran back-

grounds; it is not sufficient for this purpose. The SMP curriculum assumes that the men enrolled have a firm and mature grasp
of and commitment to basic Lutheran theology.

4. Prospective SMP applicants will be directed from the beginning of the process to seminary admissions counselors for clarification regarding the nature of the SMP program and for exploration of the possibilities of residential seminary study. A
visit to the campus of one of the LCMS seminaries will be strongly encouraged as part of the application and vocational
discernment process for SMP applicants. Congregations should not act or vote to approve a man for SMP service before he
has confirmed his willingness to enter the SMP program after consultation with one or both of the LCMS seminaries.

Premise 14: There are some circumstances in which part-time or bivocational ordained pastors can be a great blessing to the
church’s mission, and the ministry of these men should be valued and honored. The SMP program is particularly useful in

5. As part of the SMP application process, congregations in which and supervising pastors under which SMP students will be
learning will affirm their ready willingness to teach and practice according to our Synod’s doctrines and resolutions.

5

2023 Res. 6-02A, which is here quoting 2019 Res. 6-02.

6

2023 Convention Workbook, 129, citing 2013 Res. 5-14A Task Force and 2016 Res. 6-03; emphasis added.

COP Document 14.2.8. states that the district president will identify a local pastor to serve as supervisor, and will secure replacement if he leaves, in consultation with the seminary. It also
states that the district president will appoint a (non-SMP) pastor to serve as the ongoing supervisor for the SMP pastor throughout his years of service.
7

8

2023 Convention Workbook, 129; emphasis original.

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6. Seminary admissions will give priority to SMP applicants who will serve congregations that could otherwise not receive
Word and Sacrament ministry.
7. Congregations and districts should pledge themselves to be responsible for the funding of the student’s program (if feasible
in the circumstance) to create a clear sense of their involvement, fully considered commitment and valuing of the SMP
pastor’s program of study and service.
9

2007 Convention Proceedings, 135.

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2026 Convention Workbook