To Declare Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership to be Heterodox Tract and Mission Society

WHEREAS, It is a condition of membership in the Synod that members renounce unionism and syncretism of every description, including “participating in heterodox tract and missionary activities” (Const. Art. VI 2); and

WHEREAS, The Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership partners with the Institute for Lutheran Theology (ILT) and its Christ School of Theology (CST, cst.ilt.edu/cmpl), an accredited online seminary whose faculty and students are both members and non-members of the Synod, which seminary is also in partnership with The Center for Wesleyan Studies (cst.ilt.edu/cws); and

WHEREAS, The ILT states that it forms pastors for “LCMC, NALC, CALC and the Augsburg Lutheran Churches as suitably prepared for ministry” (ilt.edu/faqs/#1645113466576-060f9d5f- d6a1, accessed Feb. 12, 2026); and

WHEREAS, The ILT also states that it is “the seminary for Canadian Association of Lutheran Churches (CALC), Augustana District of the LCMC, Augsburg Lutheran Churches and endorsed by the Lutheran Church of South Sudan” (ibid.), none of which is in fellowship with the LCMS; and

WHEREAS, The ILT and its CST states that they answer to no church denomination (ilt.edu/about-ilt/who-we-are); and

WHEREAS, A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod (adopted 1932), Article 28, “On Church- Fellowship,” states: Since God ordained that His Word only, without the admixture of human doctrine, be taught and believed in the Christian Church, 1 Pet. 4:11; John 8:31, 32; 1 Tim. 6:3, 4, all Christians are required by God to discriminate between orthodox and heterodox church-bodies, Matt. 7:15, to have church-fellowship only with orthodox church-bodies, and, in case they have strayed into heterodox church-bodies, to leave them, Rom. 16:17. We repudiate unionism, that is, church-fellowship with the adherents of false doctrine, as disobedience to God’s command, as causing divisions in the Church, Rom. 16:17; 2 John 9, 10, and involving the constant danger of losing the Word of God entirely, 2 Tim. 2:17–21. and

WHEREAS, It is clear that an entity that purports to form pastors of mixed confessions with a faculty and students of mixed confessions is a heterodox tract and mission society within the meaning of Const. Art. VI 2; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod declare the Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership, which operates in partnership with ILT and its CST, to be a heterodox tract and mission society.