Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 411

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 
W
HEREAS, Const. Art. III, in pursuance of the aforementioned 
objective and in love, names and reserves for itself, on behalf of the 
members of the Synod, 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 the 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 the 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 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/), offers coursework to students from congregations of the 
Synod 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 an d 
formation for the pastorate; and 
W
HEREAS, Unite Leadership Collective directs and facilitates the 
enrollment of students from congregations of the Synod in M.A. and 
M.Div. programs of another online seminary, namely, Luther House 
of Study (LHOS, lutherhouseofstudy.org/); and 
W
HEREAS, The Council of Presidents (COP) has unanimously 
stated: 
We commit ourselves to direct potential students for the pastoral 
office only to the routes to ordination approved by and 
accountable to Synod. The Council will not place graduates from 
other programs. The Council members agree not to ordain 
graduates from  other programs. (Roy S. Askins, “LCMS 
addresses unauthorized, non- LCMS pastoral formation 
programs,” Reporter Online , May 8, 2025, 
reporter.lcms.org/2025/lcms-addresses-unauthorized-non-
lcms-pastoral-formation-programs/) 
and 
W
HEREAS, The final resolved of 2023 Resolution 6- 02A states, 
“That districts and members of the Synod honor, use, and promote 
Synod-approved programs and not create independent programs of 
pastoral preparation or direct men to pastoral preparation programs 
outside of our Synod’s seminaries as such efforts are not in accord 
with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod (Const. Art. III 3; 
Bylaw 3.10.4)” (Proceedings, 161); and 
WHEREAS, Members of the Synod are engaged in teaching for 
CMPL and LHOS; therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod gathered in convention affirm the 
residential M.Div. education, formation, and training of future 
pastors as the standard within the Synod; and be it further 
Resolved, That 2023 Res. 6- 02A be hereby reaffirmed and 
emphasized; and be it further 
Resolved, That the Synod gathered in convention affirm that the 
Synod alone will develop and operate other alternate routes to 
ordination, including the Specific Ministry Pastor program, the 
Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology, the Center for Hispanic 
Studies, the Cross-cultural Ministry Center, etc.; and be it further 
Resolved, That Synod congregations and rostered workers 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 a pastor or 
congregation in the Synod to seek theological education, formation, 
and training for the pastoral office except at CTSFW or CSL; and 
be it finally 
Resolved, That the Synod in convention hereby fraternally 
admonish and beseech all members of the Synod who are engaged 
in the process of granting M.Div. and M.Min. degrees at CMPL or 
LHOS to reconsider and desist from this course of action that is 
contrary to the objectives of the Synod, the unanimous statement of 
the COP, and 2023 Res. 6-02A. 
Board of Directors 
Southern Illinois District 
Ov. 6-21 
To Strengthen Pastoral Formation in the Synod 
WHEREAS, The Synod “under Scripture and the Lutheran 
Confessions” has established the objective to “recruit and train 
pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers” (Const . 
Art. III 3), and has developed bylaws, policies, and processes to 
fulfill this objective; and 
WHEREAS, The Synod in c onvention has passed resolutions 
further defining the processes for pastoral formation; and 
WHEREAS, Congregations and rostered church workers, as 
members of the Synod, have agreed to abide by these standards; and 
WHEREAS, Para- church organizations have established online, 
quasi-seminaries that subvert our agreed upon processes of pastoral 
formation; therefore be it 
2026 Convention Workbook
376 PAST ORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES