To Explore Non-Residential Opportunities for Pastoral Education

WHEREAS, Our Lord invites us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:37–38); and

WHEREAS, Throughout the generations, churches have been and are called to be led by pastors trained and equipped for biblically grounded, confession ally sound, and con textually appropriate ministry; and

WHEREAS, There is great need to raise up new pastors in a time when current pastors are retiring, and residential enrollment is decreasing at our seminaries; and

WHEREAS, The challenges of residential education in the 21st century include the financial costs, not only of tuition (which is currently covered by the seminaries), but also housing and basic living expenses such as food and clothing, the length of study while living with these burdens, and the challenges of these transitions in various life stages all limit the opportunities for men to answer the call to service; and

WHEREAS, There are opportunities for life and ministry in the 21st century, including technological advances for communication and learning, mid-life career changes, and the potential to recruit men whose life situations may limit the possibility of residential formation; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) showed adaptability in sending workers for the harvest, even in an age before our current technology: "More than half of those who graduated from the seminary in Fort Wayne during the first nine years of the school'sexistenceattendedfromoneto two years: about one third of them, two to three years. The aim was to provide men with the most practical instructions so that they would enter the work as early as possible” (Carl S. Meyer, Moving Frontiers: Readings in the History of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod [St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1964], 217); and

WHEREAS, The LCMS has historically provided training in our present context, including the decision to create seminaries in North America, rather than returning to Germany for pastoral education; and

WHEREAS, The Southeastern District in its 2022 convention voted to forward this overture to the Synod convention for consideration; therefore be it

Resolved, That the seminaries and leadership of the LCMS explore and implement further non-residential opportunities for pastoral education and ordination, for the sake of the Church.