To Celebrate and Encourage Variety of Routes to Pastoral Formation in the Synod

Official Workbook overture source text

6-40 
To Celebrate and Encourage Variety of Routes  
to Pastoral Formation in the Synod 
WHEREAS, Jesus’ words still ring true such that there remains an 
urgent need for sending workers into the harvest fields where “the 
harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2; Matt. 
9:37); and 
W
HEREAS, Among the main objectives listed in the Constitution 
is the preparation of such workers: “Recruit and train pastors, 
teachers, and other professional church workers and provide 
opportunity for their continuing growth” (Const. Art. III 3); and 
WHEREAS, Another main objective in the Constitution is to 
“encourage congregations to strive for uniformity in church 
practice, but also to develop an appreciation of a variety of 
responsible practices and customs which are in harmony with our 
common profession of faith” (Const. Art. III 7); and 
WHEREAS, The Pastoral Formation Committee, working with the 
two seminaries of our Synod, Concordia Seminary (CSL) and 
Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), makes provision for 
both that uniformity and the appreciation of variety in 
recommending new routes leadi ng to ordination (Bylaw 3.10.4.1); 
and 
WHEREAS, New routes to ordination may only be implemented 
after “approval by resolution of the Synod” (Bylaw 3.10.4.2); and 
WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has implemented a variety 
of routes of pastoral formation leading to ordination, which include 
the residential pathways of Master of Divinity and alternate route 
seminary education, and the nonresidential pathways of the Specific 
Ministry Pastor program, Cross -Cultural Ministry Center, the 
Center for Hispanic Studies, and the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of 
Theology; and 
WHEREAS, This is in keeping with the history of our Synod, 
which in the nineteenth century already instituted variety in its 
routes for training pastors, offering a more practical seminary in 
Springfield, Ill., and a more theological seminary in St. Louis, Mo., 
w
hile providing uniformity through a commitment to confessional 
fidelity in both programs; and 
WHEREAS, the Office of Pastoral Education estimated that, “if 
current trends stay the same regarding retirements versus new 
graduates (considering a 5% decrease each year in new graduates), 
the LCMS pastoral force will decline by 50% in the next 15 years. 
This is 
an estimate from 6,000 pastors in 2017 to 3,000 pastors in 
2032” ( “A White Paper on the Current Context of Pastoral 
Formation,” May 12, 2020, resources.lcms.org/reading -study/a-
white-paper-on-the-current-context-of-pastoral-formation/, 7); and 
WHEREAS, The Set Apart to Serve initiative is seeking to reverse 
this trend by encouraging the recruitment of men and women for 
church work vocations, as well as men to serve as future pastors; 
and 
WHEREAS, Although residential seminary training remains a 
strength of our Synod, as both CSL and CTSFW provide well -
prepared pastors for the church, the need continues to exceed the 
number of graduates; and 
WHEREAS, There remains great need for Synod pastors to serve 
in geographic regions to which pastors or seminary graduates find 
relocation challenging due to high housing costs and other 
economic factors, where congregations cannot afford a full -time 
pastor but are seeking a pastor to serve bi-vocationally, where new 
mission starts are taking place, and in distinct cultural or ethnic 
communities; and to all of these situations, the non-residential 
routes to pastoral formation are particularly suited; and 
WHEREAS, The Synod has decades of experience in preparing 
well-formed pastors by non-residential routes to pastoral formation, 
including the use of cohorts, in- person intensives, contextual 
education, and local mentors, as well as interactive synchronous and 
asynchronous online educational platforms; therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod and its congregations continue to seek 
men to pursue these routes to becoming pastors; and be it further 
Resolved, That the district celebrate the faithfulness of our Synod 
in providing this variety of scripturally and confessionally faithful 
2026 Convention Workbook
389PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES