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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 408

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

PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES

408

and be it further
Resolved, That the Council of Presidents shall elect the five
presidents at its first regularly scheduled meeting held after the 2026
Synod convention and at its first regularly scheduled meeting
subsequent to September 1 annually thereafter.
St. John
Seward, NE
Ov. 6-72

To Study the Feasibility of Intentional Seminary
Professor Turnover and Parish Sabbatical
WHEREAS, The Synod Handbook specifies the procedures for
appointing seminary faculty members and the election of seminary
presidents to a five-year renewable term of office; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the two
seminaries and the Council of Presidents (COP) to conduct
feasibility studies regarding a predetermined period of years for a
seminary professor’s term of service, and a predetermined
sabbatical period of parish service to maintain contact with the local
congregation, the setting into which seminary professors train
students to enter; and be it further
Resolved, That the two seminaries and the COP report their
findings to the Synod, via the Office of the President of the Synod,
by a deadline to be determined by the Synod in convention.
Circuit 14 (Austin)
Minnesota South District
Ov. 6-73

To Amend Bylaw 3.10.5.7.2 to Provide
Flexibility to Seminary Boards of Regents
in Faculty Matters in Their Contexts
WHEREAS, Current Bylaw 3.10.5.7.2 circumscribes the ability of
the seminary boards of regents (BOR) to balance the composition
of their faculty appointments, as it is understood to require an “up
or out” standard whereby faculty members who have served six
years should either be granted continuing appointment status
(tenure) or be terminated; and
WHEREAS, Current Bylaw 3.10.5.7.2 (d)(1) provides that persons
who, prior to joining a seminary faculty, have taught at another
educational institution of the Synod for at least four years can
petition the BOR of the seminary for continuing appointment and
receive credit for such prior service, meaning that the board must
consider for tenure a person who may have taught at the seminary
less than two years; and
WHEREAS, These requirements significantly limit the ability of a
BOR, in light of its particular context, to determine the appropriate
percentage of the seminary faculty that should hold tenured
positions, insofar as currently, all faculty who serve six years have
the right to petition for tenure; and
WHEREAS, Such requirements do not exist for faculty of the
Concordia University System schools and are not required for
accreditation purposes; therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.10.5.7.2 be amended as follows:

2026 Convention Workbook

PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Seminary Faculties
3.10.5.7.2 Each theological seminary shall have established policies
and procedures related to appointments. There shall be two levels of
faculty appointments: (1) Initial level, where the appointment can be
terminated with no formal requirement for a show of cause; (2)
continuing level, where termination requires a formal show of cause.
…
(d) Standards or qualifications for moving a faculty member
from initial-level appointment to continuing-level appointment
shall be the following:
(1) The faculty member shall ordinarily have completed four
to six years of creditable service (periods of leave are not
included) as a member of the faculty of one or more
educational institutions of the Synod, at least the last two years
of which shall have been in the seminary currently served.
(21) The faculty members shall, as determined by their
academic discipline, regularly continue to demonstrate
scholarly achievement that may be institutionally funded as
determined by the board of regents.
…
(e) Steps in moving a faculty member from an initial-level
appointment to a continuing-level appointment shall be the
following:
(1) If the board of regents, on recommendation of the
president of the seminary, determines that a faculty member
meets the above requirements and is still at the initial-level
appointment, it shall either carry forward the procedure for
promotion to a continuing-level appointment or inform the
faculty member of its decision not to do so, in which case the
individual either may continue at the initial-level appointment
or be terminated. Any continuation of employment at the
initial-level appointment shall be on a year-to-year basis.
Faculty employment during the initial-level appointment
period may be terminated without disclosure of cause. In cases
in which the decision is made to terminate the individual’s
contract, the contract shall be extended for at least six months
beyond the time at which notice is given. If the board of
regents does not take up the question of promotion to a
continuing-level appointment at least nine months prior to the
end of the sixth year of service, the faculty member may
petition the board of regents to do so.
(2) After final review the board of regents may promote to a
continuing-level appointment status.
(fe) Promotion to continuing-level appointment status shall in no
case be construed as requiring or indicating advancement in rank
or increase in salary.
…

St. Paul
Brookfield, IL
Ov. 6-74

To Direct Seminaries to Publish
Annual Enrollment Numbers Every Fall
WHEREAS, The matter of pastoral formation has become a
significant issue among many in the Synod; and
WHEREAS, There is great concern among many districts and
congregations as to the number of pastors who are currently rostered
and who will be rostered in the future; and