Deacons, Evangelists and the Office of the Holy Ministry in the New Testament (2025)

R62.10 Deacons, Evangelists and the Office of the Holy Ministry in the New Testament The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Commission on Theology and Church Relations December 2025 The Augsburg Confession clearly sets forth the Lutheran understanding of the Office of the Holy Ministry that is revealed in the Scriptures: “To obtain such faith God instituted the office of preaching, giving the gospel and the sacraments” (AC V 1). 1 The primary and divinely given responsibilities of this office are “to preach the gospel, to forgive or retain sin, and to administer and distribute the sacraments” (AC XXVIII 5–6). A challenging factor in any discussion of the Office of the Holy Ministry as presented in the Scriptures, however, is the variety of terms used within the New Testament for this one office. This variety should not be interpreted as either the lack of a clear institution of this office or the absence of a widespread recognition of this office among first-century Christians. 2 This variety in terminology should rather be understood as reflecting the historical fact that with Jesus and the establishment of His church, some terminology for the office was used that had links to past revelation during the history of Israel (e.g., shepherd, prophet, teacher, elder) and other terminology began to be used that was new and descriptive of the office (e.g., apostle and overseer, although even these have roots in the Old Testament usage). This study 3 will proceed in three parts. First, the various terms used for the Office of the Holy Ministry in the New Testament (including “deacon,” about which there is not full consensus among

Although various terms are used for this office (e.g., pastoral office or Office of the Public Ministry), this document will consistently use the term “Office of the Holy Ministry.” For broader examinations of the Office of the Holy Ministry in the Scriptures as taught and practiced in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, see the following publications: C.F.W. Walther, The Church and the Office of the Ministry, ed. Matthew C. Harrison (St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2012); Commission on Theology and Church Relations, The Ministry: Offices, Procedures, and Nomenclature (St.

Louis: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 1981) [hereafter CTCR, The Ministry]; Joel P. Okamoto, “The Office of the Holy Ministry,” Concordia Theological Quarterly 70, no. 2 (April 2006): 97–111; David P. Scaer, “The Office of the Holy Ministry According to the Gospels and the Augsburg Confession,” Concordia Theological Quarterly 70, no. 2 (April 2006): 113–121; and John C. Wohlrabe Jr., Ministry in Missouri until 1962 (self-published, 1992). For an examination of this office in the writings of Luther and Melanchthon, see Hellmut Lieberg, Office and Ordination in Luther and Melanchthon, trans. Matthew Carver (St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2020). The institution of the Office of the Holy Ministry by our Lord Jesus is explicitly recorded at the end of the Gospels in passages such as John 20:20–22 and Matthew 28:16–20. These are the primary passages from which the Book of Concord draws its confession of the Office of the Holy Ministry (see, e.g., AC XXVIII 6–7; Tr 9, 23, 31). “We have a sure doctrine that the Office of the Holy Ministry derives from the common call of the Apostles” (Tr 10 [German]). The reference here to the “common call” comes from John 20:20–22. This study is a response to 2023 Ov. 5-48, “To Distinguish Terms for Pastoral Office from Those for Auxiliary or Helping Offices” (see appendix). This overture was referred to the CTCR in 2023 Omnibus Resolution A, and the CTCR chose to add it to its agenda as a formal assignment. The final two resolves of this overture read:

Lutheran theologians, past or present) will be discussed briefly, with a focus on how each term has significant overlap with one or more of the other terms. Because the Scriptures are the source of all Christian doctrine, the theology of the Office of the Holy Ministry in the New Testament must always serve as the basis for understandings and titles of the office in the church today. Second, various terms for auxiliary offices currently recognized by the LCMS (according to its official Bylaws), some of which are found in the New Testament as titles for the Office of the Holy Ministry, will be discussed. 4 Because the terms “deacon” and “evangelist” have been and continue to be used in various ways and contexts within the LCMS but do not designate offices officially approved or recognized by the Synod in convention, more attention will be given to them. Third, on the basis of these exegetical considerations and current Synod polity and practice, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) will offer four concluding proposals to address and seek to limit the confusion unintentionally created by the use of certain biblical terms for important, mission-focused work being carried out by laypeople.

I. New Testament Nomenclature for the Ministry A. Shepherd/Pastor The title “shepherd” has a long-standing historical use for one who cares for God’s people. The Hebrew Old Testament uses the term ro‘eh (“shepherd”) as a title for Yahweh who cares for His flock, Israel, both spiritually and physically (e.g., Gen. 48:15 and Psalm 80:1). One thinks especially of David’s use of “shepherd” as a title for Yahweh in Psalm 23. David as king was also seen as a shepherd of Israel, due in part to shepherding sheep in his youth (1 Sam. 16:11, 19; 17:15, 20, 34–35). As king of Israel, David was to reflect the shepherding of Yahweh Himself, who was the ultimate king and shepherd of Israel. His role as shepherd was not only administrative for the people of Israel (i.e., political), but also spiritual by cultivating his people’s faithfulness to Yahweh. Thus, David serves as a type — a prophetic pattern — of the future messianic shepherd (e.g., Ezek. 34:23). The speech of Yahweh in Ezekiel 34 also uses “shepherd” to refer to spiritual leaders in Judea, especially the temple priests, but offers a blistering Resolved, That the CTCR be directed to produce a report that defines and distinguishes the New Testament terms used for the Office of the Public Ministry and its auxiliary offices, including special discussion of the offices of deacon and evangelist, in preparation for the 2026 convention; and be it finally Resolved, That the Council of Presidents take this report under consideration as it seeks to formalize the functions and requirements of these auxiliary and helping offices in their respective districts in keeping with 2016 Res. 13-02A. 4 An auxiliary office has been defined within the LCMS as “an office that is auxiliary to the office of the public ministry and specifically to the uniquely ministerial functions of that office”; see CTCR, The Ministry, 34; cf. pp. 12, 25–31.

rebuke of them because of their unfaithful shepherding. Yahweh then promises that He Himself, the true and ultimate shepherd of Israel, will come to gather His scattered flock and shepherd them (Ezek. 34:11– 16).

leads the animals in his care to pasture, is the basis for the English noun “pastor.” Although “pastor” was not a widespread title used for those in the Office of the Holy Ministry until the 17th century, it has become the most prominent title currently used in many Lutheran churches today. 7

This understanding of Yahweh as “the chief Shepherd” who has under shepherds that spiritually care for His people continues in the New Testament with the language of Jesus as “the good shepherd [ho poimēn ho kalos]” (John 10:11, 14) or “the chief Shepherd [ho archipoimēn]” (1 Peter 5:4). 5 Not only is Jesus identified as Yahweh “the Shepherd” in light of this broad Old Testament background, but Jesus also speaks of His apostles as spiritual “shepherds” or pastors. During His earthly ministry, He characterizes the Jews in Galilee and Judea as “sheep without a shepherd [poimēna]” (Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34; cf. Num. 27:17). Jesus then encourages His listeners to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers 6 [erg at as] into his harvest” (Matt. 9:38; Luke 10:2). That the term “workers” here in Matthew refers to “apostolic ministers” is clear from Matthew’s continuing narrative in which Jesus extended His ministry through calling, authorizing and sending the “twelve disciples” who are now also designated as “twelve apostles [apos to loi]” (Matt. 10:1–2; see also Luke 6:13–16).

