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LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 406

Ov. 6-16 
To Affirm Exclusive Use of Synod Seminaries  
to Prepare Men for Office of Holy Ministry 
WHEREAS, The Lord Christ has called His Church to faithfulness 
in the things of God (John 8:31), which is sustained in the Church 
by the faithful transmission of the faith to and through the future 
pastors of the Church; and 
W
HEREAS, The Lord Christ has called His Church to love toward 
one another (John 13:35), which is exercised by the creation of 
agreed-upon modes of undertaking corporate action; and 
W
HEREAS, The Lord Christ has called His Church to a unity of 
faith that is identical with and tantamount to continuing steadfast in 
the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42), all the teachings of Holy 
Scripture and their expression in the Book of Concord, that is, “the 
Gospel in all its articles” (LCMS, A Statement of Scriptural and 
Confessional Principles, [adopted 1973], Article IV ; see also John 
17:20–21; Eph. 4:4–6; FC SD X 31); and 
W
HEREAS, Constitution Article III 1 reflects our Lord’s will by 
stating that The Lutheran Church —Missouri Synod (LCMS) shall 
“conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3–6; 1 Cor. 
1:10), work through its official structure toward fellowship with 
other Christian church bodies, and provide a united defense against 
schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy”; and 
W
HEREAS, In Const. Art. III 3, in pursuance of the 
aforementioned objective and in love, the Synod names and 
reserves for itself, on behalf of the members (that is, the rostered 
workers and congregations) of the Synod, the recruitment and 
training of pastors; and 
W
HEREAS, Likewise in pursuit of the objectives of the Synod, 
bylaws reserve for the two seminaries, Concordia Theological 
Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), and Concordia Seminary, St. 
Louis (CSL), the duty, to the exclusion of other seminaries, to 
educate, form, and train future pastors of the Synod (Bylaw sections 
2.7–8) (notwithstanding that bylaws countenance the possibility of 
a pastor from another church body later in life emerging from the 
darkness of a false confession, recognizing his agreement in 
doctrine and practice with the Synod, and wishing therefore to serve 
in the ministerium of t he Synod by providing such men with the 
possibility of entering membership in the Synod via the colloquy 
program, Bylaw 3.10.2); and 
W
HEREAS, Through the exclusive use of its two seminaries and 
by His grace alone the Lord has for nearly 180 years preserved in 
the Synod the true confession of His name and practice that accords 
with it; and 
WHEREAS, The education, formation, and training of pastors are 
best accomplished in a face-to-face, live, and residential setting, as 
the history of our two seminaries demonstrates; and 
WHEREAS, The dangers of educating, forming, and training men 
for the ministry of the Synod in seminaries outside the oversight of 
the Synod and associated with heterodox groups are patent; and 
W
HEREAS, The Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership 
(CMPL, thecenter.info/cmpl), an online seminary under the 
umbrella of the Institute for Lutheran Theology (Brookings, SD, 
ilt.edu) and affiliated with the heterodox North American Lutheran 
Church, offers coursework to students from LCMS congregations 
leading to the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Religion, the Master of 
Ministry (M.Min.), and the Master of Divinity (M.Div.), the latter 
two of which are widely recognized as requisite education and 
formation for the pastorate (in other words, one would not seek the 
M.Min. or the M.Div. if he did not wish to become a pastor); and 
WHEREAS, Unite Leadership Collective (ULC, 
uniteleadership.org) directs and facilitates the enrollment of 
students from LCMS congregations in the M.A. and M.Div. 
programs of another online seminary, namely, Luther House of 
Study (LHOS, lutherhouseofstudy.org); and 
WHEREAS, A congregation of the LCMS has commissioned and 
installed a female M.Div. graduate of LHOS as a church worker in 
that congregation and has ordained and installed a male M.Div. 
graduate of LHOS as a site pastor in one of its satellites; and 
WHEREAS, The plea from leaders of ULC and the CMPL to enroll 
students in their programs pivots on the pastor shortage in the 
LCMS, indicating that both entities wish to use their respective 
seminary programs to educate, form, and train pastors for the 
LCMS; and 
WHEREAS, The conditions of membership (Const. Art. VI) for all 
members of the Synod, both rostered workers and congregations, 
require the “renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every 
description” and the “regular call of pastors” (which is defined in 
Bylaw sections 2.7–8); therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod gathered in convention rise and sing 
the Te Deum  in thankfulness to the Lord for His gracious 
preservation of CTSFW and CSL, and for the faithful ministry of 
the nine generations of graduates in the congregations of the Synod, 
through whom as “fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3:9) the Lord has 
preserved the faith among us; and be it further 
Resolved, That the Synod gathered in convention affirm the 
residential M.Div. education, formation, and training of the future 
pastorate of the Synod as the standard within the Synod; and be it 
further 
Resolved, That Synod congregations and rostered workers pray 
with heartfelt fervor and regularity to the Lord of the harvest to send 
laborers into His harvest (Matt. 9:38); and be it further 
Resolved
, That Synod congregations and rostered workers turn 
with renewed vigor to the recruitment of able and apt men for the 
pastorate of the Synod (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1) and encourage and 
support them in completing the residential M.Div. program at 
CTSFW or CSL; and be it further 
Resolved, That Synod congregations and their members 
generously support the work of CTSFW and CSL in providing a 
theologically rich residential M.Div. program for the education, 
formation, and training of future pastors of the Synod; and be it 
further 
Resolved, That no man be encouraged by pastors or 
congregations in the Synod to seek theological education, 
formation, and training for the pastoral office except at CTSFW or 
CSL; and be it further 
Resolved
, That the district presidents with ecclesiastical 
oversight over the congregations and rostered workers advocating 
for, recruiting for, and teaching in LHOS and CMPL, and using 
their graduates in church work offices admonish those 
congregations and rostered workers for placing at risk their own and 
the Synod’s faithfulness in the things of God; for breaking love by 
intentionally working against the Synod’s objective to recruit and 
train pastors and the agreed-upon means of achieving that objective, 
which harms love by militating against doing all things decently and 
in order (1 Cor. 14:40); and for inviting false doctrine from and 
2026 Convention Workbook
371PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES