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LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 439

education and health within the Synod. He shall serve as the 
chairman of the Pastoral Formation Committee.  
and be it further 
Resolved, That Bylaws 3.10.4–3.10.4.7 be amended as follows: 
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 
D. Pastoral Formation CommitteeSeminary Education Matters 
3.10.4 The Pastoral Formation Committee shall be responsible for 
ensuring that the Synod’s objective of training pastors is fulfilled 
consistently (Constitution Art. III 3). The Executive Director of the 
Office of Pastoral Education shall, on behalf of the President, 
provide leadership, coordination, and oversight for pre- seminary 
education programs, seminary education, and post -seminary 
continuing education, and  provide advocacy for pastoral education 
and health within the Synod. 
3.10.4.1 The committee shall recommend any new routes leading to 
ordination for approval by resolution of the Synod. Such a 
recommendation shall follow consultation with the two seminary 
boards of regents in their annual joint meeting. 
3.10.4.2 Seminaries will implement new routes to ordination only 
upon approval by resolution of the Synod. 
3.10.4.3 The committee shall review, assess, coordinate, support 
and make suggestions for improvement of all existing noncolloquy 
routes leading to ordination in the Synod, including seminary and 
pre-seminary education programs. 
3.10.4.4 The committee shall monitor and receive reports from all 
directors and committees charged with oversight of all routes to 
ordination and shall foster coordination and collaboration among 
them. 
3.10.4.5 The committee shall consider the long term strategic 
direction of pastoral formation within the Synod and facilitate 
discussion of the same with the two seminary boards of regents in 
their annual joint meeting. 
3.10.4.6 The Pastoral Formation Committee shall comprise the 
following members: 
Voting Members: 
1. The Chief Mission Officer of the Synod, chairman 
2. The presidents of the seminaries 
Nonvoting Advisory Member: 
The Executive Director of the Office of Pastoral Education 
3.10.4.7 The Pastoral Formation Committee shall meet at least once 
per year, and shall report on its work at the annual joint meeting of 
the two seminary boards of regents. Additional meetings shall be 
determined by the chairman in consultation with the committee 
members. 
and be it finally 
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.10.5.3 be amended as follows: 
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 
E. Seminary Boards of Regents 
3.10.5 Each seminary of the Synod, with its president and faculty, 
shall be governed by a board of regents, subject to general policies 
set by the Synod. 
… 
3.10.5.3 Once annually, the two seminary boards of regents shall 
meet jointly on a seminary campus. Some of the meeting sessions 
shall be conducted jointly. As part of the joint meeting, the joint 
boards shall review, assess, coordinate, support, and make 
suggestions for improvement of existing non- residential routes to 
ordination. Only the Synod in convention may approve any new 
routes leading to ordination. 
St. Paul 
Brookfield, IL 
Ov. 6-65 
To Amend Bylaw 3.10.4.6 to Expand Pastoral 
Formation Committee for Broader Representation 
WHEREAS, The Synod’s objective s include training pastors for 
Word and Sacrament ministry (Const. Art. III 3); and 
WHEREAS, The Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC) is charged 
with ensuring that objective is fulfilled consistently (Bylaw 3.10.4), 
recommending new routes to ordination (Bylaw 3.10.4.1) , and 
coordinating existing routes (Bylaw 3.10.4.3–4); and 
WHEREAS, The current voting membership of the PFC consists 
of the Chief Mission Officer of the Synod, who serves as chairman, 
and the presidents of the two seminaries; the executive director of 
the Office of Pastoral Education serv es as a nonvoting advisory 
member; and 
WHEREAS, Pastoral formation involves and impacts 
congregations, districts, and the whole Synod, and would benefit 
from the wisdom and perspective of district presidents and parish 
pastors outside of the seminaries and national staff; and 
WHEREAS, Adding representation from the Council of Presidents 
(COP) and convention‑elected pastors will strengthen transparency, 
foster collaboration across the Synod, and reflect our shared 
commitment to faithful, mission‑minded pastoral formation; 
therefore be it 
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.10.4.6 be amended as follows: 
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 
D. Pastoral Formation Committee 
… 
3.10.4.6 The Pastoral Formation Committee shall  comprise the 
following members: 
Voting Members: 
1. The Chief Mission Officer of the Synod, chairman 
2. The presidents of the seminaries 
3. Two district presidents elected by the Council of Presidents to 
serve for the ensuing triennium 
4. Two ministers of religion — ordained, nominated by the 
Committee for Convention Nominations and elected by the 
Synod in convention for the ensuing triennium 
Nonvoting Advisory Member: 
The Executive Director of the Office of Pastoral Education 
Terms and Vacancies: 
The two district presidents shall be elected by the Council of 
Presidents at its first regular meeting following each Synod 
convention and shall serve until the close of the next regular 
Synod convention or until their successors are elected. Should a 
district president so serving cease to hold the office of district 
president, the Council of Presidents shall elect a replacement for 
the remainder of the term. The two convention‑elected pastors 
shall serve from the close of the convention at which they were 
elected until the close of the next regular Synod convention. 
Vacancies in these convention‑elected positions occurring 
between conventions shall be filled by appointment of the 
President of the Synod, in consultation with the Council of 
Presidents, until the next regular Synod convention. 
and be it further 
2026 Convention Workbook
404 PAST ORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES