To Celebrate and Encourage Variety of Routes to Pastoral Formation in the Synod

WHEREAS, Jesus’ words still ring true such that there remains an urgent need for sending workers into the harvest fields where “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2; Matt. 9:37); and

WHEREAS, Among the main objectives listed in the Constitution is the preparation of such workers: “Recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers and provide opportunity for their continuing growth” (Const. Art. III 3); and

WHEREAS, Another main objective in the Constitution is to “encourage congregations to strive for uniformity in church practice, but also to develop an appreciation of a variety of responsible practices and customs which are in harmony with our common profession of faith” (Const. Art. III 7); and

WHEREAS, The Pastoral Formation Committee, working with the two seminaries of our Synod, Concordia Seminary (CSL) and Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), makes provision for both that uniformity and the appreciation of variety in recommending new routes leading to ordination (Bylaw 3.10.4.1); and

WHEREAS, New routes to ordination may only be implemented after “approval by resolution of the Synod” (Bylaw 3.10.4.2); and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has implemented a variety of routes of pastoral formation leading to ordination, which include the residential pathways of Master of Divinity and alternate route seminary education, and the non residential pathways of the Specific Ministry Pastor program, Cross-Cultural Ministry Center, the Center for Hispanic Studies, and the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology; and

WHEREAS, This is in keeping with the history of our Synod, which in the nineteenth century already instituted variety in its routes for training pastors, offering a more practical seminary in Springfield, Ill., and a more theological seminary in St. Louis, Mo., while providing uniformity through a commitment to confessional fidelity in both programs; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Pastoral Education estimated that, “if current trends stay the same regarding retirements versus new graduates (considering a 5% decrease each year in new graduates), the LCMS pastoral force will decline by 50% in the next 15 years. This is an estimate from 6,000 pastors in 2017 to 3,000 pastors in 2032” ( “A White Paper on the Current Context of Pastoral Formation,” May 12, 2020, resources.lcms.org/reading-study/a- white-paper-on-the-current-context-of-pastoral-formation/, 7); and

WHEREAS, The Set Apart to Serve initiative is seeking to reverse this trend by encouraging the recruitment of men and women for church work vocations, as well as men to serve as future pastors; and

WHEREAS, Although residential seminary training remains a strength of our Synod, as both CSL and CTSFW provide well- prepared pastors for the church, the need continues to exceed the number of graduates; and

WHEREAS, There remains great need for Synod pastors to serve in geographic regions to which pastors or seminary graduates find relocation challenging due to high housing costs and other economic factors, where congregations cannot afford a full-time pastor but are seeking a pastor to serve bi-vocation ally, where new mission starts are taking place, and in distinct cultural or ethnic communities; and to all of these situations, the non-residential routes to pastoral formation are particularly suited; and

WHEREAS, The Synod has decades of experience in preparing well-formed pastors by non-residential routes to pastoral formation, including the use of cohorts, in-person intensives, contextual education, and local mentors, aswell as interactive synchronous and asynchronous online educational platforms; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod and its congregations continue to seek men to pursue these routes to becoming pastors; and be it further

Resolved, That the district celebrate the faithfulness of our Synod in providing this variety of scriptural ly and confession ally faithful pathways of pastoral formation to fulfill the need for laborers for the Lord’s harvest; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod retain all currently approved routes of pastoral formation (residential and non-residential), encourage recruitment to all currently approved educational pathways for ordination, and broaden access to each of the routes without preference of one over another, while recognizing the numerous benefits of traditional residential training.