LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 273

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THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

273

R62.13
CTCR Opinion on Admission to Seminary for Divorced Men
The Rev. Dr. Brian Saunders, Chairman of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations
(CTCR), received correspondence dated November 11, 2024 from Mr. Mark O. Stern on behalf
of the Boards of Regents of Concordia Seminary and Concordia Theological Seminary. The
correspondence concerned The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) 2023 Convention
Omnibus Resolution A, Overture 6-34 (Ov. 6-34), titled “To Prevent Admission, Reinstatement,
or Colloquization of a Divorced Man into the Office of the Public Ministry Who Has Married
Another Woman.” Omnibus A referred Ov. 6-34 to the two seminary boards as well as to the
Council of Presidents and to the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry.

There is no ambiguity in the Bible about the goodness and value of marriage. As God creates
humans to be male or female (Gen. 1:26-27) he also creates marriage (2:15-25). The marriage of
man and woman is instituted by God for the well-being of both individual spouses and for
humanity as a whole. Because it is not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18), the married couple
is given a profound unity of unique “mutual companionship, help, and support.” 4 And, by means
of marital fruitfulness, God intends the multiplication of the entire human family (Gen. 1:18).
After sin enters the world, a further blessing of marriage is understood: as it channels sexual
desire for good it also restrains sinful lust (1 Cor. 7:2-5). Having thus united the husband and
wife, God intends them to remain married as long as both are alive (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:6).

Overture 6-34 asserts that a man who is to serve in the office of the ministry must be “above
reproach” (1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6) and explains the phrase to mean the man is “to be the husband
of no more than one wife.” The overture concludes that, “Divorce and remarriage disqualifies a
man from the Office of the Public Ministry (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6)”. 1

Given such a foundation, divorce is flatly contrary to the good and gracious will of God. Malachi
bluntly reminds us that the Lord says, “I hate divorce” (Mal. 2:16). In Matthew 19:1-9 Jesus
forbids the believer from divorcing his or her spouse, except for the case of one whose spouse is
guilty of sexual immorality (ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ) or the case of one who suffers the de facto divorce of
desertion by one’s spouse (1 Cor 7:15; cp. Matt 5:31-32; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18.)

The overture does not specifically refer to seminary admission policies. However, the seminary
boards consider it to be pertinent because the seminaries are largely responsible for admission to
seminary programs and for recommendation of their students to the Council of Presidents as
qualified for admission to the office of public ministry in the LCMS. On behalf of the two
Boards of Regents, Mr. Stern requested “such guidance as the CTCR may wish to provide on this
topic.” 2

Divorce is an awful reality in a sinful world. God anticipates this and, as much as possible,
ameliorates the effects of divorce. The law given through Moses stipulates divorce procedures
that somewhat minimize its devastation (see Lev. 22:13; Deut. 22:13-21; 23:28-29; 24:1-4). But
when regulation of divorce is thought to be approval of it, Jesus explains that such stipulations
are never more than evidence of recalcitrant sinful hearts (Matt. 19:8; cp. Mal. 2:14b-16).

I.

Divorce and Pastors—the questions

Two questions must be considered in order to provide guidance regarding the assertions of
Overture 6:34. First, does divorce disqualify a man to serve in the office of public ministry?
Second, does the remarriage of a divorced man make him unsuitable for the office of public
ministry? 3 These two questions address matters that are foundational for Ov. 6-34.
II.

Divorce and Pastors—a brief theological overview
a. Scripture on divorce

Scripture and the Confessions provide explicit teaching about marriage and divorce. However,
neither Scripture nor the Confessions explicitly address the divorce or remarriage of a pastor,
although Scripture does implicitly address the matter.

See the third and fourth Whereas statements of Overture 6-34 in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 2023
Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures (1333 S Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, Missouri), page 340.
See the letter from Mr. Stern in the Appendix.
3
We are considering in this statement of guidance only the matter of divorce and clergy—pastors—and not the men
and women who serve in Synod’s auxiliary offices of public ministry. This should not be interpreted to mean that
those who serve in auxiliary offices are exempt from the matters considered here.

Scripture’s teachings on marriage and divorce hold for every Christian, but are of particular
significance for those entrusted with the high office of public ministry. The pastor’s life and
conduct are always factors in how the church is viewed by the world. His public manner and
behavior must therefore be blameless (ανεγέγκλητοϛ, cf. 1 Tim. 3:10; Titus 1:6a) and
irreproachable (ανεπίλημπτον 1 Tim. 3:2a). Public sin inevitably invites blame and reproach. For
such reasons the divorce of a pastor presents a twofold challenge. First, on the personal level, a
genuine acknowledgment of any failures on his part together with a confession of sin and a
sincere desire to amend his life is required. Second, as to the office that he holds, the real and
potential damage to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ must be recognized and diminished
as much as possible (see 1 Tim. 5:19-20).
b. The Confessions
The Confessions speak of marriage largely in the context of objection to enforced celibacy for
priests. Divorce in general is addressed only in passing and the divorce of clergy is not discussed.

1
2

The Augustana (AC) and its Apology (Ap) defend the marriage of priests. 5 Citing Scripture (1
Cor. 7:2, 9b; Matt. 19:11; Gen. 1:28), the AC rejects compulsory clerical celibacy as an abuse
that fostered widespread sexual scandal and immorality. The Confutation’s defense of celibacy
led to a vigorous rejoinder. The confessors held firm to their view that Rome’s insistence on
celibacy “conflicts with divine and natural law.” 6 Rome’s insistence on the rigor of clerical
celibacy is rejected since God himself “instituted marriage to help human frailty and to prevent
sexual immorality. The old canons also state that sometimes severity and rigor must be alleviated
and relaxed for the sake of human weakness and to prevent and avoid greater scandal.” 7
Luther’s Smalcald Articles (SA) holds to the same view of priestly marriage as stated at
Augsburg. He bluntly declares that “we are unwilling to consent to their miserable celibacy, nor
will we tolerate it.” 8 Similarly, in the Treatise (Tr) Melanchthon mentions marriage, but only as
an example of the unjust actions of bishops, specifically objecting to “the tradition that prohibits
remarriage of an innocent party after divorce.” 9
The catechisms provide a more general confessional understanding of marriage. Luther’s Small
Catechism (SC), while not explicitly using the term “marriage,” summarizes godly marriage as a
life of sexual purity and decency wherein “husband and wife love and honor each other.” 10 In the
SC’s Table of Duties Luther quotes 1 Peter 3:7 and Col. 3:19 for husbands and Eph. 5:22 and 1
Peter 3:5-6 for wives. 11 In Luther’s “A Marriage Booklet for Simple Pastors” (often appended to
the SC in his day and to at least one printing of the 1580 Book of Concord), his introduction
urges that the “godly estate of marriage” be honored and esteemed highly. He also speaks of the
great need for prayer in light of “how much unhappiness the devil causes in the married estate
through adultery, unfaithfulness, discord, and all kinds of misery.” 12
The Large Catechism (LC) reveals both a similarly high view of marriage together with sober
attention to its practical necessity for sinful people in its extended discussion of the
commandment against adultery. One’s nearest neighbor is his or her spouse, who is “one flesh
and blood with them.” 13 Marriage is “the first of all institutions” wherein male and female differ

AC XXIII, Concerning the Marriage of Priests, pages 62-65, and Ap XXIII, 247—57, in Robert Kolb, Timothy J.
Wengert, and Charles P. Arand, The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
(Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2000). Abbreviated as KW in further references.
6
Ap XXIII par 5, KW 62.
7
AC XXIII par 15-16, KW 66. The same rejection of compulsory celibacy is central in the argument against
monastic vows of chastity and in favor of releasing individuals from such vows when they wish to marry. See AC
XXVII, KW 80-91 and Ap XXVII, KW 277-89.
8
SA III [11:] Concerning the Marriage of Priests, KW 324.
9
Tr par 78, KW 342.
10
Luther’s Small Catechism (© 1986 CPH) in Luther’s Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 2017), 14.
11
Ibid., 35.
12
KW 369.
13
LC I par 200, KW 413.
5

4

“Holy Matrimony,” Lutheran Service Book (CPH: St. Louis, 2006), 275.

for the sake of marital fidelity and fruitfulness. 14 It has practical necessity as a provision against
sexual sin, which is rightly addressed within marital love. “Wherever marital chastity is to be
maintained, above all it is essential that husband and wife live together in love and harmony,
cherishing each other wholeheartedly and with perfect fidelity. 15
c. Synodical consideration of the question
i. Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR)
The CTCR has twice addressed the matter of clergy divorce and remarriage. In a consideration of
the grave seriousness of all divorce, Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective (1981) adds:
The divorce of Christian pastors must be taken with utmost seriousness. It is difficult to
see how the church can maintain the integrity of its witness—especially in an age where
divorce is prevalent—if it permits pastors who have divorced their wives for less than
Biblical reasons to continue in the office of the public ministry. Generally a pastor who
has been divorced, except in cases of unchastity or desertion on the part of his wife,
ought not to remain in office nor be reinstated in the office of pastor. However, it is
possible that under very exceptional circumstances a former pastor may by the grace of
God come to the point of being in a position to be reconsidered as a person qualified to
be entrusted once more with the powers of the pastoral office. 16
In Divorce and Remarriage: An Exegetical Study (1987), the CTCR included an excursus on
clergy divorce. 17 The Commission shows that the pastor is called to “a pattern of life that is
exemplary of the Gospel at work, and worthy of emulation.” Moral failure by a pastor presents
an obstacle and offense that may turn others from the truth of the Gospel (citing 2 Cor. 6:3). 18
This does not deny that pastors remain sinful men ever in need of forgiveness, but it requires
recognition that the public behavior of a pastor is of great importance because of the risk to “the
credibility of his office and his message.” 19 For this reason, “[f]idelity to one's spouse in
marriage is of particular importance in the life and conduct of the Christian pastor.” 20
The Commission then explains the phrase, “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6). “St.
Paul is here establishing the general principle that any transgression of God's will for marriage as
a monogamous union is ruled out, whether it should take the form of concubinage or polygamy
or marital unfaithfulness, including the “virtual polygamy of illicit divorce.’” 21 Divorce and
Remarriage also reaffirms the previous quotation from 1981, but emphasizes that only “under
LC I par 207, KW 414.
LC I par 221, KW415-16.
CTCR, Human Sexuality (LCMS 1981), 27-28, emphasis in the original. Available online at www.lcms.org/ctcr.
17
CTCR, Divorce and Remarriage: An Exegetical Study (LCMS 1987), 42-45. Available online at
www.lcms.org/ctcr.
18
Ibid., 42.
19
Ibid., 43.
20
Ibid.
21
Ibid.
14
15
16

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