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

Official Workbook overture source text

5-39 
To Declare Center for Missional  
and Pastoral Leadership to be  
Heterodox Tract and Mission Society 
WHEREAS, It is a condition of membership in the Synod that 
members renounce unionism and syncretism of every description, 
including “participating in heterodox tract and missionary 
activities” (Const. Art. VI 2 c); and 
WHEREAS, The Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership 
partners with the Institute for Lutheran Theology (ILT) and its 
Christ School of Theology (CST, cst.ilt.edu/cmpl ), an accredited 
online seminary whose faculty and students are both members and 
non-members of the Synod, which seminary is also in partnership 
with The Center for Wesleyan Studies (cst.ilt.edu/cws); and 
WHEREAS, The ILT states that it forms pastors for “LCMC, 
NALC, CALC and the Augsburg Lutheran Churches as suitably 
prepared for ministry. We are the seminary for Canadian 
Association of Lutheran Churches (CALC), Augustana District of 
the LCMC, Augsburg Lutheran C hurches and endorsed by the 
Lutheran Church of South Sudan” ( ilt.edu/faqs/#1645113466576-
060f9d5f-d6a1, accessed Feb. 12, 2026), none of which is in 
fellowship with the LCMS; and 
WHEREAS, The ILT and its CST state that they answer to no 
church denomination (ilt.edu/about-ilt/who-we-are); and 
WHEREAS, A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the 
Missouri Synod (adopted 1932), Article 28, “On Church-
Fellowship,” states: 
Since God ordained that His Word only, without the admixture 
of human doctrine, be taught and believed in the Christian 
Church, 1 Pet. 4:11; John 8:31, 32; 1 Tim. 6:3, 4, all Christians 
are required by God to discriminate between orthodox and