To Reduce Restrictions on Specific Ministry Pastors

Official Workbook overture source text

6-62 
To Reduce Restrictions  
on Specific Ministry Pastors 
WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ established the Office of the 
Public Ministry by sending out His apostles to preach, teach, and 
baptize those they went to serve; and 
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod since its 
inception has faithfully overseen and consistently provided for the 
education and placement of qualified men to serve in the Office of 
the Public Ministry for local congregations; and 
W
HEREAS, The Synod established the Specific Ministry Pastor 
(SMP) program at the 2007 Synod convention as a distance -based, 
specialized program of theological education available at both 
seminaries (2007 Res. 5-01B); and 
WHEREAS, The SMP program is available to those selected by a 
congregation to serve as vicars for the first two years of the 
program; and 
WHEREAS, Upon successful completion of the first two years and 
certification by seminary faculty, these students are ordained and 
complete two additional years of instruction; and 
WHEREAS, Participants have the approval and support of their 
home church, the faculty of the seminary at which they train, and 
the district they serve; and 
WHEREAS, Each specific ministry pastor is supervised by an 
experienced pastor of the Synod during and after his program of 
study; and 
WHEREAS, Ordained pastors trained via this program face 
restrictions concerning service in the pastoral ministry, including 
the restriction of certain voting rights and the inability to hold office 
at the circuit and district levels; and 
W
HEREAS, The roster distinction introduced for SMP graduates 
makes these pastors distinct from Ethnic Immigrant Institute of 
Theology graduates, Center for Hispanic Studies graduates, and 
Residential Alternate Route graduates who also may be ordained 
without an a cademic degree and who have also received a lesser 
level of theological training than full M.Div. graduates; and 
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions in the Treatise of the 
Power and Primacy of the Pope state that before God there is no 
substantive difference between ordained pastors (Tr 60–65); and 
WHEREAS, The difference in roster status for specific ministry 
pastors creates confusion among the pastorate and laity over their 
status as pastors, even though the Lutheran Confessions are clear 
that an ordained pastor is a full pastor; and 
WHEREAS, All rostered pastors of the Synod serve under 
ecclesiastical supervision and under the mutual admonition of their 
fellow pastors; therefore be it 
Resolved
, That the Synod plan to lift specific ministry pastor 
restrictions on voting and holding office at the circuit and district 
level, and that restrictions on voting and holding office at the circuit 
2026 Convention Workbook
402 PAST ORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES