To Reduce Restrictions on Specific Ministry Pastors

WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ established the Office of the Public Ministry by sending out His apostles to preach, teach, and baptize those they went to serve; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod since its inception has faithfully overseen and consistently provided for the education and placement of qualified men to serve in the Office of the Public Ministry for local congregations; and

WHEREAS, The Synod established the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program at the 2007 Synod convention as a distance-based, specialized program of theological education available at both seminaries (2007 Res. 5-01B); and

WHEREAS, The SMP program is available to those selected by a congregation to serve as vicars for the first two years of the program; and

WHEREAS, Upon successful completion ofthe first two years and certification by seminary faculty, these students are ordained and complete two additional years of instruction; and

WHEREAS, Participants have the approval and support of their home church, the faculty of the seminary at which they train, and the district they serve; and

WHEREAS, Each specific ministry pastor is supervised by an experienced pastor of the Synod during and after his program of study; and

WHEREAS, Ordained pastors trained via this program face restrictions concerning service in the pastoral ministry, including the restriction of certain voting rights and the inability to hold office at the circuit and district levels; and

WHEREAS, The roster distinction introduced for SMP graduates makes these pastors distinct from Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology graduates, Center for Hispanic Studies graduates, and Residential Alternate Route graduates who also may be ordained without an academic degree and who have also received a lesser level of theological training than full M.Div. graduates; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions in the Treatise of the Power and Primacy of the Pope state that before God there is no substantive difference between ordained pastors (Tr 60–65); and

WHEREAS, The difference in roster status for specific ministry pastors creates confusion among the pastorate and laity over their status as pastors, even though the Lutheran Confessions are clear that an ordained pastor is a full pastor; and

WHEREAS, All roster ed pastors of the Synod serve under ecclesiastical supervision and under the mutual admonition of their fellow pastors; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod plan to lift specific ministry pastor restrictions on voting and holding office at the circuit and district level, and that restrictions on voting and holding office at the circuit and district level be lifted upon completion of the entire four-year SMP course of study; and be it further

Resolved, That we give thanks for the faithful and dedicated ministry of all pastors of the Synod.