B. Apostle

There is, therefore, a clear connection and overlap between the “shepherd” and “apostle” titles as well as their functions. In Jesus’ action of restoring Peter, He exhorts him as an apostolic shepherd to “feed my lambs [boske ta arnia mou]” (John 21:15), “shepherd my sheep [poi maine ta pro bata mou]” (John 21:16), “feed my sheep [boske ta pro bata mou]” (John 21:17), and also “follow me [akolouthei moi]” (John 21:19). Jesus speaks this way because He is the chief shepherd who is sending forth His apostolic under shepherd. This last imperative command, “follow me [akolouthei moi],” is the same command used for Peter’s call toward the apostolic ministry (Matt. 4:19; Mark 1:17) as well as Matthew’s call toward that same ministry (Matt. 9:9). The use of the title “chief Shepherd [ho archipoimēn]” in 1 Peter 5:4 implies that the “elders [presbyter oi]” mentioned in that immediate context are also shepherds/pastors, as will be discussed below. Paul also affirms the understanding that “shepherd/pastor” is one of the titles used for the Office of the Holy Ministry when he writes in his letter to the Ephesians that Christ Himself gave “shepherds/pastors” to His church: “And he gave … the shepherds [kai autos edōken … tous de poi men as]” (Eph. 4:11). When Paul speaks to the elders/overseers from the church of Ephesus in Miletus, he uses shepherding imagery in his exhortation to them: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock [kai panti tō poimniō], in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [ἐπισκόπους/episkopous], to shepherd [poi maine in] the church of God. … Fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock [mē pheidomenoi tou poimniou]” (Acts 20:28–29). The Latin term pastor, used for a shepherd who Concerning Jesus as the good shepherd in the Gospel of John, including the translation “the Noble Shepherd,” see Charles A.

Gieschen, “The Death of Jesus in the Gospel of John: Atonement for Sin?” Concordia Theological Quarterly 72, no. 3 (July 2008): 243–261, esp. 256–258. When a word in a Bible passage appears in italics, it indicates that the wording of the passage has been adjusted to reflect the Greek more closely.

Although Jesus is specifically identified as “the apostle” (ho apos to los) only in Hebrews 3:1, the Gospel of John contains a very clear and dominant presentation of Jesus as the Apostle sent by the Father who in turn sends out apostles. The title “Apostle” is not explicitly applied to Jesus in John, but the understanding of Jesus as the “the Apostle” pervades this Gospel as part of its testimony to Jesus as “the one sent” by the Father. The noun is used once in the Gospel of John in the context of the foot washing during the Farewell Discourse where Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is an apostle [apos to los] greater than the one who sent him [tou pempsantos]” (John 13:16). Although Jesus is addressing His disciples as ones whom He will send out, His self-identification as “the Apostle” sent by the Father is clearly indicated here. That Jesus understands Himself to be the Apostle can also be seen from an earlier saying of Jesus in this Gospel: “He who sees me sees the one who sent me [ton pempsanta me]” (John 12:45). 8 The Gospel of John uses numerous verbal forms of apostellō and pempō (both meaning “I send”) interchangeably to describe the Son as one who is sent by the Father. These occurrences demonstrate the prominence of this apostle theme in the Christology of John: • God sent [apes teil en] the Son into the world. (John 3:17)

• He whom God sent [apes teil en] speaks the words of God. (John 3:34)
• This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent [apes teil as]. (John 17:3)
• Just as the Father has sent [apestalken] me, so also I am sending [pempō] you. (John 20:21) 9

This repeated emphasis on apostolic Christology (i.e., the Son is sent by the Father) is the foundation for the climactic shift in John 20:21 to apostolic ministry (i.e., the apostles are sent by the Son). “Apostle” was a name specifically given to the 12 disciples who were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry and

Thomas M. Winger, Ephesians, Concordia Commentary (St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2015), 456 n135. Karl Rengstorf’s extensive study of apos to los points out that the background for its use in the New Testament is found in Rabbinic Judaism in the function of a sha lia ch, namely an ambassador whose actions and speech carry all the authority of the one sending him. See Karl Heinrich Rengstorf, “apos to los,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, trans. Geoffrey W.

Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964), 1:414–415; cf. Karl Heinrich Rengstorf, The Apos to late and Ministry: The New Testament Doctrine of the Office of the Ministry, trans. Paul D. Pahl (St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1969), 25–28. These are only four of the 18 sending references in John. Note also John 5:36; 5:37; 6:29; 6:57; 7:28; 7:29; 8:42; 10:36; 11:42; 17:8; 17:21; 17:23; and 17:25. 7 8

resurrection (see Acts 1:21–22). Although it is used for other apostles in the New Testament (such as Paul and others), the distinctiveness of the Twelve is maintained. 10 An important text that serves as testimony to Jesus moving beyond the 12 apostles to a larger number of workers is Luke’s account of Jesus appointing the 72 and sending them out two by two (Luke 10:1–

20). Although the 12 apostles were a unique group of disciples, the sending out of the 72 suggests that Jesus would establish an Office of the Holy Ministry that would continue to grow in the future beyond the 12 to other male disciples. Lutherans have used the term “the apostolic ministry” regularly (and properly) as another title for the Office of the Holy Ministry because that title stresses that it is a continuation of the one office established in Jesus and instituted for the extension of His ministry in the church. 12 Sometimes the important distinction between the time-bound office of apostle and the Office of the Holy Ministry as it continues to exist in the church has been emphasized in ways that deny or fail to acknowledge a valid continuity between the apostolic office and the Office of the Holy Ministry. It is clear from the New Testament, however, that there is continuity between the office of apostle and those who follow in the apostolic office through the divinely instituted activities of preaching, teaching and administering the Sacraments. As the CTCR states in its 1981 report on the ministry: “The office of the public ministry is grounded in the ministry of Christ and is an extension of the apos to late established by Him.” “As a continuation of the ministry of Christ and as an extension of the apostolic ministry, the office of the public ministry is not optional for the church.” 13 C. Prophet, Evangelist and Teacher Ephesians 4:11 provides important testimony to the various titles used for the Office of the Holy Ministry during the early decades of the Christian church: “Kai autos edōken tous men apostolous, tous de prophētas, tous de eu angeli st as, tous de poimēnas kai didaskalous.” On the basis of Paul’s testimony that Christ gave the church “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds/pastors and teachers,” the offices of apostle and shepherd/pastor are sometimes understood as distinct and separate from the offices of prophet, evangelist and teacher in the first-century church. This understanding is reflected in the older New International Version that renders the verse, “It was he who gave some to be

An exception would be sectarian Christian groups that continue to use the title “apostle” for specific leaders to express their unique authority (cf. the ranking of “apostles” as “first” in 1 Cor. 12:28). Due to textual variants, there is some debate about whether Jesus sent out 72 or 70 disciples; for discussion of this textual problem, see Arthur A. Just Jr., Luke 9:51–24:53 (St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1997), 435–445. Because “seventy-two” is the harder reading due to the probability of some harmonization of this account with Moses choosing “seventy elders” (Num. 11:16–17, 25; Ex. 24:1, 9–14), the reading of “seventy-two” will be followed here.

This emphasis on “apostolic ministry” should not be understood as espousing the need for “apostolic succession” as argued in some churches. As the CTCR notes, “the pastoral ministry is apostolic in terms of what it teaches but not in terms of an unbroken succession of ordaining bishops” (The Ministry, 26).

CTCR, The Ministry, 26, 27.

Acts 21:8 describes Philip as an “evangelist.” Acts 8 tells how Philip proclaimed Christ in Samaria, bringing people (like the Ethiopian eunuch) to faith and baptizing them. “It seems clear from these passages that Philip had a gift for bringing the Gospel to men who had not yet heard it. He does not appear to have become a parish pastor, but went from place to place proclaiming Christ.” 16 In 2 Timothy 4:5, Paul tells Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” “In some sense, [Timothy] could be called a ‘diocesan bishop,’ so far as his office is concerned. This is indicated by the instruction about what should be done in the churches (1 Tim. 1:3ff.; 2), and the instructions about what kind of persons should become bishops (chapter 3).” 17 D. Overseer The fact that the title “overseer” (ep is ko pos) is closely related to the title “shepherd” and “elder” is visible especially in Acts 20:28, where Paul summons “the elders of the church [tous presbyterous tēs ekklēsias]” (Acts 20:17) from Ephesus in order to exhort them about shepherding as the key function of being an overseer: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopous], to shepherd [poi maine in] the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” The close relationship and overlap between the offices of “overseer” and “elder” in the congregations established by Paul and his associates is evident in the similar qualifications given by Paul in his pastoral epistles for “overseers” (1 Tim. 3:1–7) and for “elders” (Titus 1:5–9). The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer [episkopēs], he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer [ton ep is kop on] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. (1 Tim. 3:1–7) This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders [presbyterous] in every town as I directed you — if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer [ton ep is kop on], as God’s steward [theou oi kono mon], must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as

CTCR, The Ministry in Its Relation to the Christian Church (St.

Louis: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 1973), 11. The use and citation of this 1973 document does not imply endorsement of its conclusions or recommendations, such as the ordination of called male teachers.

CTCR, Ministry in Its Relation, 12.

apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers” (NIV 1984). It is more accurate, however, to conclude that Paul is specifying here the individuals whom Christ has given to the church: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” (ESV). 14 The syntax of “shepherds/pastors and teachers [tous de poimēnas kai didaskalous]” also indicates that these two are not distinct offices. Apostles, prophets and teachers are also mentioned by Paul in a sort of descending rank within the Office of the Holy Ministry when addressing the problem of ecstatic speaking in tongues at Corinth: “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers” (1 Cor. 12:28). The phrase “God has appointed” affirms that these all belong to the Office of the Holy Ministry, mandated and instituted by Jesus. Although Thomas Winger understands Paul to be implying some distinction of offices with these five titles in Ephesians, he concludes with this important observation: “At the same time, the usage of the five terms in Eph 4:11 elsewhere in the NT demonstrates a certain overlap of categories; within the one divinely instituted office of the ministry, certain men held only one, but others held many, of these offices.” 15 This “overlap of categories” between apostle and shepherd/pastor, which has already been discussed above, is also present here. Jesus is often addressed as “Teacher” or “Rabbi” by His disciples (e.g., Mark 9:5, 38; 10:17, 35, 51). Two of the primary tasks that characterize Jesus’ earthly ministry are teaching and preaching as noted with the participles didaskōn (“teaching”) and kēryssōn (“proclaiming/preaching”) in the Gospels (e.g., Matt. 4:23; 9:35). Thus, the apostles are also teachers who teach everything that Jesus taught (Matt. 28:19). Jesus is also identified explicitly as “a prophet,” showing that His ministry has continuity with this established office in the history of Israel since Moses (e.g., Deut. 18:15; John 6:14). In light of the longtime office of prophet among the Israelites for the man chosen by YHWH to proclaim the words that the prophet received from YHWH, it is not surprising that Paul uses the term “prophet” in the first-century church as a title for those who follow Jesus in the prophetic task of proclaiming the Word of God (Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:28). Paul appears to be using these five titles in Ephesians 4:11 in an inclusive manner, therefore, for those who were carrying out, in various unique ways, the one Office of the Holy Ministry in the first-century church. At the heart of each title is the sacred task of preaching and teaching the Word of God, especially the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Apostle Paul, the Office of the Holy Ministry is manifested in the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds/pastors and teachers whom Christ has given to His church. We also use a variety of titles today for men holding the one Office of the Holy Ministry based upon their specific call and pastoral vocation: senior pastors, associate pastors, visitation pastors, missionaries, church planters, college and seminary professors, district presidents, and the like.

On the translation issue, see Winger, Ephesians, 449–458. There are also challenges with modern translations of Ephesians 4:12; see Henry H. Hamann, “The Translation of Ephesians 4:12 — A Necessary Revision,” Concordia Journal 14 (1988): 42–49, and Winger, Ephesians, 459.

Winger, Ephesians, 458.

taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:5–9) The qualifications listed in these two texts have much in common. Even the titles are so closely related that Paul begins in Titus 1:5 with the title “elder” (presbyter os) and then switches to the title “overseer” (ep is ko pos) in Titus 1:7. Although we do not know whether overseers may have had more and/or different responsibilities than elders, nevertheless both should be understood as titles for those who hold the Office of the Holy Ministry. Therefore, an elder is also an overseer, who is further described here as “God’s steward [theou oi ko nomos],” a descriptive term used elsewhere by Paul for those in the Office of the Holy Ministry (“stewards [oikonomous] of the mysteries of God” in 1 Cor. 4:1). The title ep is ko pos (“overseer”) is sometimes translated as “bishop” and used by some denominations for pastors who have oversight authority within that denomination. The understanding of ep is ko pos as an office distinct from and higher than the Office of the Holy Ministry, however, is not present in the New Testament. E. Elder Because “elder” (presbyter os) is a term used in many Christian congregations today for an elected office held by laity who work closely with the pastor in the spiritual care of a congregation, its presence in the New Testament as a title for the Office of the Holy Ministry can be a source of some confusion. The close interrelationship and interchange ability between the titles “elder,” “apostle,” “shepherd” and “overseer” is most clearly presented in 1 Peter 5:1–5. There the Apostle Peter clearly understands himself to be an elder when he writes: “I exhort the elders [presbyterous] among you, as a fellow elder [sym presbyter os]” (1 Peter 5:1, emphasis added). He then exhorts these elders to “shepherd [poi man ate] the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight [episkopountes], … being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2–3). The use of the participle episkopountes (“exercising oversight”) in this text demonstrates the close relationship and overlap between an overseer and an elder in the understanding of the Apostle Peter and the first-century Christians to whom he is writing. Both “overseers” and “elders” served in the Office of the Holy Ministry and were responsible for shepherding Christ’s flock. Furthermore, as noted above, Paul’s list of qualifications for “elders” in Titus 1:5–9 clearly identifies an “elder” as one who was also an “overseer” (Titus 1:7). Paul also emphasizes that elders carry out the primary task of the Office of the Holy Ministry: the teaching and proclaiming of God’s Word. “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). F. Deacon One of the challenges related to the title “deacon” is that the semantic range of that term can include everything from those who are simply “servants” in various household capacities, to rulers (Rom. 13:4), to the Lord Jesus Himself (Rom. 15:8), and to those potentially occupying a specific ecclesial office of

“deacon.” Moreover, there has not been complete consensus — in the LCMS or otherwise — about how the term is used in the New Testament or its relationship to the Office of the Holy Ministry. Most New Testament references to “deacon” seem to refer to general “service” in the church. Two passages, however, clearly refer to deacon as an office in the church. In Philippians 1:1, Paul greets “all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” No further information is provided in this letter about the nature of these offices, their specific responsibilities or the relationship between them. In 1 Timothy 3, Paul lists the qualifications for overseers (vv. 1–7) and deacons (vv. 8–13), again without providing specific information about the nature of these offices, their duties or the relationship between them. Because these offices are linked together in some way in both of these passages, some Lutheran exe get es and theologians have concluded that both offices belong to the Office of the Holy Ministry, with only slight differences in qualifications and perhaps (therefore) somewhat different duties and responsibilities. On the other hand, precisely because of the differences in the list of qualifications (“able to teach,” “above reproach” and “not … a recent convert” are omitted from the deacon list), other Lutheran exe get es and theologians have come to the opposite conclusion: The office of deacon did not belong to the Office of the Holy Ministry, but was created by the Early Church to assist those in the Office of the Holy Ministry. Complicating matters further is Luke’s account of the seven men chosen to assist the apostles in Acts 6:1–6. Some interpreters have identified these seven as “deacons,”18 primarily because the infinitive form of the verb diakoneō (“I serve/minister”) is used in Acts 6:2. Luke, however, never identifies these seven using the noun diakonos (“deacon/servant/minister”). He only uses the noun to describe the apostles’ “ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). The 12 apostles state, “It is not right that we should give up preaching of the word of God to serve/minister [diakonein] tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry/service of the word [tē diakonia tou logou]” (Acts 6:2–4). Even though one of their tasks was “serving/ministering” tables (possibly in the sense of administrative oversight 19), it is noteworthy that the description of these seven as being “full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3) implies that they are being set aside for more than serving tables. (This is reminiscent of how Joshua was described when Moses had laid hands upon him as his successor in the leadership of Israel; see Deut. 34:9.) More importantly, Luke testifies at length to Stephen’s character (“full of grace and power” in Acts 6:8 and “full of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 7:55), his preaching (exhibiting “wisdom and the Spirit” in Acts 6:10 and in his extensive proclamation in Acts 7:2–53), his deeds (“doing great wonders and signs among the people” in Acts 6:8), and even his appearance (“his

CTCR, The Ministry, 17, implies that a new office distinct from the Office of the Holy Ministry was begun by the church in Jerusalem. While the seven in Acts 6 were not apostles, they clearly did more than wait on tables, as will be discussed below.

A Greek Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, ed.

Frederick William Danker, Third Edition (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), 230 (definition 5).

G. Other Related Nomenclature There are a few terms used in the New Testament and in the church that are related to the Office of the Holy Ministry but are not exclusively used as titles for this office. These terms include slave, servant/minister, steward, father, reverend and priest. Each will be discussed very briefly here. The Apostle Paul refers to himself as a “slave” (doulos) or a “servant/minister” (diakonos) in his epistles (e.g., Gal. 1:10; Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:23), but he does not use either term as a specific title for his office as apostle. These terms function as descriptors of his life in the office of apostle. They simply describe his life and ministry as one of service to Christ and others. Every apostle and pastor is to be a slave and servant/minister of Jesus. By using the term “servant/minister” (diakonos) to describe himself in 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul is not implying that he is in both the office of apostle and the office of deacon. Because the term “minister” is often used in the LCMS for those who serve in the Office of the Holy Ministry and is also sometimes used as a title for those in the auxiliary office of deacon, it must be carefully defined when used. 24 As noted above, “steward” (oi ko nomos) is sometimes used by Paul as a description of what holders of the Office of the Holy Ministry do as well as what they are (“stewards of the mysteries of God,” 1 Cor. 4:1; cf. Titus 1:7). Although there are New Testament texts about the importance of respecting those with spiritual authority over others (e.g., 1 Thess. 5:12), the title “reverend” is not used in the New Testament. While Paul refers to himself as a spiritual “father” (patēr) on occasion (e.g., 1 Cor. 4:15b), “father” is not used as a title for the Office of the Holy Ministry in the New Testament. Each baptized Christian is said to have the status of a “priest” (hier eus) in various texts (e.g., 1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6), and Jesus is our “high priest” (e.g., Heb. 4:14). “Priest” is not used in the New Testament, however, as a title for those who serve in the Office of the Holy Ministry, even though those who serve in this office clearly have some priestly roles (e.g., service at the altar by offering prayers and administering the Lord’s Supper).

face was like the face of an angel/messenger” in Acts 6:15). Luke also testifies to Philip’s ministry of proclamation/teaching, his demonstration of divine signs (exorcisms and healings), and his baptizing of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:5–8, 26–40). While it seems clear that there is some distinction between the 12 apostles and these seven (the latter were not necessarily eyewitnesses of Jesus’ earthly ministry and resurrection), some theologians see this as evidence to suggest that these seven did, indeed, hold the Office of the Holy Ministry. Others disagree. Luther, for his part, held that “the diaconate is the ministry, not of reading the Gospel or the Epistle, as is the present practice, but of distributing the church’s aid to the poor, so that the priests may be relieved of the burden of temporal matters and may give themselves more freely to prayer and the Word. For this was the purpose of the institution of the diaconate, as we read in Acts.” 20 Others, such as Chemnitz, suggested a variation of Luther’s view: Deacons such as Stephen and Philip were originally appointed to the more mundane task described in Acts 6 but, after proving themselves, were later entrusted with “more important duties of the ministry [i.e., preaching and teaching] conferred with greater benefit.” 21 Theodore Graebner is representative of a view that is common in the LCMS tradition and relates to our forthcoming discussion of what the LCMS has historically referred to as “auxiliary offices” created by the church in Christian freedom: The seven elders performed such services as the twelve apostles were unable to do for want of time. In order to emphasize the fact, we repeat that this office of eldership was not divinely appointed, nor instituted by God’s command, as is the office of the ministry. It simply was inaugurated to supply help for the office of the ministry; it is an auxiliary office there of, instituted by the Church. 22 Many more examples could be given, but to summarize and reiterate: No consensus exists among Lutheran exe get es and theologians, past or present, about the nature of the office of “deacon” in the New Testament — specifically, whether this office was a “helping office” created by the church or whether it was an office that belonged to the one divinely instituted Office of the Holy Ministry. In view of these differing exegetical and historical perspectives, it is important that when the term “deacon” is used today in the LCMS we strive to be as clear and consistent as possible in our usage of this term, especially if and when it is used in “official” ways to designate a particular office of service in the church (see Parts II and III of this report). 23 “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church” (1520), AE 36:116. Walther, The Church and the Office of the Ministry, 293. Theodore Graebner, “Elders and Deacons in the Lutheran Church,” trans. W. Cook, The Lutheran Witness 15 [1916], 222.

The single text that might possibly be understood as a biblical basis for a woman holding the office of “deacon” (or “deaconess”) is Paul’s statement about Phoebe in Romans 16:1, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant/deaconess [di akon on] of the church at Cenchreae.” Although most translators render diakonos here as “servant,” some English translations render it as “deaconess” (e.g., RSV, JB and NJB). Some scholars think it is premature to speak of an established office of diaconate being referenced here, yet 1 Timothy 3:8–13 is evidence of the existence of such an office for males during the mission carried out by Paul. While all early Christians — male

