To Amend Bylaw 3.10.4.6 to Reform Membership of Pastoral Formation Committee

Official Workbook overture source text

6-71 
To Amend Bylaw 3.10.4.6 to Reform  
Membership of Pastoral Formation Committee 
WHEREAS, The Synod is to, “Recruit and train pastors, teachers, 
and other professional church workers and provide opportunity for 
their continuing growth” (Const. Art. III 3); and 
W
HEREAS, The Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC) is 
responsible for ensuring that the “Synod’s objective of training 
pastors is fulfilled consistently” (Bylaw 3.10.4); and 
WHEREAS, The training of pastors is a matter of great importance 
to the entire Synod, including its congregations, in recognition of 
the many vocations to which pastors are called to serve the Synod, 
its congregations, educational institutions, mission outposts, and 
Recognized Service Organizations; and 
WHEREAS, Given the breadth of offices to which pastors are 
called to serve the Synod, the PFC should, through its membership, 
have knowledge of the needs of the Synod as it considers 
recommendation of new routes to ordination (Bylaw 3.10.4.1) and 
coordinates exis ting non -colloquy routes to ordination (Bylaw 
3.10.4.3); and 
WHEREAS, District presidents, given their direct election by the 
members of the Synod and ecclesiastical supervision of those 
pastors assigned to their districts (Bylaw 2.12.1), are uniquely 
situated to understand, analyze, and provide insight into the needs, 
both current and anticipated, for pastors in the Synod; therefore be 
it 
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.10.4.6 be amended as follows: 
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 
D. Pastoral Formation Committee 
…  
3.10.4.6 The Pastoral Formation Committee shall  comprise the 
following members: 
Voting Members: 
1. The Chief Mission Officer of the Synod, chairman 
2. The presidents of the seminaries 
3. Five district presidents, one from each of the five geographic 
regions of the Synod, each of whom shall be appointed by the 
Council of Presidents’ members from such geographic region and 
shall serve for a term of one year. 
Nonvoting Advisory Member: 
The Executive Director of the Office of Pastoral Education 
2026 Convention Workbook
407PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES