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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 366

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

366

PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES

oversight include circuit visitors and district presidents, as well as
supervisors of vicars/interns.
It is important here to distinguish between standards for the pastoral
office, which are de iure humano (by human right) and de iure
divino (by divine right). With respect to standards de iure divino,
ordination is ordination, a divine call is a divine call, and a pastor is
a pastor. Consideration of limitations on the pastoral office that are
self-imposed de iure humano is another matter. Here the focus is
the development of organizational standards for the purpose of
distinguishing tasks and responsibilities in the ecclesial polity
within which we live and serve.
The first and most important standard de iure humano pertaining to
consideration for the office of ecclesiastical oversight (district
presidents and circuit visitors) is fidelity to the confessional
standard of the Synod articulated in Constitution Article II:
The Synod, and every member of the Synod, accepts without
reservation:
1. The Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as the written
Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and of practice;
2. All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as
a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of
God, to wit: …

Indeed, all who are rostered in the Synod subscribe to these
confessional standards. They are the standards to which ministers
of religion, both ordained and commissioned, adhere. Since this is
the introductory standard pertaining to all rostered workers, it is
natural that those entrusted with theological and ecclesiastical
oversight possess and demonstrate an exceptional comprehension
of and facility with the same.
The Scriptures demonstrate the appropriateness of such exceptional
grasp: St. Paul points out the exceptional responsibility of being a
theological overseer (ἐπισκοπή, 1 Tim. 3:1); Jesus reminds His
disciples that with greater responsibility comes greater expectation
and accountability (περισσότερος, Luke 12:48); St. Peter
admonishes all believers that “if these qualities are yours and are
increasing [verb: πλεονάζω], they keep you from being ineffective
or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter
1:8). If this is true of parishioners, it is certainly true of clergy.
In order to maintain such levels of competency for its ministerium,
the Synod has put into place benchmarks to demonstrate theological
competency. The seminaries utilize an instrument by which initial
admissive competency can be verified: the Entry Level Competency
Exams. The Synod also has exit standards in place resulting in
certification for ordination. Additionally, the Synod adopted 2019
Resolution 6-04, “To Support, Encourage, and Expect Continuing
Education for all Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Pastors,”
which requires ongoing theological education. This is not unique,
as many secular professions require ongoing professional
development, especially to hold positions of supervision.
The intention of this overture involves the de iure humano reality
that not all training is equal with respect to depth of theological
understanding. Ecclesiastical oversight assumes that such overseers
possess and exercise more extensive theological acumen for the
purpose of ongoing formation within the ministerium.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention assign the Pastoral
Formation Committee (PFC) to study a requisite standard of postordination competency for eligibility to exercise theological and

2026 Convention Workbook

ecclesiastical oversight of ministers of religion—ordained in the
Synod; and be it further
Resolved, That the PFC, in collaboration with the Council of
Presidents, bring a report with recommendations to the 2029 Synod
convention.
Pastors’ Conference (Oregon)
Northwest District
Ov. 6-09

To Amend Bylaw 2.13.1 to Clarify Terminology for
Specific Ministry Pastor Mentorship and Oversight
Rationale
In 1998 the Synod added to its Bylaws a set of definitions, now
designated as section 1.2 “Definition of Terms.” Two important
definitions are those of supervision and oversight. In the Synod’s
Bylaws, outside of “ecclesiastical supervision,” the term
“supervision” means “to have authority over, to direct actions, to
control activities” [1.2.1(u)]. “Oversight” means “to monitor; to
make inquiry and receive a response thereto; to make suggestions;
to bring concerns to the attention of a higher authority” [1.2.1(p)].
In 1998 it proved necessary, for example, to make it clear that the
Synod’s Board of Directors cannot control the activities of the
various synodwide corporate entities or issue binding directives to
their boards. With respect to synodwide corporate entities, it has
oversight.
When the Synod established its Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP)
program almost a decade later, via 2007 Res. 5-01B, it adopted
Bylaws providing that a specific ministry pastor serves under the
supervision (not specifically termed “ecclesiastical supervision”) of
his district president and another pastor who is not a specific
ministry pastor. The next sentence refers again to the specific
ministry pastor being under supervision of another pastor, who in
some instances may be a neighboring Synod pastor who has no call
to the church served by the specific ministry pastor. The definition
of supervision (“to have authority over, to direct actions, to control
activities”) that had been placed into the Bylaws largely to clarify
the spheres of authority for various governing boards does not apply
to the relationship between a specific ministry pastor and his district
president. Nor does it necessarily apply to the specific ministry
pastor’s relationship with the non-specific ministry pastor who
oversees him. This inapt use of defined terms, along with its
potential for introducing confusion, was noted by the Commission
on Constitutional Matters (Op. 23-3017) and referred to the
Commission on Handbook for improvement.
The word oversight, as defined in the Bylaws, seems much more
fitting for the efforts of non-specific ministry pastors who work with
all specific ministry pastors. In the revision below, this term is
paired with another, mentorship. Current nomenclature within the
SMP program speaks of specific ministry pastors and their
“mentors.” Together, the two words account for both the monitoring
and the nurturing services that designated non-specific ministry
pastors render to specific ministry pastors.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 2.13.1 be amended as follows: