To Strengthen and Expand Routes to Ministry

WHEREAS, The Master of Divinity program is the preferred route to training pastors in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS); and

WHEREAS, In 2006, the Atlantic District in convention passed resolutions designed to strengthen and expand the scope of mission and ministry by resolving to prepare 100 home-grown mission leaders for service to Lord and Church; and

WHEREAS, By God’s grace well over 100 men and women have been developed, trained, and sent to serve in congregations of the Atlantic District as lay deacons, deaconesses, commissioned roster ed workers, and pastors; and

WHEREAS, The benefits of this leadership development model have been visible signs of God’s grace in more than half of the congregations of the district exercising various spiritual gifts in service; and

WHEREAS, Mission opportunity remains at the highest level in the district even as transitions in leadership demand more strong Lutheran Christian leaders in our congregations and their communities; and

WHEREAS, The Atlantic District Lay Deacon Program, the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program, the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT), the Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS), Concordia University Irvine’s Mission Training Center (MTC), and others have provided excellent avenues for continuing the development toward service of “home-grown mission leaders” in the district; and

WHEREAS, The pastors being developed, ordained, and called to the district through these programs—and others for commissioned workers—remain a primary source of hope for the Lutheran Christian future in Eastern New York state; therefore be it

Resolved, That these programs leading to the development of mission leaders at all levels of service be commended and recommended to the congregations of our district for use; and be it further

Resolved,That the district in conventions end this commendation and recommendation to the 2023 Synod convention for adoption;

and be it further

Resolved, That in particular the global impact programs—EIIT, CHS, MTC—be commended to the seminaries and to the Synod in convention for strengthening and expanding, including the SMP, in scope and potential, in preparing and certifying “general pastors” for the LCMS; and be it finally

Resolved, That the district in convention in July 2022 resolve to renew its 2006 commitment by pledging to raise up and prepare100 new home-grown mission leaders, including a significant percentage of ordained pastors, in the next six years.