Official Workbook overture source text
Overture: 6-71
Workbook page: 407-408
Source pages: 407, 408
Source status: source checked / public
Submitter: St. John / Seward, NE
Ov. 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
WHEREAS, 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
and be it further
Resolved, That the Council of Presidents shall elect the five presidents at its first regularly scheduled meeting held after the 2026 Synod convention and at its first regularly scheduled meeting subsequent to September 1 annually thereafter.
St. John Seward, NE
