LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 77

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

77

R13.6
Report R13.6
Report on the Development of a Comprehensive, Uniform, Synodwide Specific Ministry
Supervision Plan (Pastoral Formation Committee, 2023 Res. 6-03A)

The 2007 Resolution 5-01B, “To Establish Specific Ministry Pastor Program,” 2 includes the following
statements:
Theological Foundations Guiding the Proposal (p. 133)
2. Lutherans affirm that there is only one Office of the Holy Ministry, established by God for the
public conduct of the ministry of Word and Sacrament. However, the church may recognize
certain distinctions within that one Office of the Holy Ministry and establish degrees of
supervision without undermining the unity of the office [emphasis added].
a. All those who serve Christ in the Office of the Holy Ministry exercise de iure divino (by
divine authority) the power to preach the Gospel, forgive sins, administer the
Sacraments, and exercise church discipline. There is no distinction within the one office
with respect to this power and authority.
b. Nevertheless, all ministers serve under supervision [emphasis added]. In ancient times,
the practice of making certain distinctions within the one Office of the Holy Ministry de
iure humano (by human authority) was established so that those ministers with broader
and deeper theological understanding should be able to provide doctrinal supervision
for less experienced, or less well-prepared, ministers [emphasis added]. These
distinctions were made to ensure that the Gospel was rightly preached and taught, and
to preserve the unity of the church. …

ASSIGNMENT
The 2023 LCMS Convention delegates assigned the Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC) “to
develop and present a comprehensive, uniform, synodwide Specific Ministry Supervision Plan.”
(2023 Resolution 6-03A [Proceedings, 163]).
PREFACE
For clarity in its fulfillment of the task assigned to it by Resolution 6-03A, the PFC has identified and
distinguished three consecutive, distinct time periods during which supervision is provided for
specific ministry vicars/pastors. This nomenclature will apply throughout the balance of this report:
•

•

•

Overview of the “Specific Ministry Pastor” Program (p. 134)
The specific curriculum will be determined and developed by the seminary faculties, in collaboration
with those from the field who represent the specific ministerial contexts at district and
congregational levels. It will be based on the following principles: …
3. The engagement of supervisors/mentors by the seminary in consultation with the district
presidents as a critical element of the distance education model [emphasis added]. …

Period A: The initial two-year time of seminary studies undertaken by a specific ministry
student-vicar 1, ending with his examination (seminary certification), call, and ordination as
a specific ministry pastor;
Period B: The subsequent two-year time of seminary studies undertaken by a specific
ministry student-pastor (newly ordained and serving in context as a specific ministry pastor
to his calling LCMS congregation-of-origin), ending with graduation from the seminary’s
program of specific ministry instruction; and
Period C: The subsequent service to an LCMS congregation by a specific ministry pastor
following graduation from the seminary’s program of specific ministry instruction.

The Specific Ministry Pastor Program will utilize selected mentors in the preparation of a man for
pastoral ministry with an emphasis on the area of spiritual formation [emphasis added]. ..
Step 2: Preordination Curriculum (p. 135)
Upon entrance into the Specific Ministry Program, the student will be assigned as a vicar in a specific
locality but normally will not be authorized to administer the Sacraments. He will preach sermons
prepared in collaboration with and approved by his supervisor [emphasis added]. …

The provision of adequate supervision over specific ministry vicars and pastors over Periods A, B,
and C has been a mandatory feature of the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program since its formal
establishment by the Synod in 2007 Resolution 5-01B. LCMS Bylaw 2.13.1 directs that every
specific ministry pastor shall “… serve under the supervision of his district president and another
pastor who is not a specific ministry pastor” without limitation as to the time period under which
the specific ministry pastor shall remain under supervision—that is, for the entire remaining period
of a man’s service as a specific ministry pastor in the LCMS.

Step 3: Certification/Call/Ordination (p. 135)
After certification, call, and ordination according to the usual order, the student is placed on the
pastoral roster of the Synod as a “specific ministry pastor.” He now may preach and administer the
Sacraments under supervision in a specific locality [emphasis added].
Step 5: Completion of the Specific Ministry Pastor Program (p. 135)
Specific ministry pastors are recognized as just that: pastors certified for calls into specific ministry
contexts, who serve under the supervision not only of the district president but also of a designated

1
Every SMP student is, by definition, a vicar serving an LCMS congregation-of-origin from the very start of
seminary studies until certification and ordination into the Office of the Holy Ministry as an LCMS specific
ministry pastor. Currently, specific ministry pastor certification and ordination occur at the midway point of
seminary studies (i.e., after two years, with two subsequent years of seminary studies remaining until
graduation); this midpoint timing of SMP certification and ordination remains unchanged from the Synod’s
establishment of the SMP program in 2007.

Floor Committee 5, “Seminary and University Education:” C: Jon Diefenthaler (SE), DP: Vice-chair: Carl
Krueger, Jr. (SELC); Richard Boche (WY); John Wille (SW), VOM: Allen Behnke (SE); Philip Kaufmann (CI); Chris
Kellogg (RM); Michael Redeker (IN), VL: John Bahr (AT); Kathy Meier (MNS); Janice Nafzger (MO), AOM: Arleigh
Lutz (NW); Ronald Wiese (MDS), ACM: Ron Bork (NEB); Jonathan Laabs (NI).

