Pastoral colloquy is the process by which a man who has served as a pastor in another church body or trained for the pastoral ministry in a non-LCMS seminary while being a member of another church body can be declared qualified for a first call in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Colloquy is not intended to be a route to train men for the pastoral office. Such pastoral formation leading to ordination is the task of seminaries. The word colloquy (from the Latin colloquium) means “a conversation.” In its narrow sense, the term refers specifically to the theological interview, which is central to the colloquy process and also explores the applicant’s background in order to determine his fitness for ministry and whether to certify him for a first call into the pastoral ministry of the LCMS. In its wider sense, the term refers to the entire process defined above. Pastoral colloquy has had a place in our Synod’s constitution and bylaws since the beginning. Today it is primarily –3.10.2.5 that govern the pastoral colloquy process. [1] By means of colloquy, the Synod vets and provides pastors for the congregations of the LCMS—above and beyond those men trained by our seminaries—thus indirectly supporting the third objective of the LCMS ( 3) to “recruit and train pastors … and provide opportunity for their continuing growth.” Colloquy is also one way that the Synod “work[s] in support of and on behalf of congregations to assist them in carrying out their ministries” (). Lastly, colloquy supports the first, second, and fourth of the seven mission priorities that the 2019 Synod convention adopted for this triennium (Resolution 4-03A), namely to “plant, sustain, and revitalize Lutheran churches,” to “support and expand theological education,” and to “collaborate with the Synod’s members and partners to enhance mission effectiveness.” The Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry (CCPM) administers the colloquy process by establishing policy, receiving and reviewing applications, conducting an in-person interview with each applicant, and making a determination for each applicant based on the application and interview. Applicants can be certified immediately, declined certification, or assigned one or more of the following: supplemental seminary coursework, mentored readings, a traditional vicarage, or a shorter-term internship. The composition of the CCPM is stipulated in . Throughout this triennium, the committee has consisted of the undersigned (ex officio chair); Southern Illinois District President Timothy Scharr as the elected representative of the LCMS Council of Presidents (COP) (since 2012); Dr. Glenn Nielsen representing the president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (since 2018); and Dr. Detlev Schulz representing the president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (occasionally since ca. 2002; full-time since 2017).
the report was written, 178 men “for whom 2016 Res. 13-02A somehow applied.” Of these men, the following are a few summary statistics for SMP colloquy (2016–2022):
Colloquy for General Pastors
Since 2007 and the advent of SMP, the term general pastor has come to be used for pastors other than SMP pastors. The unique status and limitations of SMP pastors are delineated in . Until the 2016 Synod convention, all colloquies resulted in general pastors who, among other things, are eligible to accept calls without restriction to any particular ministry context. With the end of the limited and temporary opportunity for SMP colloquy (see below), pastoral colloquy once again results only in general pastors. The following are a few basic statistics for general pastor colloquies during this triennium from September 2019 through January 2023: • Applications: 66
- Interviews: 49
- Certified (declared qualified) for first calls: 53
- Placed into first calls: 41
The SMP Colloquy Process: Final Report Res. 13-02A from the 2016 Synod convention authorized a temporary opportunity for qualified licensed lay deacons to apply to an appropriate seminary program or to apply for colloquy as an SMP pastor (SMP colloquy). This temporary opportunity for colloquy as an SMP pastor is to be distinguished from the “regular” SMP program, which is a seminary program. See the CCPM report in the 2019 Workbook for a more detailed explanation of Res. 13-02A. The deadline for applications for SMP colloquy was July 1, 2018, though for several reasons, applications were accepted into early 2020. Now, seven years after Res. 13-02A was adopted, only two of the eligible deacons who applied for SMP colloquy are still finishing requirements. Hence some concluding statistics are in order. A survey of district presidents in early 2014 by then-First Vice President Herb Mueller indicated 331 deacons were serving “in some pastoral capacity” in the LCMS. [2] Four years ago, according to the 2019 CCPM convention report, there were, at the time
Applications received: 164
- Report of Work Performed / Progress Toward Goals During this triennium, the CCPM continued its recent practice of holding five two-day meetings per year. This has proved sufficient for keeping the pace of interviews matched with the pace of applications. Generally, the first of these two days is devoted to conducting up to four 90-minute interviews, though interviews can also extend into the second day. The remaining time is spent reviewing applications and policy. Due to COVID-19, three of these regular meetings were conducted over Zoom, and in-person interviews were suspended for about nine months. But by December 2020 the committee was back to meeting in St. Louis with in person interviews. In addition to the five regular meetings per year, a subset of the committee traveled twice to interview licensed lay deacons for Specific Ministry Pastors (SMP) colloquy. (See below for more on SMP colloquy.) During COVID-19, there were also numerous Zoom interviews conducted with licensed lay deacons. In addition, there were occasional shorter Zoom meetings for more urgent business other than interviews.
o
o
- o o • o o
140 during the 2016–2019 triennium 24 during this triennium Interviewed: 133 116 during the 2016–2019 triennium 17 during this triennium Certified: 136 109 during the 2016–2019 triennium 27 during this triennium
It is evident from these statistics that most of the effort for SMP colloquy occurred during the 2016–2019 triennium, though there remained considerable work during this triennium to clarify and continue implementing the resolves agreed upon in Res. 13-02A. Of the 136 licensed lay deacons who have been certified, 105 were still serving in October 2022, according to LCMS Rosters and Statistics. A second provision of 2016 Res. 13-02A is that congregations being served by qualified licensed lay deacons, who could not or did not attend seminary or apply for SMP colloquy, are permitted to apply annually for an exception to be served by said licensed lay deacon for the upcoming calendar year. Such applications must be approved both by the COP and the CCPM. This provision of Res. 13-02A continues, for the time being, with the COP and CCPM annually considering these applications each fall. The following are the numbers of such exceptions that have been approved for the last five calendar years: • 51 for 2019
- 49 for 2020
- 23 for 2021
- 15 for 2022
- 11 for 2023
The decreasing numbers are due to the fact that no new licensed lay deacons can be licensed for Word and Sacrament ministry according to Res. 13-02A. In addition, each year, a few of the eligible deacons whose congregations have previously requested exceptions begin a seminary route to the ministry (such as SMP, Center for Hispanic Studies, or Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology), while others retire.
Colloquy in Comparison with Seminary Graduates As of October 2022, during the last three academic years, 36 colloquy candidates were placed into first calls as general pastors, while 343 general pastors were placed (including the 36 colloquy candidates). This means that during the academic years beginning in the fall of 2019 and concluding in the summer of 2022, 10.5 percent of all general pastors who received initial placement came through colloquy. Taking SMP colloquies during this same period (as well as “seminary SMP” placements) into account, the total number of colloquies—both general and SMP colloquy—accounted for 14 percent of all initial placements (64 out of a total of 458). However,
as was pointed out above, this does not portend a long-term trend because SMP colloquies were only a short-term “bubble” resulting from Res. 13-02A.
Colloquy for Those Whose First Language Is Not English The following will first provide a brief history of colloquy for Korean pastors, then comment more broadly on conversations during this triennium regarding colloquy for those whose first language is not English and whose pastoral training, in most cases, occurred outside of the United States. Beginning in 1986, CCPM minutes mention numerous discussions over the course of several years about starting a new program for colloquizing Korean-speaking pastors. Dr. Shang Ik Moon, then academic dean at Christ College in Irvine, California, was a key figure in this effort. Though at least one draft version of a proposed policy appears in CCPM minutes, unresolved questions about the plan remained. Due to this, the press of other business, and perhaps change in committee membership, the plan was never formally adopted or incorporated into colloquy bylaws or policy. Still, portions of the plan were implemented, and Korean-speaking pastors began being certified by the CCPM in 1990. For the first nine years, the program consisted of six one-week courses over the course of three years. Starting in 2010, two week long sets of three classes each were taught one year apart in Irvine, with a concluding colloquy examination conducted by the chairman of the CCPM, and others, after the second/final week of classes. From 1988, when the first applicant was admitted to the program, until January 2019, when the last examinations were conducted, some 74–79 men completed the program. [3] As the current triennium got underway, several situations and conversations led to a pause in the program in order to give opportunity to reevaluate. Concurrently, at the beginning of this triennium, representatives of Chinese Lutherans in Mission Building (CLi MB) reached out to the CCPM chairman to continue conversations that had been ongoing with then-Vice-President Mueller toward a goal of developing a similar model for Chinese-speaking pastors. Lastly, though CCPM minutes since the mid-1980s indicate still other ethnic groups among whom there was special interest in colloquy during certain periods (e.g., Haitian, Amharic, Oromo), today it is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Mekane Yesus, that is the home church of the greatest number of applicants whose first language is not English. For all of these reasons, the CCPM spent a great deal of time during this triennium considering how best to facilitate colloquy for applicants whose first language isn’t English while still discharging its duties faithfully and functioning with limited resources. After considering but then dismissing the idea of a new policy category for such colloquies, the committee made several policy decisions regarding this (see below), and most recently has been working with President Michael Gibson of the Pacific Southwest District on an application process specifically for applicants whose first language is not English. The hope is that such a process might foster strong district investment of time and effort in such colloquies while also setting forth a clear and workable pathway from the CCPM’s perspective, all while working within the current bylaws and colloquy policy.
Policy Revision As conversations continued on this central question of colloquy for those whose primary language is not English, the committee
became convinced that certain other policy revisions and clarifications for all applicants would benefit the Synod as well. As of January 2023, the CCPM has selected a manageable number of these revisions to implement during the remainder of this triennium and is currently finalizing policy language. Some are new, while others are a continuation and clarification of existing policy. An outline of these revisions was presented to the COP in November 2022 as follows: • There will be only one application in English maintained by the CCPM.
- Interviews will be conducted in English, in St. Louis, by the regular four-member CCPM. In situations where a translator would be beneficial, the CCPM will arrange that in consultation with the sponsoring district president.
- Applicants will take the Christian Doctrine entry-level competency exam (ELCE) that is used by both of our seminaries. The results will be used to gauge readiness for an interview and additional work that might be needed.
- Two sermons will be required as part of the application packet along with any essays that may continue to be required.
The CCPM policy manual is available at lcms.org/about /leadership/president/pastoral-colloquy.
Additional Colloquy Statistics
Table 3: LCMS Districts from Which General Colloquy Applications Came
During this triennium, the Office of the First Vice-President compiled a spreadsheet of all general colloquy applications since 2006, when electronic records started to be maintained. As of this writing, there are 528 entries in the spreadsheet. [4] Though there are gaps in the information and much refining of data still to be done, the following are a few gleanings from those statistics.
Table 1: Church Body of Origin (U.S. only) for Successful General Colloquies Since 2006
#
District
#
District
Pacific Southwest
Southern
Northwest
8
SELC
Minnesota South
7
Kansas
Texas
7
North Wisconsin
Southeastern
6
Iowa East
#
Florida-Georgia
5
Minnesota North
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
English
5
Rocky Mountain
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Atlantic
5
Oklahoma
Baptist
Indiana
4
New Jersey
Nondenominational
Michigan
3
Iowa West
Presbyterian
Ohio
2
Central Illinois
7
Independent Lutheran
South Wisconsin
2
Montana
7
North American Lutheran Church
Eastern
2
Nebraska
6
Roman Catholic
Northern Illinois
2
North Dakota
5
Assemblies of God
2
South Dakota
4
Episcopal
California-Nevada Hawaii
4
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ
Missouri
2
Southern Illinois
4
Pentecostal
New England
0
Wyoming
3
Conservative Lutheran Association
Mid-South
3
Association of Free Lutheran Congregations
3
Evangelical Lutheran Synod
2
Anglican, Church of the Lutheran Brethren; Church of God
1
Conservative Conference Bible Church; Lutheran Orthodox Church; National Association of Congregational Christian Churches; United Church of Christ; Methodist; Wesleyan
Table 2: Country of Origin for Successful General Colloquies
Since 2006 (foreign only) Whose First Language Was Not English
Number of General Pastor Colloquy Applications 2007–2010 Triennium: 98 2010–2013 Triennium: 96 2013–2016 Triennium: 102 2016–2019 Triennium: 93 2019–2023 Triennium: 66 (through February 2023) [5]
Number of Certifications for General Pastor Colloquy [6]
#
Country
Korea
Ethiopia
6
Guyana
5
China
5
India
4
Liberia
Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats
3
Cuba
Strengths
2
Australia, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Vietnam
1
Argentina, Columbia, Congo, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Sweden, Syria, Venezuela
2007–2010 Triennium: 72 2010–2013 Triennium: 58 2013–2016 Triennium: 70 2016–2019 Triennium: 65 2019–2023 Triennium: 53 (through February 2023) [7]
- Dedicated, faithful, and experienced committee members who regularly attend, invest much time in preparation, and have a consistent and long-term history of colloquy work against which to evaluate each applicant.
- A very good working relationship between the district presidents who guide applicants through the process and the chairman of the CCPM, who often consults with the district presidents.
- A very good working relationship with our seminaries,
who provide any supplemental coursework required by the CCPM and will begin facilitating the Christian Doctrine entry-level competency exam.
- reconsider the essay requirement and topics in the context of other policy changes;
- reevaluate the current requirement that an applicant have 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours in a program of study leading to ordination;
- Strong interest in and support of the work of the CCPM by the Synod President.
- Increasing conversation with the seminary presidents, the Executive Director of Pastoral Education, and the Chief Mission Officer about how colloquy intersects with the work of our seminaries.
- consider ways to discern accreditation for foreign seminaries;
- explore better ways to obtain academic records (transcripts) for graduates of foreign seminaries;
An excellent administrative assistant in the Office of First Vice-President, who provides a careful initial review of each application and works very well with the district presidents’ administrative assistants.
- consider better ways to obtain a positive recommendation from previous ecclesiastical supervisors for applicants whose previous ministry has been outside the United States; and
- consider the increased use of follow-up Zoom interviews for candidates who have been assigned supplemental readings or seminary coursework.
- Weaknesses and/or Challenges • •
The loss of the intangible benefits that colloquy candidates formerly received as a result of the requirement to take coursework on an LCMS seminary campus as part of the colloquy process. The changed funding model for seminary education that now makes it more difficult for applicants to take supplemental seminary coursework in a long-term residential setting, rather than online, when such coursework is assigned by the CCPM.
- The absence of grants to assist applicants with supplemental seminary coursework that might be assigned by the CCPM.
- Providing supplemental seminary courses and a sufficiently broad number of theological texts for colloquy applicants whose first language is not English.
- The additional pressure that is put on the colloquy process when a pastor from another church body begins serving an LCMS congregation with Word and Sacrament ministry before applying for colloquy or being assigned a vicarage/ internship by the CCPM (cf. Bylaw 2.5.2).
Opportunities • Collaboration with the Synod’s Set Apart to Serve initiative to explore responsible proactive strategies to encourage pastors from other church bodies who demonstrate great interest in the doctrine and practice of the LCMS to apply for colloquy.
The Colloquy Committee is honored to serve our Synod in this important work. We pray that the Lord of the harvest would richly bless our work for His mission—all so that many more pastors might be provided to the congregations of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod and countless redeemed might be blessed to hear that “We Preach Christ Crucified.” Peter K. Lange, First Vice-President, Chairman
Endnotes 1. See also ; 2.7.5; 2.8.1; 2.8.2; and 2.9.1. 2. 2013 Res. 4-06A Task Force Report. 3. These two numbers came from two different sources. 4. It is not certain that all who applied to the Korean colloquy program are included on this spreadsheet. 5. The lower number of applications received might be attributed to COVID-19 and the pause in the Korean colloquy program as it was formerly conducted. 6. Not all certifications are for the applications that came in during the corresponding triennium. 7. The lower number of certifications correlates with the lower number of applications received, both of which may be down for the reasons cited above.
R2.2
- Collaboration with district presidents to improve the colloquy process for applicants whose first language is not English (see above).
Colloquy Committee for Commissioned Ministry
- Collaboration with the Office of National Mission to improve utilization of the colloquy process for ethnic immigrant ministry and outreach.
