To Increase Number of Students Preparing for General Ordination by Expanding Work of Cross-Cultural Ministry Center

WHEREAS, God has greatly blessed the congregations of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and our global partner church bodies since 1839 with pastors educated and shaped by our wonderful seminaries; and

WHEREAS, The congregations of the Pacific Southwest District acknowledge that there is a growing need for well-trained, general ordination pastors who are able to receive divine calls from congregations without restriction, provide supervision for other roster ed church workers, supervise vicars, hold elected or appointed office on the district or national Synod level such as a circuit visitor, and vote as delegates at the Synod convention of the church; and

WHEREAS, Pastors of the LCMS are retiring in larger numbers than ever before (an estimated one-third of our congregations will be without a pastor by 2035), and the number of men entering our seminaries is less than what is needed to replace these faithful servants and expand further mission and ministry; and

WHEREAS, Most students in today’s world of education expect that they will be afforded the opportunity to learn in a variety of educational methods which include both online as well as in-person instruction; and

WHEREAS, It has become increasingly difficult and prohibitive for prospective LCMS seminary students to leave homes, family, employment, and ministry context to move cross-country to enroll in a four-year residential Master of Divinity program; and

WHEREAS, The Cross-cultural Ministry Center (CMC) at Concordia University, Irvine, has, for 27 years, faithfully offered the only master’sdegreein the LCMS with ahybrid model of online and in-person education leading to general ordination with certification through Concordia Seminary (CSL); and

WHEREAS, Enrollment in CMC is currently limited by: 1) A total enrollment of 29 students in the program; 2) where those students are geographically located (LCMS Region 5—Western US); and 3) A seemingly narrow definition of “culture crossing” that is required for enrollment; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District memorialize the limitations for the CMC (number of students, geographical locations of students, and criteria for culture-crossing ministries) to enable more men to prepare for the pastoral ministry.