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SUPERVISION OF SMP STUDENT-VICARS AND SMP STUDENT-PASTORS
(PERIODS A AND B)

general ministry pastor. As such, they are eligible for calls into a similar specific ministry context,
where they continue under the supervision of a general ministry pastor” [emphasis added].
Because their theological education is formed within the context of their specific ministry and does
not represent the breadth and depth of theology and ecclesiology that forms a basis for pastoral
oversight beyond the local level, they may not be placed into ecclesiastical roles of exercising
pastoral oversight outside the location of their specific call (i.e., in the church-at-large), such as …
d. supervising vicars [emphasis added].
(C) Add a new section at the beginning of Bylaw section 2.3 to define a” specific ministry pastor”
and the limitations on membership privileges and responsibilities that pertain, as follows:
Specific Ministry Pastor Status and Limitations
2.13.1 A “specific ministry pastor” is a minister of religion—ordained who has completed
the requirements for service as a specific ministry pastor and has been examined
by one of the Synod’s seminaries, has received a regular call, and has been placed
by the Council of Presidents into a specific Word and Sacrament ministry context.
He is eligible to serve only in that specific ministry context for which he has been
trained and may not be offered or accept a call for ministry for which he has not
been certified as determined by his district president. He shall serve under the
supervision of his district president and another pastor who is not a specific
ministry pastor [emphasis added].
(a)
Because he is under supervision of another pastor and because a
specific ministry pastor’s theological education has been formed
in part by and for a specific ministry context, he may not be
placed or called into ecclesiastical supervision roles that exercise
pastoral oversight outside the location of his call [emphasis
added]. 3
(E) Change Bylaw 3.1.3.1 to read as follows:
… and be it further Resolved, That the DELTO Oversight Committee be renamed as the Specific
Ministry Pastor Committee; and be it further
Resolved, That the Specific Ministry Pastor Committee be placed under the supervision of the
Board for Pastoral Education [emphasis added]; and be it further
Resolved, That the Specific Ministry Pastor Committee develop comprehensive guidelines that
are consistent with the theological foundations, educational expectations, rostering process,
training of mentors and supervising pastors, and membership limitations intended for this
Specific Ministry Pastor Program [emphasis added]; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Specific Ministry Pastor Committee submit a progress report to the Synod at
least nine months prior to the 2010 convention.

Supervision Documents Developed by the SMP Committee
In May 2012, the SMP Committee issued its first report to the Synod. The SMP Committee sent a
second update on March 15, 2013, “The Specific Ministry Program: A White Paper Presented to the
LCMS.”
In its 2013 white paper, the SMP Committee reported that the committee had developed and
posted a number of SMP policies, procedures and documents as of March 31, 2008.
Following the adoption of the SMP program in principle at the 2007 LCMS
Convention, the SMP Committee’s immediate attention was dedicated to
developing common policies, procedures, and documents that both seminaries
could utilize Synod-wide. These policies and documents were crafted by sub-groups
of the SMP Committee and agreed-upon by all parties involved. They include
Admission Criteria, Admission Sequence, Application for Admission, Pastor
Supervisor Responsibilities [a.k.a. “Specific Ministry Pastor-Supervisor Position
Description], Covenant Agreement [a.k.a. “Partnership Covenant for Participation in
the SMP Program”], and Congregational Instructions for Vicarage Application. The
final document developed, the Application for Admission, was posted on March 31,
2008. These documents were posted electronically on the Web sites of both
seminaries and of the former LCMS Board for Pastoral Education. 4
Currently, the Council of Presidents Manual (including its accompanying documents) contains the
original SMP Committee’s above-cited policies, procedures, and documents in unamended form
from 2008. The current (as of May 2025) CSL SMP Manual contains similar policies, procedures,
and documents, but with some amendments subsequently made that have resulted in differences
when compared with both (1) the original SMP Committee’s above-cited policies, procedures, and
documents and (2) the COP Manual (including its accompanying documents). CTSFW is currently
developing a comprehensive SMP Manual that will gather all SMP policies, procedures, and
documents in one place.
The above-cited policies, procedures, and documents developed by the original SMP Committee
pertain to the SMP Program during Periods A and B. With some amendments subsequently made,
these policies, procedures, and documents (without yet making use of the Period A and B
nomenclature), are materially still in use and managed by the seminaries. Two of the original SMP
Committee’s documents directly pertain to Period A and B specific ministry supervision:
1. Pastor Supervisor Responsibilities [a.k.a. “Specific Ministry Pastor-Supervisor Position
Description”]. This document details the qualifications, selection, responsibilities,
accountability, compensation, and terms of service of the pastor-supervisor.

The Specific Ministry Pastor Committee of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, “The Specific Ministry
Pastor Program: A White Paper presented to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,” March 15, 2013, p. 3.

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3

LCMS 2019 Bylaw 2.13.1, p. 63.
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2026 Convention Workbook