Note: The LCMS has for nearly its entire existence used the concept of “auxiliary offices” to describe the vocation of those church workers (among others) who do not hold the Office of the Holy Ministry. That concept emerged from the eighth of C.F.W. Walther’s synodically adopted 1851 theses on the ministry, which argued that all such helping offices in the church stem from the pastoral ministry, as the highest office in the church. Since that time, these other offices — primarily teachers, but also all those now presently grouped under the classification of “commissioned ministers” — have been considered as functioning in a way that supports the pastoral office in its ministry of Word and Sacrament. This has understandably raised concerns from different corners of the Synod. For some, the very fact of referring to those in helping offices as “ministers” seems to detract from or confuse them with the one Office of the Holy Ministry. For others, especially those serving in auxiliary offices, being placed in this category gives the impression that their work is somehow less important than or spiritually inferior to the pastor’s. The Commission acknowledges that the concept itself is limited and not altogether helpful (as will be discussed later), and it concedes that the historical tensions the concept has produced on both sides of the debate are valid and reflect legitimate concerns. The description of auxiliary offices in what follows is not meant necessarily as an endorsement of the term or concept of “auxiliary office,” but rather it is an attempt to use the category the Synod has used throughout its history — one that has shaped and continues to shape our church polity — and apply it to the present question regarding deacons and evangelists. 25 The LCMS uses the language of “ordained ministers” for those who hold the Office of the Holy Ministry and “commissioned ministers” for those who hold an officially recognized auxiliary office in the Synod. 26 Although it is possible to have an ordained minister called to and serving in one of the auxiliary offices (e.g., an ordained pastor serving as a kantor or a Lutheran school principal), these offices are ordinarily filled by Synod-trained laity who are commissioned ministers. Some LCMS congregations and districts use the nomenclature of deacon and evangelist, even though these are not officially recognized auxiliary offices in the Synod at the present time. Therefore, usage of this nomenclature will also be discussed below.

II. Nomenclature for Auxiliary Offices in the LCMS Today

“The pastoral ministry [Predigtamt] is the highest office in the church, and from it stem all other offices in the church,” C.F.W. Walther, Church and Ministry, trans. J.T. Mueller (St.

Louis: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 1987), 289. Note also Walther’s explanation of this concept of an auxiliary office: “Every other public office in the church is part of the ministry of the Word or an auxiliary office that supports the ministry, whether it be the elders who do not labor in the Word and doctrine (1 Tim. 5:17) or the rulers (Rom. 12:8) or the deacons (the office of service in a narrow sense) or whatever other offices the church may entrust to particular persons for special administration. Therefore, the offices of Christian day school teachers, alm on ers, sextons, precentors at public worship, and others are all to be regarded as ecclesiastical and sacred, for they take over a part of the one ministry of the Word and support the pastoral office,” 289–290.

LCMS Bylaw 2.6.1.1 (2023 Handbook) lists these current commissioned offices: “The roster of commissioned ministers shall admit eligible teachers, 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.”

and female — were to be “servants” in their respective congregation, Phoebe appears to serve “the church at Cenchreae” as one holding a position that assisted the man who held the Office of the Holy Ministry. We will discuss briefly the LCMS office of deaconess in the next section of the report.

Within the LCMS, the terms “ordained minister” and “commissioned minister” are used to distinguish between those in the Office of the Holy Ministry and those in auxiliary offices; see Constitution Article V B in the 2023 LCMS Handbook. An example of the confusion that use of the term “minister” without clear definition can cause is seen in Oscar E.

Feucht, Everyone a Minister: A Guide to Churchmanship for Laity and Clergy (St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1974). The natural question arises: If only some are called to be ordained ministers, and some others are called to be commissioned ministers, then how can everyone be a minister? Because of the technical use of “minister” for specific offices in the church, “servant” is a better translation to use as a label for every Christian (i.e., everyone is a servant).

First, more should be said about the concept of auxiliary offices and how they have been understood within the LCMS. For instance, in its 1981 report on the ministry, the CTCR described auxiliary offices this way: These are offices established by the church. Those who are called to serve in them are authorized to perform certain of the function(s) of the office of the public ministry. These offices are “ministry” and they are “public,” yet they are not the office of the public ministry. Rather, they are auxiliary to that unique pastoral office, and those who hold these offices perform their assigned functions under the supervision of the holders of the pastoral office. Such offices are established by the church as the need arises, and their specific functions are determined by the church. The most common auxiliary office today is the office of the teaching ministry. (Ministry, 12) 27 The church has freedom to create, use and oversee these “helping offices” or “auxiliary offices” however and whenever it sees fit. Yet there remains a consistent proviso that, whatever these auxiliary offices are and however they function, they are not the Office of the Public Ministry established by Christ and so the church must avoid any confusion of the auxiliary offices with the pastoral office. An important question that arises with auxiliary offices is whether or in what way such offices can be seen or characterized as “divine” in nature, especially in view of the fact that in the LCMS “divine calls” are issued to individuals serving in these offices. In light of the discussion above, two opposite positions are to be avoided. One position is to argue that such offices are divine offices in the same sense that the Office of the Holy Ministry is a divine office (i.e., they are instituted by God and testified to in the Scriptures). The Scriptures testify that the Office of the Holy Ministry is divinely given and mandated by Christ Himself. Scripture does not testify that Christ gave or mandated any other office. The other extreme is to assert that these auxiliary offices have no divine character whatsoever, so that individuals should not be called to such offices by the church. One way to view these auxiliary offices that have been established by the church is to recognize that they exist to assist and support the divinely instituted Office of the Holy Ministry, and to carry out certain (but not all) of its divinely instituted responsibilities under the oversight of an ordained pastor. Auxiliary offices created by the church can therefore be seen as “divine” by virtue of their close relationship to the Office of the Holy Ministry. Those who hold auxiliary offices (established in good order by the church) are called and commissioned by the church to carry out certain specific divinely given responsibilities under the oversight of those who hold the divinely instituted Office of the Holy Ministry.

A second important question concerning auxiliary offices is how they are established by the church — in this case, by the LCMS. In the LCMS, congregations and districts have a certain degree of freedom to use nomenclature for humanly instituted offices even when this nomenclature is not used in official ways by the Synod itself. As noted above, some congregations use the term “deacon” for the congregational office more commonly known as “elder” or specifically for laymen who assist in public worship. 28 While this may be somewhat confusing (especially for those who transfer their membership from one congregation to another), this is an area of congregational polity that is not mandated by the Synod and falls into the realm of Christian freedom (as long as a congregation’s constitution complies with other matters of theology and polity that are mandated by the Synod and the congregation’s district). Generally speaking, the same is true for districts of the Synod. In the case of districts, however, the potential for confusion is much greater because of issues such as: • The frequency and “normalization” of such nomenclature within a district;

• Perceptions and misunderstandings about the relationship between districts and the Synod (e.g., “the district has an office of ‘deacon,’ so this office must also be recognized by the Synod”); and
• Inevitable questions about definition, job description, oversight, etc. (It might be noted, for example, that only roster ed workers of the Synod are accountable to the disciplinary guidelines set forth in the Synod’s Bylaws.)

It is important to emphasize, therefore, that it is not the prerogative of individual congregations and districts — apart from the LCMS in convention — to establish auxiliary offices into which they call, commission and install individuals. In order for such offices to be recognized by the Synod as a whole, they would need to be thoroughly studied and discussed, carefully defined, have proper preparation and training in place for those who would be called to such an office, and ultimately be approved by the LCMS in convention. 29 This is part of our “walking together” in doctrine and practice as a Synod.

In its 1985 document, Women in the Church, the CTCR described the “distinctive functions” of the pastoral office — which are to be performed only by those who hold the Office of the Holy Ministry — as follows: “1) preaching in the services of the congregation; 2) leading the formal public services of worship; 3) the public administration of the sacraments; 4) the public administration of the office of the keys,” CTCR, Women in the Church: Scriptural Principles and Ecclesial Practice (St.

Louis: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 1985), 42.

Somewhat customary is the use of “liturgical deacons” to assist in the administration of the Lord’s Supper. In the Early Church, and in other theological traditions today, a deacon was one of the three orders or ranks of clergy within an episcopal structure (bishop, priest, deacon), often requiring ordination into the diaconate. The primary responsibility of such deacons was assisting liturgically with the Lord’s Supper. In the medieval church, as for Roman Catholicism after the Council of Trent, “deacon” was one of the several ranks of clergy, ordinarily the middle of the three “major” orders or grades (priest, deacon, subdeacon), who administered Holy Communion. Lutherans inherited the office of deacon at the time of the Reformation and treated the terminology as an adiaphoron, but considered those occupying that office to have the same requirements of examination, calling and ordination as any other occupant of the pastoral office — what the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope refers to as “choosing, calling, ordaining” (Tr 67). The practice in the LCMS of using liturgical deacons to assist with the administration of the Lord’s Supper (sometimes ordained men, other times laymen) is simply understood as congregational assistance of the pastor and not as an office of deacon, let alone an “ordained diaconate.”

The result would be inclusion of such “commissioned minister” offices in the LCMS Bylaws; see footnote 24 above.

Christian freedom in matters (such as polity and nomenclature) that are not commanded or forbidden by God’s Word is a vital theological principle. But God-pleasing order and uniformity (even in matters of adiaphora) is also vital in order to avoid confusion and potential division in the church over matters that ought not disrupt our walking together in confession and mission. The CTCR urges, therefore, that fraternal, honest, deliberate discussion take place in the Synod regarding this matter to avoid further confusion that could undermine and threaten our walking together (see below for more specific commentary on the offices of “deacon” and “evangelist” as examples of this real and/or potential confusion in the Synod today).

Although (as noted in footnote 28) the New Testament testimony to the office of deaconess is limited to Romans 16:1, it is an office with a long history in the Christian church and in the LCMS. 31 The preparation of deaconesses for service in the LCMS originally took place through college and university programs, but it was expanded to the seminaries with the approval of Resolution 5-06B at the 2001 LCMS convention. 32 The office of deaconess is clearly defined as an auxiliary office that assists the Office of the Holy Ministry in a variety of ways, especially in the showing of Christ’s mercy. It is an office limited to females who have the proper preparation to be called and commissioned as deaconesses.

A. Teacher and Director of Christian Education A very prevalent auxiliary office in the LCMS for many years has been the office of Lutheran school teacher, because the primary responsibility of a teacher in a Lutheran school is to teach the Word of God. 30 This is an office, therefore, that is closely related to, and assists, the Office of the Holy Ministry. As noted above, the task of “teaching” is frequently mentioned in the New Testament in relationship to the Office of the Holy Ministry, and the title “teacher” (did as ko los) appears in tandem with “shepherd/pastor” (poimēn) in Ephesians 4:11, demonstrating that the terms “teacher” and “pastor” are used synonymously in the New Testament. The activities of preaching/proclaiming and teaching are often linked together in the New Testament and were a central characteristic of the ministry of Jesus and His apostles (e.g., Matt. 4:23; 9:35). The evidence presented earlier from the New Testament — especially Ephesians 4 — demonstrates that “teacher” is to be viewed as a first-century office in the church that was not distinct from the Office of the Holy Ministry. Just as the Early Church established the office of deacon, the office of teacher as it exists in the church today was established later as a distinct office due to the need and desire of the church for teachers who were not pastors (e.g., in a Christian school) but who would work closely with pastors in teaching the Word of God and other subjects. Like other auxiliary offices, it is closely related to the Office of the Holy Ministry and serves under its authority and supervision. Some Lutheran school teachers have the additional responsibility of serving as a Lutheran school principal. Closely related to the office of teacher, director of Christian education is an office that supports and guides the Christian education program of a congregation. Both of these auxiliary offices can be held by males or females who have the proper theological and skill preparation to be called as commissioned ministers.

B. Deaconess

See the discussion of “teaching ministry” in CTCR, The Ministry, 17–19.

C. Other Auxiliary Offices in the LCMS In addition to teacher, director of Christian education and deaconess, the LCMS Bylaws officially recognize five other auxiliary offices: director of parish music, director of Christian outreach (see the further discussion below), director of family life ministry, parish assistant and director of church ministries. 33 There are specific training programs to prepare individuals to be called and commissioned to serve in these auxiliary offices of the LCMS. D. Deacon The office of deacon, in various forms, has been present throughout history in a number of Christian denominations. Although deacon is not an officially recognized auxiliary office in the LCMS, 34 some LCMS congregations (as noted above) use this term as a synonym for the lay office of “elder.” As also noted above, some LCMS districts use the term “deacon” to denote a lay office that is distinct both from the Office of the Holy Ministry and from auxiliary offices that are recognized by the LCMS. On the district level, those who hold this office normally have some training (typically provided by the district itself) and may be authorized by the district president to provide assistance to a congregation under the supervision of an ordained pastor. Specific responsibilities of a deacon may vary from congregation to congregation (and from district to district), but these typically do not (and from the Synod’s perspective, definitely should not) involve public preaching and the administration of the Sacraments. 35 Confusion arises when deacons (whether authorized to do so or not) carry out these responsibilities, even if this takes place under the “supervision” of an ordained pastor. 36

See Cheryl D.

Naumann, In the Footsteps of Phoebe: A Complete History of the Deaconess Movement in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2008). Naumann offers a detailed history, including the establishment of LCMS deaconess preparation programs at Concordia College, River Forest, in 1980; at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 2002; and at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, in 2003.

See Naumann, In the Footsteps of Phoebe, 507–508.

See footnote 24 above.

See footnote 24 above.

2016 Resolution 13-02A. For discussion, see below.

In its 2023 opinion, “President of Synod Request for Opinion on Lay Reading of Sermons and Conduct of Worship in the Absence of a Pastor,” the CTCR advised that it was theologically permissible for laymen to conduct

Recent history in the LCMS has served to complicate things further when it comes to the office of deacon. In an attempt to address the problem of providing Word and Sacrament ministry to congregations when no ordained pastor was available, the Synod’s 1989 convention (via Res. 3-05B) established an office distinct from the Office of the Holy Ministry called “licensed lay deacon.” According to the protocols specified in the resolution, such deacons were required to complete a certain amount of seminary course work and training; were to be approved, licensed and regularly monitored by the district president; and were then authorized “in exceptional circumstances or in emergencies” to carry out certain duties normally restricted to those who hold the pastoral office (e.g., lead public worship, preach and — under certain circumstances — administer the Lord’s Supper). In view of the rather contentious debate that took place regarding this resolution at the 1989 convention itself and in subsequent years, it seems self-evident that there was a lack of careful Synodwide and consensus-building study and discussion before this resolution was presented and (narrowly) adopted. The vigorous debate about this office that ensued in the years after the establishment of licensed lay deacons resulted in two major changes in the LCMS. First, the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program was established at both seminaries by the adoption of Resolution 5-01B at the 2007 LCMS convention. The SMP program provides pastoral training by the LCMS seminaries to men in their contexts so that they can be called and ordained as Specific Ministry Pastors (a roster status established by the Synod in 2007 in contrast to General Ministry Pastors). The second major change that came about was the adoption of Resolution 13-02A at the 2016 LCMS convention, which brought an end to the licensing of lay deacons for Word and Sacrament ministry. It should be noted that the 2016 resolution did not reject the use of the term “deacon”: Resolved, That nothing in this resolution shall be construed as impeding the training, recognition, credentialing or service of deacons who do not publicly preach or administer the Sacraments, namely, those who serve in ministries of mercy, education, or visitation, and so forth, or in an outreach role, assisting in evangelism and church planting (but not in public preaching and administration of the Sacraments); and be it further Resolved, That district presidents may continue to recruit, train, and credential new deacons for general varieties of service in the church that do not include public preaching and administration of the Sacraments. (2016 Proceedings, 237–238)

