To Require Theological Competency Standards for Eligibility to Exercise Ecclesiastical Oversight De Iure Humano

Ov. 6-08

To Require Theological Competency Standards for Eligibility to Exercise Ecclesiastical Oversight De Iure Humano Rationale One of the historic strengths of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod (LCMS) has been its theologically competent clergy. From the earliest days of its history the Synod has developed and utilized a variety of avenues for the preparation of its pastors, each with a focus upon theological competency in providin g pastoral care to God’s people. From the log cabin seminary in Perry County to the establishment of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, from the early work of Wyneken and Loehe to Concordia Springfield and Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, theological competency has been a hallmark of our work together. (For more on this see the white paper, “An Ordained LCMS Pastor for Every Synod Congregation: Nine Recommendations for Forming and Providing Pas tors in the LCMS,” posted May 2, 2024, nowlcms.org/resources/pastoral-formation-paper/; John C.

Wohlrabe Jr., “The Role of the Seminaries in the LCMS, 1847 – 2001,” Concordia Theological Quarterly 85, nos. 3– 4 [July/Oct.

2021]: 215– 39, ctsfwmedia.s3.us-east- 1.amazonaws.com/CTQ/CTQ%2085.3-4.pdf.)

One of the challenges before the Synod over the past few decades has been to meet the need of identifying, training, forming, and certifying enough men for the pastoral office in order to serve the congregations of the Synod. This has required a continuation of our historical pastoral formation legacy coupled with creative development of newer routes and programs. Recent studies have demonstrated that this need has become acute (see James A.

Baneck, “A White Paper on the Current Context of Pastoral Formation,” LCMS Pastoral Education, May 12, 2020, files.lcms.org/file/preview/0EjuRAbQuTtWmQiglpaMvaazkDv7L5 ng).

In order to meet the demand for ministers of religion— ordained the Synod has considered a number of routes to the pastoral office.

Currently the Synod has at least seven programmatic routes for pastoral formation. These are:

• Residential Master of Divinity (M.Div.)

• Residential Alternate Route (RAR)

• Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP)

• Specific Ministry Pastor to General Pastor Certification (GPC)

• Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS)

• Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT)

• Cross-Cultural Ministry Center (CMC)

Of these many routes, some are certificated programs and some award graduate degrees. They can result in differing rostered status with differing opportunities for service. All are committed to the formation of certified men for the pastoral office.

While all varied routes yield competent and certified men to serve in the pastoral office, the theological depth of formation varies from program to program. This overture is concerned with developing a mechanism or standard by which those ordained pastors called upon to supervise other ministers of religion—o rdained will possess and demonstrate higher levels of theological acumen. Such offices of

oversight include circuit visitors and district presidents, as well as supervisors of vicars/interns.

It is important here to distinguish between standards for the pastoral office, which are de iure humano (by human right) and de iure divino (by divine right). With respect to standards de iure divino , ordination is ordination, a divine call is a divine call, and a pastor is a pastor. Consideration of limitations on the pastoral office that are self-imposed de iure humano is another matter. Here the focus is the development of organizational standards for the purpose of distinguishing tasks and responsibilities in the ecclesial polity within which we live and serve.

The first and most important standard de iure humano pertaining to consideration for the office of ecclesiastical oversight (district presidents and circuit visitors) is fidelity to the confessional standard of the Synod articulated in Constitution Article II:

The Synod, and every member of the Synod, accepts without reservation:

1. The Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and of practice;

2. All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God, to wit: … Indeed, all who are rostered in the Synod subscribe to these confessional standards. They are the standards to which ministers of religion, both ordained and commissioned, adhere. Since this is the introductory standard pertaining to all rostered workers, it is natural that those entrusted with theological and ecclesiastical oversight possess and demonstrate an exceptional comprehension of and facility with the same.

The Scriptures demonstrate the appropriateness of such exceptional grasp: St. Paul points out the exceptional responsibility of being a theological overseer ( ἐπισκοπή, 1 Tim. 3:1); Jesus reminds His disciples that with greater responsibility comes greater expectation and accountability ( περισσότερος, Luke 12:48); St. Peter admonishes all believers that “if these qualities are yours and are increasing [verb: πλεονάζω], they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). If this is true of parishioners, it is certainly true of clergy.

In order to maintain such levels of competency for its ministerium, the Synod has put into place benchmarks to demonstrate theological competency. The seminaries utilize an instrument by which initial admissive competency can be verified: the Entry Level Competency Exams. The Synod also has exit standards in place resulting in certification for ordination. Additionally, the Synod adopted 2019 Resolution 6-04, “To Support, Encourage, and Expect Continuing Education for all Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Past ors,” which requires ongoing theological education. This is not unique, as many secular professions require ongoing professional development, especially to hold positions of supervision.

The intention of this overture involves the de iure humano reality that not all training is equal with respect to depth of theological understanding. Ecclesiastical oversight assumes that such overseers possess and exercise more extensive theological acumen for the purpose of ongoing formation within the ministerium.

Therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention assign the Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC) to study a requisite standard of post - ordination competency for eligibility to exercise theological and ecclesiastical oversight of ministers of religion —o rdained in the Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That the PFC, in collaboration with the Council of Presidents, bring a report with recommendations to the 2029 Synod convention.

Pastors’ Conference (Oregon)

Northwest District