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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 374

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

374

PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES

Synod (Bylaw sections 2.7–8) (notwithstanding that bylaws
countenance the possibility of a pastor from another church body
later in life emerging from the darkness of a false confession,
recognizing his agreement in doctrine and practice with the Synod,
and wishing therefore to serve in the ministerium of the Synod by
providing such men with the possibility of entering membership in
the Synod via the colloquy program, Bylaw 3.10.2); and
WHEREAS, Through the exclusive use of its two seminaries and
by His grace alone the Lord has for nearly 180 years preserved in
the Synod the true confession of His name and practice that accords
with it; and
WHEREAS, The education, formation, and training of pastors are
best accomplished in a face-to-face, live, and residential setting, as
the history of our two seminaries demonstrates; and
WHEREAS, The dangers of educating, forming, and training men
for the ministry of the Synod in seminaries outside the oversight of
the Synod associated with heterodox groups are patent; and
WHEREAS, The Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership
Formation (CMPL, thecenter.info/cmpl), an online seminary under
the umbrella of the Institute for Lutheran Theology (Brookings, SD,
ilt.edu) affiliated with the heterodox North American Lutheran
Church, offers coursework to students from LCMS congregations
leading to the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Religion, the Master of
Ministry (M.Min.), and the Master of Divinity (M.Div.), the latter
two of which are widely recognized as requisite education and
formation for the pastorate (in other words, one would not seek the
Master of Ministry or the M.Div. if he did not wish to become a
pastor); and
WHEREAS, There have been leaders within the Synod who have
indicated their intent to use their respective seminary programs to
educate, form, and train pastors for the Synod; and
WHEREAS, The conditions of membership (Const. Art. VI) for all
members of the Synod, both rostered workers and congregations,
require the “renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every
description” and the “regular call of pastors” (which is defined in
the Bylaw sections 2.7–8); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod gathered in convention affirm the
residential M.Div. education, formation, and training of the future
pastorate of the Synod as the standard within the Synod; and be it
further
Resolved, That Synod congregations and rostered workers pray
with heartfelt fervor and regularity to the Lord of the harvest to send
laborers into His harvest (Matt. 9:38); and be it further
Resolved, That Synod congregations and rostered workers turn
with renewed vigor to the recruitment of able and apt men for the
pastorate of the Synod (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1) and encourage and
support them in completing the residential M.Div. program at
CTSFW or CSL; and be it further
Resolved, That Synod congregations and their members
generously support the work of CTSFW and CSL, in providing a
theologically rich, residential M.Div. education, formation, and
training for the future pastors of the Synod; and be it further
Resolved, That no man be encouraged by pastors or
congregations in the Synod to seek theological education,
formation, and training for the pastoral office except at CTSFW or
CSL; and be it further
Resolved, That the district presidents with ecclesiastical
oversight over the congregations and rostered workers advocating
2026 Convention Workbook

for, recruiting for, and teaching in Luther House of Study
(lutherhouseofstudy.org) and the CMPL and using their graduates
in church work offices admonish those congregations and rostered
workers for placing at risk their own and the Synod’s faithfulness
in the things of God; for breaking love by intentionally working
against the Synod’s objective to recruit and train pastors and the
agreed-upon means of achieving that objective, which harms love
by militating against doing all things decently and in order (1 Cor.
14:40); and for inviting false doctrine in from and ecclesial
association with heterodox church bodies, which militates against
the Lord’s will that the church be kept in unity of faith and
confession (Rom. 16:17); and be it finally
Resolved, That unless the congregations and rostered workers
advocating for, recruiting for, teaching in, and receiving church
workers from Luther House of Study and the CMPL heed the
admonition of the district president under whose ecclesiastical
supervision they stand, such rostered workers be placed on
restricted status (Bylaw 2.13.2) as having violated the conditions of
membership (Const. Art. VI).
St. Paul
Milford Center, OH
Ov. 6-19

To Affirm Exclusive Use of Synod Seminaries
to Prepare Men for Office of Holy Ministry
WHEREAS, The Lord Christ has called His Church to faithfulness
in the things of God (John 8:31), which is sustained in the Church
by the faithful transmission of the faith to and through the future
pastors of the Church; and
WHEREAS, The Lord Christ has called His Church to love toward
one another (John 13:35), which is exercised by the creation of
agreed-upon modes of undertaking corporate action; and
WHEREAS, The Lord Christ has called His Church to a unity of
faith that is identical with and tantamount to continuing steadfast in
the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42), all the teachings of Holy
Scripture and their expression in the Lutheran Book of Concord, that
is, “the Gospel, in all its articles” (LCMS, A Statement of Scriptural
and Confessional Principles [adopted 1973] Article IV; see also
John 17:20–21; Eph. 4:4–6; FC SD X 31); and
WHEREAS, Constitution Article III 1 reflects our Lord’s will by
stating that The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) shall
“Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3–6; 1
Cor. 1:10), work through its official structure toward fellowship
with other Christian church bodies, and provide a united defense
against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy”; and
WHEREAS, In Article III 3, in pursuance of the aforementioned
objective and in love, the Synod names and reserves for itself, on
behalf of the members (that is, the rostered workers and
congregations) of the Synod, the recruitment and training of pastors;
and
WHEREAS, Likewise in pursuit of the objectives of the Synod, the
Synod Bylaws reserve for the two seminaries of the Synod, namely
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), and
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL), the duty, to the exclusion of
other seminaries, to educate, form, and train the pastors of the
Synod (Bylaw sections 2.7–8) (notwithstanding that the Bylaws
countenance the possibility of a pastor from another church body
later in life emerging from the darkness of a false confession,