To Distinguish Terms for Pastoral Office from Those for Auxiliary or Helping Offices

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions simply and clearly confess that God has established the Office of the Public Ministry for the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments, through which the Holy Spirit works to create faith when and where He wills (Matt. 28:18–20; Mark 16:15–16; Luke 2:44–49; John 20:21–23; Augsburg Confession [AC] V; AC XIV); and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions also simply and clearly confess that God, through the Church calls qualified men into this unique and distinct Office of the Public Ministry, so that His Word will be preached and the Sacraments will be administered to the end that the Holy Spirit will call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify the whole Christian Church on earth and keep it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith (1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Peter 2:7; Matt. 18:18–20; AC V; AC XIV; Small Catechism [SC] II, Third Article); and

WHEREAS, The members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, by God’s grace, have by their unequivocal and unconditional subscription to the Lutheran Confessions publicly confessed this understanding of the Church and the ministry throughout the Synod’s history; and

WHEREAS, C.F.W.Walther,in Thesis I of “Church and Ministry” confessed, “The holy ministry or pastoral office is an office distinct [The German word translated as “distinct” is unter schie de ne, which can be translated distinguished, different from, distinctive, and unique] from the priesthood of all believers” (C.F.W. Walther, Church and Ministry [Kirche und Amt] [St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1987], 161); and

WHEREAS, The New Testament also includes many functions and titles for the Office of the Public Ministry, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, among others (Eph. 4:10; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Tim. 3:1–7; 1 Peter 5:1–4), and sets aside other functions and titles for those who assist the Office of the Public Ministry in carrying out its tasks, including deacons (Acts 6:1–5; 1 Tim. 3:8–13); and

WHEREAS, The 2016 convention urged Synod to uphold the biblical and confessional qualifications for the pastoral office (2016 Resolution 6-02A) and to remove any confusion of the pastoral office with other forms of helping or auxiliary offices in the church, such as deacons (2016 Res. 13-02A); and

WHEREAS, 2016 Res. 13-02A brought an end to the licensing of laymen for Word and Sacrament ministry, yet also commended the work of educated lay evangelists to assist in bringing the Gospel to an increasingly secular, un believing world; and

WHEREAS, Ongoing training programs in several districts for lay assistants, making use of various titles such as evangelist, pastoral assistants, pastoral ministry assistants, and deacons, include instruction and training for functions unique to and reserved for men called into the Office of the Public Ministry. For example, a course offered by the Mission Training Center of the Pacific Southwest District entitled “Ho mile tics” includes the description: “In this course the deacon applicant will concentrate on the basic preparation and delivery of a sermon”; and

WHEREAS, Although well intention ed, these lay training programs have created confusion because of the use of terms historically associated with the Office of the Public Ministry; and

WHEREAS, In attempting to comply with timelines and expectations set by 2016 Res. 13-02A for ending the li censure of lay deacons for Word and Sacrament ministry, confusion has arisen over the use of the terms of deacon and evangelist in relation to those who occupy the Office of the Public Ministry; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod commend the publications of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) which define the theology, nomenclature, and responsibilities of the office of the ministry, especially The Ministry in Its Relation to the Christian Church (1973), The Ministry: Offices, Procedure, and Nomenclature (1981) [Such as: “Thus, we may speak of various “ministries” in and of the church, but we must be careful to distinguish them properly. An office is not defined solely by what one who holds it does (function) but by the duties, responsibility, and accountability assigned to it. The pastoral office is unique in that all the functions of the church’s ministry belong to it.” The Ministry: Office, Procedure, and Nomenclature (1981)]; and be it further

Resolved, That the CTCR be directed to produce a report that defines and distinguishes the New Testament terms used for the Office of the Public Ministry and its auxiliary offices, including special discussion of the offices of deacon and evangelist, in preparation for the 2026 convention; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Council of Presidents take this report under consideration as it seeks to formalize the functions and requirements of these auxiliary and helping offices in their