Workbook page: 399
PDF page: 434
Section: No public section attached
Source status: source checked / public
LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 434
WHEREAS, Congregations served by SMP pastors have experienced stability in Word and Sacrament ministry, faithful proclamation of the Gospel, catechesis, pastoral care, and mission outreach within their unique local contexts; and WHEREAS, The SMP program has enabled mature, faithful men with deep roots in their congregations and communities to be formed for pastoral service while remaining engaged in local ministry and vocations; and W HEREAS, The Synod remains committed to maintaining high standards of theological education and pastoral formation, while also responding in creative and responsible ways to the real ministry needs of the church; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod affirm the value of the SMP program as a faithful and necessary pathway for pastoral formation and service; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod encourage continued support for the SMP program through its seminaries, districts, and congregations, including adequate resources, supervision, and mentoring for SMP candidates and pastors; and be it further Resolved, That that the Synod urge districts and congregations to consider the SMP program as one faithful option for addressing pastoral shortages and mission needs, particularly in underserved communities; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm that the SMP program operates within the confessional, theological, and ecclesial standards of the Synod, while continuing to evaluate and strengthen the program to ensure faithful pastoral formation; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod in convention remove the 40-year-old age requirement for admittance in to the SMP program; and be it finally Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to God for the pastors formed through the SMP program and for the congregations that have been strengthened and sustained in Word and Sacrament ministry through their service. Emmanuel Kahului, HI Ov. 6-58 To Add Specific Ministry Pastor Church Planter Designation including Applicants Under 40 WHEREAS, Congregations, circuits, and districts of the Synod are working diligently to establish new church starts that would benefit from seminary -trained church planters to provide future pastoral leadership; and WHEREAS, The gift of church planting knows no artificial age restrictions, and knowing that our seminaries, where younger pastors are formed, are not producing an abundance of residential seminary M.Div. graduates who desire to serve in this role; and W HEREAS, New church starts often benefit from a pastor who is willing to work bi -vocationally, who is already established with employment, a home, and relational networks in the area; and the low-residence requirement and contextual formation features of the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program make it better-suited than the residential model of education to prepare men to be this type of church planting pastor; and WHEREAS, The new 2025 SMP Policy Requirement 6 states: “Seminary admissions will give priority to SMP applicants who will serve congregations that could otherwise not receive Word and Sacrament ministry” (Pastoral Formation Committee, Policy Requirements for the Specific Ministry Pastor Program: Admission, Administration and Supervision, Nov. 2025); and WHEREAS, The new 2025 SMP Policy Requirement 3 states, “SMP applicants must be at least 40 years old,” with a footnote that indicates, “Exceptions to Policy Requirements 1 – 3 may be recommended to the admissions committees of the seminaries by the Council of Presidents after approval by a majority of the COP” (Ibid.); therefore be it Resolved, That the specific ministry designations of the original 2007 SMP Resolution (2007 Res. 5- 01B) be restored to the new 2025 SMP Policy Requirements (Pastoral Formation Committee, LCMS, Nov. 2025, LCMS Policy Requirements For The Specific Ministry Pastor Program), and that all be given equal priority in the admission process to support the necessary work of church planting in the Synod; and be it finally Resolved , That applicants under the age of 40, whose ministry context fulfills the Council of Presidents (COP) definition of a New Church Start, be recognized by the COP as a standing exception to Requirement 3 in the SMP policy document and be permitted to enroll in the SMP program with a Church Planter designation. Board of Directors Michigan District Ov. 6-59 To Broaden and Reopen Specific Ministry Pastor Program for Wider Pastoral Formation and Service WHEREAS, God desires all people to be saved and He established the Office of the Ministry so that, through the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments, people receive forgiveness and salvation, and no one should publicly teach or administer the Sacraments without a rightly ordered call, as confessed in the Lutheran Confessions (AC V; XIV); and WHEREAS, The Synod has long entrusted pastoral formation to our seminaries for the church’s mission, and has also created the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) route to supply pastors in contexts where a residentially prepared pastor could not be called; and W HEREAS, The SMP program has served the church by providing basic formation for men who serve under appropriate restrictions and supervision, thereby maintaining ministry in small, rural, ethnic, urban, and bi-vocational settings; and WHEREAS, Recent policy changes to the SMP program have added admissions and supervision requirements, including, among others, a five -year Synod membership minimum, a three-year membership in the congregation of placement, a minimum age of 40, and supervision framed as ongoing for roster retention with only limited exceptions, which has narrowed the pool of otherwise faithful candidates and hindered mission in many contexts; and WHEREAS, The Synod already provides mechanisms for good order and oversight through supervised calls and assisting capacity calls, therefore the church can prudently broaden access while preserving accountability; and WHEREAS, C.F.W. Walther urged that a truly Evangelical Lutheran synod deals evangelically with congregations and assists them in acquiring orthodox pastors (“Duties of an Evangelical 2026 Convention Workbook 399PASTORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES