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LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 409

Synod (Bylaw  sections 2.7–8) ( notwithstanding that  b ylaws 
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 
W
HEREAS, 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 associated with heterodox groups are patent; and 
WHEREAS, The Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership  
Formation (CMPL, thecenter.info/cmpl), an online seminary under 
the umbrella of the Institute for Lutheran Theology (Brookings, SD, 
ilt.edu) 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 
Master of Ministry or the M .Div. if he did not wish to become a 
pastor); and 
WHEREAS, There have been leaders within the Synod who have 
indicated their intent to use their respective seminary programs to 
educate, form, and train pastors for the Synod; 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 
the Bylaw sections 2.7–8); therefore be it 
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. education, formation, and 
training for the 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 Luther House of Study 
(lutherhouseofstudy.org) and the 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 in from and ecclesial 
association with heterodox church bodies, which militates agai nst 
the Lord’s will that the church be kept in unity of faith and 
confession (Rom. 16:17); and be it finally 
Resolved, That unless the congregations and rostered workers 
advocating for, recruiting for, teaching in, and receiving church 
workers from Luther House of Study and the CMPL heed the 
admonition of the district president under whose ecclesiastical 
supervision they stand, such rostered workers be placed on 
restricted status (Bylaw 2.13.2) as having violated the conditions of 
membership (Const. Art. VI). 
St. Paul 
Milford Center, OH 
Ov. 6-19 
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 
WHEREAS, 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 
WHEREAS, The Lord Christ has called His C hurch 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 Lutheran 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 
WHEREAS, 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 
WHEREAS, In Article 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 
WHEREAS, Likewise in pursuit of the objectives of the Synod, the 
Synod Bylaws reserve for the two seminaries of the Synod, namely 
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 the pastors of the 
Synod (Bylaw  sections 2.7–8) (notwithstanding that  
the Bylaws 
countenance the possibility of a pastor from another church body 
later in life emerging from the darkness of a false confession, 
2026 Convention Workbook
374 PAST ORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES