Official Workbook overture source text
Overture: 6-60
Workbook page: Contents page ix; overture page 400
Source pages: Contents page ix; overture page 400
Source status: source checked / public
6-60 To Broaden and Reopen Specific Ministry Pastor Program for Wider Pastoral Formation and Service Preamble We observe the following: • Confessional foundation: Augsburg Confession (AC) V and XIV set the pattern: ministry exists to deliver the Gospel through Word and Sacrament, and it is carried out by men rightly called. Opening Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) admission and mobility, with supervision in order, serves precisely this end in places that otherwise lack a pastor. • Pastoral supply with integrity: The Pastoral Formation Committee’s (PFC) own premises acknowledge the ongoing shortage and the role SMP can play in underserved contexts. We honor that need while removing blunt constraints that exclude otherwise faithful men and sites ready to be served. • Order and oversight already exist: Existing bylaws (Bylaw 2.13.1) address supervised service and assisting calls. Using those tools with clear benchmarks prevents disorder while enabling more service where needed. • C.F.W. Walther’s Synod duty: To “assist [congregations] in acquiring upright [ rechtschaffener ] pastors” (“Duties of an 2026 Convention Workbook 400 PAST ORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES