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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 398

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

PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES

398

WHEREAS, Subsequent convention actions (2013 Res. 5-03E, 504B; 2019 Res. 6-02, 6-04; 2023 Res. 6-02A, 6-03A, 6-06A)
directed that the parameters for the SMP program be refined, but
did not authorize the imposition of overly burdensome restrictions
that limit accessibility, such as minimum age requirements or
mandatory funding pledges, which exceed the original intent and
hinder the program’s flexibility, and impose administrative
burdens, deter smaller or resource-limited congregations, and treat
the SMP program as a secondary or discouraged route rather than a
valid alternative, contrary to the 2007 vision of urgency and
adaptability; and
WHEREAS, Constitution Article III calls for conserving and
promoting the unity of the true faith through flexible means of
pastoral formation, and past conventions have emphasized
recruitment and support without overly prescriptive limits, making
it prudent to restore the SMP program’s original scope to better
serve the harvest field (Matt. 9:37–38) and ensure broader access to
the Office of the Holy Ministry, lest these restrictions risk
exacerbating the Synod’s pastor shortage by narrowing the
applicant pool and discouraging participation; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention declare null and void the
PFC’s November 2025 policy requirements for the SMP program’s
admission, administration, and supervision, including policies one
through eight and associated exceptions, as they exceed the
directives of prior conventions and impose undue restrictions; and
be it further
Resolved, That the Synod direct the PFC, in consultation with the
seminaries and Council of Presidents, to revert the SMP program to
its original parameters as established in 2007 Res. 5-01B,
emphasizing flexibility in applicant eligibility, voluntary rather than
mandatory consultations and funding commitments, and
supervision focused on initial formation without lifelong formalized
documentation mandates; and be it further
Resolved, That the seminaries be encouraged to maintain the
SMP program’s curriculum focus on Lutheran theology and
pastoral skills, while allowing broader access to ensure the
program’s vitality in addressing mission needs; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod affirm the value of all routes to
ordination, including the SMP program, as equal means of fulfilling
the divine call, and encourage ongoing recruitment efforts like Set
Apart to Serve to increase the number of pastors without artificial
barriers.
Christ
Milford, MI
Ov. 6-56

To Remove Age Requirement
from Specific Ministry Pastor Admission,
Administration, and Supervision Policy
WHEREAS, The Synod’s Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC)
issued Policy Requirements for the Specific Ministry Pastor
Program:
Admission,
Administration
and
Supervision
(files.lcms.org/dl/f/smp-policy-requirements) in November 2025;
and
WHEREAS, The policy, as written, contains a prescriptive
minimum age requirement of 40 years old that is only supported by
a premise statement (Premise 9) that states “Evidence shows greater
completion rates … for men over 40,” and the premise statement
2026 Convention Workbook

does not provide sufficient details to justify this claim, nor defines
the completion rates broken down by age of admissions; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions consistently teach that the
pastoral office depends on the call, the ability to teach the Gospel,
and having the right doctrine in accordance with the Scriptures; the
Lutheran Confessions never mention age; and within the Augsburg
Confession (AC XIV) there are no age requirements; and
WHEREAS, Holy Scripture itself mentions no age requirements
for pastoral ministry. For example, Jesus chose young men to be His
disciples and the Apostle Paul entrusted ministry responsibilities to
Timothy, who was perhaps in his late teens or early 20s, saying “let
no one despise you for your youth” (1 Tim. 4:12); and
WHEREAS, The wider history of the Christian Church—including
the Early Church, the Reformation, and the history of the Synod—
shows no pattern of an age requirement to serve in the pastoral
office. For example, St. Augustine was ordained around 36–37
years old (New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, “St. Augustine of
Hippo,” newadvent.org/cathen/02084a.htm, accessed March 18,
2026), Martin Luther was ordained around 23–24 years old (Hans
J. Hillerbrand, “Martin Luther,” Britannica, Feb. 14, 2026,
britannica.com/biography/Martin-Luther), and C.F.W. Walther
was around 25 years old (Molly Lackey, “Our Great Heritage:
C.F.W. Walther,” The Lutheran Witness, Aug. 14, 2024,
witness.lcms.org/2024/CFW-Walther); and
WHEREAS, As the Synod faces a pastoral shortage, with Synod
documentation (LCMS Pastoral Vacancy Report, Nov. 1998–Feb.
2026, lcms.org/how-we-serve/education/pastoral/pre-seminary),
reporting more than 800 pastoral vacancies, including both calling
and non-calling congregations and a shrinking membership (Joe
Isenhower, Jr., “Reversing the LCMS Membership Decline: Not
Just by Having More Children,” Reporter Online, Feb. 28, 2017,
reporter.lcms.org/2017/reversing-lcms-membership-decline), we
should be encouraging men to seek the pastoral office if so led;
while there should be well-defined requirements for those seeking
the pastoral office, a prescriptive age should not be one of those
requirements; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod Board of Directors direct the PFC to
remove the age requirement from the Policy Requirements for the
Specific Ministry Pastor Program: Admission, Administration and
Supervision and amend any related bylaws or other policies of the
Synod to reflect the above.
Christ Greenfield, Gilbert, AZ; Faith, Rochester, NY
Ov. 6-57

To Support the Specific Ministry Pastor Program
and Remove Its Age Requirement
WHEREAS, The Synod continues to face significant pastoral
shortages, particularly in rural, urban, ethnic, and mission-start
contexts; and
WHEREAS, Many congregations of the Synod struggle to secure
full-time seminary-trained pastors, leading to extended vacancies,
limited Word and Sacrament ministry, and challenges in
congregational vitality and growth; and
WHEREAS, The Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program has
provided a faithful, rigorous, and supervised path for the formation
and ordination of pastors to serve in specific ministry contexts under
the oversight of the seminaries and districts; and