What has not yet happened in the LCMS is careful study, discussion and definition of the office of deacon in light of recent history in the LCMS, both in view of the now-defunct licensed lay deacon program and continued deacon training programs in certain LCMS districts. The LCMS has specified (in 2016 Res. 13-02A and elsewhere) what deacons are not to do (public preaching and administration of the Sacraments), but more needs to be done to define the duties of and training for this office if it is ever to become an officially recognized auxiliary office in the LCMS into which men are called, commissioned and installed. E. Evangelist Like deacon, “evangelist” is also not an auxiliary office recognized by the LCMS (at least not using this specific title). The Synod, however, has established an auxiliary office called director of Christian outreach (DCO). Any Synod discussion contemplating the establishment of an auxiliary office of evangelist would do well to consider this already-established auxiliary office. Another factor to keep in mind is that there is some current usage of the term “evangelist” as an additional title for the Office of the Holy Ministry within the LCMS, which (as discussed earlier) is actually more in keeping with the New Testament usage of this term. Complicating matters further, in recent years some districts have begun to use the term “evangelist” for a lay office in which male or female individuals go through some limited training to share the Gospel in order to establish “faith communities.” 37 Such evangelists typically serve under the guidance of an LCMS pastor, but little or no study and discussion of this recent use of the term or title “evangelist” has taken place within the LCMS as a whole and no resolution recognizing “evangelist” as an official Synod office has been approved by the Synod in convention. While (as noted above) there is considerable freedom for individual congregations and even districts to have titles for various elected, appointed or paid staff positions, it would be very helpful if an office connected to some form of evangelistic ministry of the Word would be studied and discussed carefully across the Synod before being used by some districts and congregations in what may be perceived by some as an officially recognized title and office. At the Synod’s request, the CTCR’s 1973 report on the ministry studied and discussed the “office of evangelist” and came to the conclusion that: The work of an evangelist … does not necessarily call for a separate office. It is a function of the total Ministry and may be carried out even by bishops, and certainly by parish pastors. However, the work of evangelizing the un church ed is so great and pressing a task that the church may well find it

services in the absence of a pastor, provided that it is a legitimate emergency or temporary need and that the layman not administer the Sacrament or pronounce absolution (in accordance with AC XIV). However, the Commission acknowledges that the lay officiating of a formal worship service in the congregation is a genuine gray area. To that end, it suggested that non-Communion orders of service (which allow for such lay leadership) should be used. The principle underlying these concerns is avoidance of confusion with the pastoral office, and that principle likewise applies to auxiliary offices or others such as deacons or evangelists.

desirable to appoint persons in addition to parish pastors, who are often fully occupied with parish work, to the task of evangelizing. … If a congregation calls an evangelist, he will as a matter of course work under the supervision of and in closest harmony with the pastor, who is the shepherd of the whole flock entrusted to his charge, including the evangelist. 38 Although the Synod in convention never acted upon this or other specific recommendations of the 1973 report, it did eventually (as noted above) create the office of director of Christian outreach, which seems to align closely with what is described in the 1973 report. In the final section of the current report, the CTCR will offer its own conclusions and recommendations regarding the office of evangelist.

III. Summary Conclusions and Recommendations There are three primary conclusions to be drawn from this study. First, the New Testament uses several different titles for those serving in the one, divinely instituted Office of the Holy Ministry. These include shepherd/pastor, apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, overseer and elder (and possibly others, including deacon). This variety of terminology should not be interpreted as somehow contradicting the clear evidence in the New Testament for this one, divinely instituted office, nor should it be seen as evidence that this office was not widely recognized by first-century Christians. The early decades of Christianity were simply a time when titles were more varied and less standardized. Second, there is nothing in the New Testament that prevents or proscribes the church from establishing helping or auxiliary offices to assist the Office of the Holy Ministry. While opinions differ about whether the New Testament itself attests to the creation of such offices by the church (as we have discussed, some regard “deacon” and “deaconess” as auxiliary offices created by the Early Church), there is no disagreement in the LCMS about whether the church today has the freedom to create and fill such offices in response to particular needs, challenges and opportunities in its efforts to proclaim the Gospel and further Christ’s mission on earth. If the Synod were to determine that auxiliary offices of deacon or evangelist were needed, then it has the freedom to establish them, along with establishing appropriate forms for calling, commissioning and installing deacons and/or evangelists into those offices. Third, this study points out the confusion that can result from using biblical titles without understanding their original referent. For example, in the New Testament an elder was a man who served in the Office of the Holy Ministry. In the LCMS today, an elder is typically a layman who holds an elected and term-restricted congregational office made up of men who assist the pastor(s) with matters related to worship and pastoral care. In the New Testament, an evangelist was also a man who served in the Office of the Holy Ministry, presumably focused on the task of outreach and evangelism. In the CTCR, The Ministry in Its Relation, 12. Again, the use and citation of this report does not imply an endorsement of its conclusions or recommendations, including the possibility of ordaining “evangelists.”

One recommendation of the 2013 Resolution 4-06A Task Force was “that congregations and districts be encouraged to identify individuals for special training in and attention to evangelism.” See 2013 Resolution 4-06A Task Force Report to the Synod, 25. Available at resources.lcms.org/reading-study/ctcr-library-lcms-task-force updates.

LCMS today, the title “evangelist” is being used by some for a lay office that is often not clearly or consistently defined. The challenges with the office of deacon in the LCMS in recent decades have demonstrated the importance of defining terms, titles and responsibilities carefully and consistently; of seeking to avoid confusion (and practices that may be at odds with the Synod’s position); and of striving for as much uniformity as possible to avoid confusion, misunderstanding and tension in our walking together as a Synod. The use of biblical terms such as “deacon” or “evangelist” in and of itself is not a problem. They are biblical terms that can and may be employed profitably by the church. It is rather how they are being used that can and does cause confusion. For instance, all Christians are in some sense “evangelists,” in that they are entrusted with sharing the Gospel. Likewise, all Christians are “deacons” in the sense that they are called to lives of service toward God and neighbor. Yet we must not confuse a Christian’s general Christian vocation as an evangelist or deacon with his or her occupying the office of deacon or evangelist. The latter uses of these terms con not ate ecclesiastically recognized offices into which one is called, commissioned and installed, and the LCMS has not as yet designated them auxiliary offices. As emphasized earlier, a proper way to understand helping or auxiliary offices established by the church to which qualified individuals can be called is to recognize that those holding such offices are authorized to assist the pastor in carrying out certain responsibilities of his office. In light of the foregoing, the Commission makes several recommendations that may lessen confusion over the use of various nomenclature in the Synod, including the terms “deacon” and “evangelist.” • Deacons: The term “deacon” is ambiguous exegetically, and it is clear that even within the Synod historically there has been no single understanding or application of it. 39 This at times has led to confusing and contradictory applications of it, though usage of the biblical term in itself is not objectionable. As noted above, 2016 Resolution 13-02A also allows for the formation of deacons to “serve in ministries of mercy, education, or visitation, and so forth, or in an outreach role,” provided their responsibilities do not include “public preaching and administration of the Sacraments.” In light of the potential for confusion and misunderstanding of the various ways “deacon” has or might be used in the Synod, the Commission makes the following recommendation: The term “deacon” should only be used for laymen who assist the pastor in certain, specific ways (liturgically, administratively, educationally, etc.), yet do not publicly preach or administer the Sacraments.

Note, for instance, the debates concerning the possibility of an “ordained diaconate” as a resolution to the controversy over the licensed lay deacons created by the 1989 convention. See, the opinion of the Faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary, “A Response to ‘An Overture to Establish an Ordained Diaconate,’” Concordia Theological Quarterly 63, no. 3 (July 1999): 205–220.

• Evangelists: The term “evangelist” has a closer relationship to the Office of the Holy Ministry in the New Testament and therefore may evoke greater confusion. However, the 2013 Resolution 406A Task Force explicitly encouraged the “identification and training of laity for the role of evangelist,” that is, “special training in and attention to evangelism” (2013 Resolution 4-06A Task Force Report to the Synod, 25). Since this evangelistic role obviously has a different scope than the New Testament usage of the term, the Synod should seek to clarify that role and distinguish it clearly from the pastoral office. The Commission recommends the following: First, calling men or women to be trained for and to serve in the auxiliary office of director of Christian outreach should be more widely encouraged and emphasized. In this regard, the Synod might expand the formal title for this office (e.g., “Director of Christian Outreach—Evangelist”). Second, the term “evangelist” as a lay or congregational office should be restricted to those laypersons (male or female) identified and trained for outreach to visitors and nonmembers in their communities. Neither those called to the auxiliary office of DCO nor congregational outreach workers (whether or not they are referred to as evangelists) should exercise the characteristically “distinctive functions” of the pastoral office (preaching in the services of the congregation, leading formal public services of worship, the public administration of the Sacraments, and the public administration of the Office of the Keys).
• Training: The Synod has repeatedly emphasized that programs intended to theologically train

clarifying this term and its usage in the church, as well as associated practical realities, such as the call into auxiliary offices. The Commission recommends the following: The Synod in convention should consider asking the CTCR to produce a study of auxiliary offices, including their historical usage, theological basis and practical application in the life of the church, as well as potential terminological changes to the category or to ministries included in it.

laity for the work of service in the church or outreach within their communities may be of great benefit for our churches. Those programs already exist in various ways, though more uniform definitions of “deacon” or “evangelist” (especially should the Synod designate them as auxiliary offices) may also entail uniform training programs. The seminaries, ministry-related faculties of our universities, and other offices and/or institutions of the Synod (such as the Office of National Mission) are well-equipped to collaborate in developing, administering and teaching such programs. The Commission recommends: If and when the Synod were to recognize deacons and/or evangelists as roster ed auxiliary offices, the above-named entities should be engaged to develop biblically, theologically and confession ally faithful resources to aid in the training and credentialing of those auxiliary offices. • Auxiliary Offices: There is as yet no official Synod definition of the term “auxiliary office,” nor are there parameters for what particular ministries are included in the concept of auxiliary offices or what specific duties may be assigned to those who hold these offices in differing contexts and circumstances. In his synodically adopted theses on the ministry, C.F.W. Walther noted that “other offices” stem from the ministry, as the highest office in the church. In its 1981 report on the ministry, the CTCR referred to them as “facilitating offices” (since they facilitate the proclamation of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments and the Keys) and conceded that “auxiliary,” while a traditional term, is itself ambiguous: “Perhaps a better term than ‘auxiliary’ might be found” (The Ministry, 28). More attention might be paid to defining and

Appendix 2023 Convention Workbook Ov. 5-48 To Distinguish Terms for Pastoral Office from Those for Auxiliary or Helping Offices WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions simply and clearly confess that God has established the Office of the Public Ministry for the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments, through which the Holy Spirit works to create faith when and where He wills ( Matt. 28:18–20; Mark 16:15–16; Luke 2:44–49; John 20:21–23; Augsburg Confession [AC] V; AC XIV); and WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions also simply and clearly confess that God, through the Church calls qualified men into this unique and distinct Office of the Public Ministry, so that His Word will be preached and the Sacraments will be administered to the end that the Holy Spirit will call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify the whole Christian Church on earth and keep it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith (1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Peter 2:7; Matt. 18:18–20; AC V; AC XIV; Small Catechism [SC] II, Third Article); and WHEREAS, The members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, by God’s grace, have by their unequivocal and unconditional subscription to the Luthera n Confessions publicly confessed this understanding of the Church and the ministry throughout the Synod’s history; and WHEREAS, C.F.W. Walther, in Thesis I of “Church and Ministry” confessed, “The holy ministry or pastoral office is a n office distinct [The German word translated as “distinct” is unter schie de ne, which can be translated distinguished, different from, distinctive, and unique] from the priesthood of all believers” (C.F.W. Walther, Church and Ministry [Kirche und Amt] [St.

Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1987], 161); and WHEREAS, The New Testament also includes many functions and titles for the Office of the Public Ministry, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, among others (Eph. 4:10; Titus 1:5 –9; 1 Tim. 3:1–7; 1 Peter 5:1–4), and sets aside other functions and titles for those who assist the Office of the Public Ministry in carrying out its tasks, including deacons (Acts 6:1–5; 1 Tim. 3:8–13); and WHEREAS, The 2016 convention urged Synod to uphold the biblical and confessional qualifications for the pastoral office (2016 Resolution 6-02A) and to remove any confusion of the pastoral office with other forms of helping or auxiliary offices in the church, such as deacons (2016 Res. 13 02A); and WHEREAS, 2016 Res. 13-02A brought an end to the licensing of laymen for Word and Sacrament ministry, yet also commended the work of educated lay evangelists to assist in bringing the Gospel to an increasingly secular, un believing world; and WHEREAS, Ongoing training programs in several districts for lay assistants, making use of various titles such as evangelist, pastoral assistants, pastoral ministry assistants, and deacons, include instruction and training for functions unique to and reserved for men called into the Office of the

Public Ministry. For example, a course offered by the Mission Training Center of the Pacific Southwest District entitled “Homiletics” includes the description: “In this course the deacon applicant will concentrate on the basic preparation and delivery of a sermon”; and WHEREAS, Although well intention ed, these lay training programs have created confusion because of the use of terms historically associated with the Office of the Public Ministry; and WHEREAS, In attempting to comply with timelines and expectations set by 2016 Res. 1302A for ending the li censure of lay deacons for Word and Sacrament ministry, confusion has arisen over the use of the terms of deacon and evangelist in relation to those who occupy the Office of the Public Ministry; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod commend the publications of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) which define the theology, nomenclature, and responsibilities of the office of the ministry, especially The Ministry in Its Relation to the Christian Church (1973), The Ministry: Offices, Procedure, and Nomenclature (1981) [Such as: “Thus, we may speak of various “ministries” in and of the church, but we must be careful to distinguish them properly. An office is not defined solely by what one who holds it does (function) but by the duties, responsibility, and accountability assigned to it. The pastoral office is unique in that all the functions of the church ’s ministry belong to it.” The Ministry: Office, Procedure, and Nomenclature (1981)]; and be it further Resolved, That the CTCR be directed to produce a report that defines and distinguishes the New Testament terms used for the Office of the Public Ministry and its auxiliary offices, including special discussions of the offices of deacon and evangelist, in preparation for the 2026 convention; and be it finally Resolved, That the Council of Presidents take this report under consideration as it seeks to formalize the functions and requirements of these auxiliary and helping offices in their respective districts in keeping with 2016 Res. 13-02A. Board of Directors Iowa East District