Background
Threats • A recent decrease in the number of colloquy applications for reasons not yet understood.
Work Contemplated for the Next Triennium During the next triennium, the CCPM hopes to: • implement a tool for discerning an applicant’s basic Bible knowledge;
Commissioned ministry colloquy programs prepare men and women currently serving in ministry roles for membership in the Synod (). In most cases, the non roster ed employees of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) schools, congregations, and agencies who apply for colloquy have been trained for their vocations in non-LCMS colleges and universities. Colloquy for teachers in LCMS schools dates to the first Constitution of the Synod, even as the term itself has been in use for pastors since the Synod’s first Constitution and for teachers since the second (1854) Constitution. Today non roster ed teachers comprise the vast majority of colloquy applicants (94 percent during this triennium), though colloquy programs also exist for directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, directors of family life ministry, directors of parish music, deaconesses, parish assistants, and directors of church ministries (). The number of non teacher colloquies during the three academic years from 2019–22 were DCE: 3; DCO: 0; DFLM: 0; DPM: 8; DCS: 0; PA: 0; and DCM: 1. The commissioned colloquy policy manual details aspects of the process that apply to all colloquy programs and also provides a dedicated section for each of the other categories of commissioned ministers listed in . The manual can be accessed on the Synod website at lcms.org/colloquy-ministers-of-religion-commissioned. The Synod’s commissioned colloquy programs address the third objective of the LCMS—to “recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers and provide opportunity for their continuing growth” (Constitution Art. III)—as well as the second and sixth of the Synod’s seven mission priorities for this triennium—to “support and expand theological education” and to “enhance early childhood education, elementary and secondary education, and youth ministry.” Since 1959, the Colloquy Committee for Commissioned Ministry (CCCM), under various names, has been charged by the Synod Bylaws with “direct[ing] the [Synod’s] activity in matters of colloquies for [commissioned ministers]” and “establish[ing and monitoring] academic and theological standards for [each of the colloquy programs].” More recently, the CCCM is also charged with “oversee[ing] for each category of commissioned ministry at each college and university of the Synod the … required courses of study” ( [a]). Yet the Concordia University System (CUS) has “the overall responsibility to provide for the education of … ministers of religion—commissioned” (), including those in the colloquy program who can take colloquy classes either in person from a Concordia college or university or online via the Concordia University Education Network (CUEnet). Over the years, the division of labor and day-to-day work of colloquy has been shared by and ebbed and flowed in various proportions between the CCCM, the Synod’s colleges and universities, and the district presidents and their staffs. In 1996, CUEnet was founded as a service organization of the CUS. Since 2001, when CUEnet began offering the Concordia Online Teacher Colloquy Program, it also has played a very significant role in commissioned colloquy, handling not only the online delivery of colloquy coursework but also much of the day-to-day administration. Six core colloquy courses are required of all colloquy applicants, plus two program-specific courses that are required of teachers. The other colloquy programs have differing numbers of program-specific courses in addition to the six core courses. CUEnet offers all eight courses required for teacher colloquy at the current price of $799 per course. However, due to the generous financial support of foundations and individuals (see Report R14), the total current cost for teacher colloquy through CUEnet—including tuition, books, fees, and scholarships—is $3,693. Participants in colloquy programs for other categories of commissioned ministry who take the six core courses through CUEnet also benefit from these scholarships. In addition, many schools and congregations—plus several districts and other LCMS entities—also offer colloquy scholarships. At the beginning of this triennium, an almost all-new colloquy committee was appointed by the Synod President and the president of the CUS according to . There were only two carryovers from the previous triennium, one of whom left the commit-
tee during the triennium. The First Vice-President of the Synod, who is the ex officio chair of the committee, was also new at the beginning of this triennium. Because of several changes in called positions, there are currently two vacancies on the committee. We anticipate a full committee being appointed at the beginning of the next triennium. Current CCCM members are: • the First Vice-President of the Synod as chairman (the undersigned);
- a representative of the Concordia University System (CUS) (Dr. Paul Philp);
- two college/university presidents (Dr. Russell Dawn; vacancy);
- two CUS faculty involved in colloquy (Dr. James Pingel; Dr. Lorinda Sankey); and
- one representative from CUEnet (vacancy).
In addition to the new committee composition at the beginning of the triennium, calls for a reexamination of the colloquy process after almost two decades of the current system also began to surface. Shortly thereafter, Concordia University, Portland closed, which, because of staffing connections with CUEnet, further added to the changing situation for commissioned colloquy. As a result, the president of the CUS, with the support and encouragement of the Synod President, asked Dr. Paul Philp to prepare a report on CUEnet for the CCCM. During the research phase for this report, CUEnet’s senior director, Dr. Ray Halm, entered his eternal rest in the summer of 2020. Upon completion of the report in October 2020, the CCCM began quarterly meetings to discuss the report, examine the policy manual in detail, and undertake a thorough review of the colloquy process. In the summer of 2021, CUEnet’s Chief Operations Officer and Director of Academic Programs, Dr. Heather Stueve, accepted a call to another field of labor, thus concluding her long tenure on the committee and at CUEnet. As if this weren’t enough impetus for change, three new CUS university presidents were inaugurated, and a fourth interim president began service near the beginning of the triennium. As can be imagined, all of this contributed to a ripe opportunity for the CCCM to undertake an in-depth review of commissioned colloquy, which has, in turn, led to expanded and even new conversations with key colloquy stakeholders as detailed below.
Work Performed and Contemplated Besides the occasional request to consider an exception related to application criteria, the primary work of the CCCM is to review policy and procedures for commissioned colloquy. Convention reports indicate that between 2010 and 2019, there were two such in person meetings for this purpose, plus numerous phone calls and Zoom meetings. During the current triennium, the committee has held 10 all-day meetings as of January 2023, with an 11th and final meeting for the triennium in April 2023. Three of these have been in person. Through these discussions, including a significant presentation from LCMS Secretary Dr. John Sias, the committee has vastly improved its understanding of the commissioned colloquy process and generated more than 60 ideas for policy revision. During the remaining months of the triennium, the committee hopes to codify those suggestions, which would have little to no impact on other colloquy stakeholders, into a minor policy revision. Beginning in the spring of 2022, once the CCCM felt comfortable with its own understanding of the colloquy process, it embarked on an intentional effort through its chairman to expand the
circle of communication with key stakeholders in the commissioned colloquy process. As of January 2023, this effort has resulted in • three conversations with the leadership of CUS, including the college and university presidents;
- one conversation with the primary colloquy director for each CUS school;
- an extensive report to the Council of Presidents;
- several conversations with the director of LCMS School Ministry;
- an in-person visit with district education executives and CUS placement directors at their annual CONFEDEX meeting; and
- a report to the district president administrative assistants.
During the next triennium, the committee intends to build on these relationships and lines of communication. With input from others, the committee also hopes to complete a major revision of the policy manual and to consider what elements of colloquy policy might be better placed in the Synod Bylaws. The primary goals for the next policy revision are • to work with, support, and encourage the CUS colleges and universities in re imagining the future pedagogical model and delivery mode for colloquy coursework;
- to clarify the bylaw authority of each major stake holder in the colloquy process, as well as the boundaries that exist between the work of each;
- to review the number and content of colloquy coursework according to Bylaws 3.10.3.2 (a) and (b); and
- to address the weakness and concerns of the colloquy process (listed below) that are within the domain of the CCCM.
- understanding and implementing bylaw and policy authority and responsibilities relating to colloquy coursework, as that relates to the varying roles given to the CUS, the CUS schools, the CCCM, and CUEnet;
- understanding and implementing bylaw and policy authority and responsibility relating to the colloquy application process between the CCCM and CUEnet;
- the perception by some that CUEnet’s pedagogical model and mode of delivery for coursework need updating;
- the perception by some that the procedure for assessing theological competency needs to be improved;
- at least one current vacancy in senior CUEnet staffing, which is being addressed as of February 2023;
- the fact that in some if not many cases, the district office, the certifying CUS school, and the CCCM are not aware of potential colloquy candidates who are taking coursework toward colloquy until much or even all of that coursework is completed;
- the desire to remove unnecessary policy impediments to colloquy while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the application process, especially as it relates to “demon strat[ing] the spiritual and professional attributes that the Synod expects of its members” (Bylaw 3.10.3 [a]);
- determining how best to use—in the colloquy process for teachers from classical Lutheran schools—the “Standards for Roster Candidates from Classical Liberal Studies Programs” that were approved by the CUS Board of Directors in 2017 in response to 2016 Res. 7-05A;
- concerns about an insufficient number of ways that colloquy applicants—especially teachers in classical Lutheran schools—can give “evidence of professional commitment to the field of education” (Policy 5.1.1.3) in fulfillment of Bylaws 2.8.1 (c) and 3.10.3 (b); and
- the challenge of colloquizing faculty members of LCMS international schools who desire to join the LCMS while serving overseas because of LCMS Bylaw 2.11.1 and the absence of LCMS congregations in all international school locations other than Hong Kong.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The following are some of the strengths of the colloquy process, the CCCM, and other stakeholders: • a 175-year legacy of conscientious attention to commissioned colloquy;
- dedicated and knowledgeable servants of the church body leading, administering, and supporting the colloquy process;
- good relationships between the CCCM and key stakeholders;
- a good working relationship with CUEnet staff;
- excellent course content, both via CUEnet and on our CUS campuses, provided by numerous professors from our colleges and seminaries;
- professional and smoothly functioning administration of the colloquy process;
- generous financial support of CUEnet from foundations and individuals, much of which is passed along in colloquy scholarships; and
- an excellent administrative assistant in the Office of First Vice-President, who assists with research, facilitates meetings, and provides a second set of eyes on colloquy applications.
Some of the weaknesses, or at least challenges, of the current colloquy process are
Opportunities and Threats As far as opportunities go, once again, the various situations and events that came together during this triennium have clearly led to a new opportunity for a fresh evaluation of the commissioned colloquy process. More than that, there appears to be a widely shared desire on the part of those who work together in colloquy to seize this opportunity while at the same time appreciating the strengths of the current system and ensuring the stability of the process as much as possible. The primary threat that is garnering attention, especially among district presidents, their education executives, the LCMS School Ministry Office, and CUS placement officers, is the diminishing number of teacher candidates being certified by our CUS colleges and universities and placed in LCMS schools. Though the Synod’s Set Apart to Serve initiative is addressing that in a very robust way—and there is much hope for its success—commissioned colloquy is seen as another very important potential source of well-equipped LCMS roster ed teachers. During the three academic years from 2019–2022, 186 teachers were placed as com-mission ed ministers after receiving colloquy certification, for a recent average of 62 teacher colloquy placements per year. However, a considerable number of additional teachers in our LCMS schools complete colloquy coursework—and perhaps even the certification process—but then choose not to accept a divine call or be placed for various reasons, including financial. This recent annual average of 62 teacher colloquies compares with an annual average of 86 teacher placements (with a Lutheran Teacher Diploma) from our CUS schools each year. In other words, from 2019–2022, teacher colloquy accounted for 42 percent of all new roster ed teachers each year. As of January 2023, 39.4 percent of the 8,152 active teachers in LCMS elementary schools were roster ed as ministers of religion—commissioned. Accounting for early childhood schools and high schools, that percentage was 27.5 percent of the 15,222 active teachers in all of our LCMS schools. Since the last major colloquy reforms that were adopted at the 2004 Synod convention, the percentage of LCMS roster ed teachers has decreased by 6.4 percent.
Conclusion The CCCM hopes it is clear from this report that the committee has listened much during this triennium and worked hard to understand the commissioned colloquy process and to lay the foundation for significant improvements. We sense the urgency! And yet we also understand that we are only one small part in the long history of commissioned colloquy that has been served by a great many dedicated and faithful servants. All of this, of course, is to better equip the thousands of schoolteachers and servants in several commissioned categories who proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified in thousands of schools, congregations, and agencies throughout our Synod. “We Preach Christ Crucified” so that many more may know Him and be blessed by the treasures He gives through His Holy Word. Peter K. Lange, First Vice-President, Chairman