Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 303

2026 Convention Workbook
268 
THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS  —COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
• Evangelists: The term “evangelist” has a closer relationship to the Office of the Holy Ministry in 
the New Testament and therefore may evoke greater confusion. However, the 2013 Resolution 4-
06A Task Force explicitly encouraged the “identification and training of laity for the role of 
evangelist,” that is, “special training in and attention to evangelism” (2013 Resolution 4-06A 
Task Force Report to the Synod, 25). Since this evangelistic role obviously has a different scope 
than the New Testament usage of the term, the Synod should seek to clarify that role and 
distinguish it clearly from the pastoral office. The Commission recommends the following: First, 
calling men or women to be trained for and to serve in the auxiliary office of director of Christian 
outreach should be more widely encouraged and emphasized. In this regard, the Synod might 
expand the formal title for this office (e.g., “Director of Christian Outreach—Evangelist”). 
Second, the term “evangelist” as a lay or congregational office should be restricted to those 
laypersons (male or female) identified and trained for outreach to visitors and nonmembers in 
their communities. Neither those called to the auxiliary office of DCO nor congregational 
outreach workers (whether or not they are referred to as evangelists) should exercise the 
characteristically “distinctive functions” of the pastoral office (preaching in the services of the 
congregation, leading formal public services of worship, the public administration of the 
Sacraments, and the public administration of the Office of the Keys).  
 
• Training: The Synod has repeatedly emphasized that programs intended to theologically train 
laity for the work of service in the church or outreach within their communities may be of great 
benefit for our churches. Those programs already exist in various ways, though more uniform 
definitions of “deacon” or “evangelist” (especially should the Synod designate them as auxiliary 
offices) may also entail uniform training programs. The seminaries, ministry-related faculties of 
our universities, and other offices and/or institutions of the Synod (such as the Office of National 
Mission) are well-equipped to collaborate in developing, administering and teaching such 
programs. The Commission recommends: If and when the Synod were to recognize deacons 
and/or evangelists as rostered auxiliary offices, the above-named entities should be engaged to 
develop biblically, theologically and confessionally faithful resources to aid in the training and 
credentialing of those auxiliary offices.  
 
• Auxiliary Offices: There is as yet no official Synod definition of the term “auxiliary office,” nor 
are there parameters for what particular ministries are included in the concept of auxiliary offices 
or what specific duties may be assigned to those who hold these offices in differing contexts and 
circumstances. In his synodically adopted theses on the ministry, C.F.W. Walther noted that 
“other offices” stem from the ministry, as the highest office in the church. In its 1981 report on 
the ministry, the CTCR referred to them as “facilitating offices” (since they facilitate the 
proclamation of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments and the Keys) and conceded 
that “auxiliary,” while a traditional term, is itself ambiguous: “Perhaps a better term than 
‘auxiliary’ might be found” (The Ministry, 28). More attention might be paid to defining and 
clarifying this term and its usage in the church, as well as associated practical realities, such as 
the call into auxiliary offices. The Commission recommends the following: The Synod in 
convention should consider asking the CTCR to produce a study of auxiliary offices, including 
their historical usage, theological basis and practical application in the life of the church, as well 
as potential terminological changes to the category or to ministries included in it.  
  
Appendix 
2023 Convention Workbook 
Ov. 5-48 
To Distinguish Terms for Pastoral Office from Those for Auxiliary or Helping Offices 
 WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions simply and clearly  confess that God has established the
 
Office of the Public Ministry for the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments, 
through which the Holy Spirit works to create faith when and where He wills ( Matt. 28:18–20;  
Mark 16:15–16; Luke 2:44–49; John 20:21–23; Augsburg Confession [AC] V; AC XIV); and 
 WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions also simply and clearly  confess that God, through the 
Church calls qualified men into this unique and distinct Office of the Public Ministry, so that His Word 
will be preached and the Sacraments will be administered to the end that the Holy Spirit will call, gather, 
enlighten, and sanctify the whole Christian Church on earth and keep it with Jesus Christ in the one true 
faith (1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Peter 2:7; Matt. 18:18–20; AC V; AC XIV; Small Catechism [SC] II, Third Article); 
and 
 WHEREAS, The members of The  Lutheran Church—Missouri  Synod, by God’s grace, have by 
their unequivocal and unconditional subscription to the Luthera n Confessions publicly confessed this 
understanding of the Church and the ministry throughout the Synod’s history; and 
 W HEREAS, C.F.W. Walther, in Thesis I of “Church and Ministry” confessed, “The holy ministry 
or pastoral office is an  office distinct [The German word translated as “distinct” is unterschiedene, 
which can be  translated distinguished, different from, distinctive, and unique] from the priesthood of 
all believers” (C.F.W. Walther, Church and Ministry [Kirche und Amt] [St. Louis: Concordia Publishing 
House, 1987], 161); and 
 WHEREAS, The New Testament also includes many  functions and titles for the Office of the 
Public Ministry, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, among others (Eph. 
4:10; Titus 1:5 –9;  1 Tim. 3:1–7; 1 Peter 5:1–4), and sets aside other functions and titles for those who 
assist the Office of the Public Ministry in carrying out its tasks, including deacons (Acts 6:1–5; 1 Tim.  
3:8–13); and 
 WHEREAS, The 2016 convention urged Synod to uphold the biblical and confessional 
qualifications for the pastoral office (2016 Resolution 6-02A) and to remove any confusion of the pastoral 
office with other forms of helping or auxiliary offices in the church, such as deacons (2016 Res. 13 -
02A); and 
 WHEREAS, 2016 Res. 13-02A brought an end to  the licensing of laymen for Word and 
Sacrament ministry, yet also commended the work of educated lay evangelists to assist in bringing 
the Gospel to an increasingly secular, unbelieving world; and 
 W HEREAS, Ongoing training programs in several districts for lay assistants, making use of 
various titles such as evangelist, pastoral assistants, pastoral ministry assistants, and deacons, include 
instruction and training for functions unique to and reserved for men called into the Office of the 
Public Ministry. For example, a course offered by the Mission Training Center of the Pacific Southwest 
District entitled “Homiletics” includes the description: “In this course the deacon applicant will 
concentrate on the basic preparation and delivery of a sermon”; and 
 WHEREAS, Although well intentioned, these lay training programs have created confusion 
because of the use of terms historically associated with the Office of the Public Ministry; and 
 WHEREAS, In attempting to comply with timelines and expectations set by 2016 Res. 13-
02A for ending the licensure of lay deacons for Word and Sacrament ministry, confusion has arisen 
over the use of the terms of deacon and evangelist in relation to those who occupy the Office of the 
Public Ministry; therefore be it 
 Resolved, That the Synod commend the publications of the Commission on Theology and 
Church Relations (CTCR) which define the theology, nomenclature, and responsibilities of the office 
of the ministry, especially The Ministry in Its Relation to the Christian Church (1973), The Ministry: 
Offices, Procedure, and Nomenclature (1981) [Such as: “Thus, we may  speak of various “ministries” 
in and of the church, but we must be careful to distinguish them properly. An office is not defined solely 
by what one who holds it does (function) but by the duties, responsibility, and accountability assigned to 
it. The pastoral office is unique in that all the functions of the church ’s ministry belong to it.” The 
Ministry: Office, Procedure, and Nomenclature (1981)]; and be it further 
 R esolved, That the CTCR be directed to produce a report that defines and distinguishes the New 
Testament terms used for the Office of the Public Ministry and its auxiliary offices, including special 
discussions of the offices of deacon and evangelist, in preparation for the 2026 convention; and be it finally  
 Resolved, That the Council of Presidents take this report under consideration as it seeks to formalize 
the functions and requirements of these auxiliary and helping offices in their respective districts in 
keeping with 2016 Res. 13-02A. 
Board of Directors 
Iowa East District