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System, and the Executive Director of the Office of Pastoral Education as a non-voting advisory member; and be it finally

Resolved, That, to effect the above, 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. One district president appointed by the Council of Presidents 4. One faculty representative responsible for overseeing a pre - seminary program , appointed by the Institutional Advisory Council of the Concordia University System Nonvoting Advisory Member:

The Executive Director of the Office of Pastoral Education

Christ, La Mesa, CA; Circuit 9 (Decatur), Indiana District

Ov. 6-68

To Amend Bylaw 3.10.4.6 to Revise Composition of Pastoral Formation Committee

WHEREAS, Our Lord says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2); and

WHEREAS, The objectives of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod include that it shall (Constitution Article III):

• recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers and provide opportunity for their continuing growth (III 3);

• Aid congregations by providing a variety of resources and opportunities for recognizing, promoting, expressing, conserving, and defending their confessional unity in the true faith (III 6); and • Encourage congregations to strive for uniformity in church practice, but also to develop an appreciation of a variety of responsible practices and customs which are in harmony with our common profession of faith (III 7);

and

WHEREAS, These godly objectives exist for the purpose of serving congregations in their bold witness to the Gospel through their Word and Sacrament ministry; and

WHEREAS, The Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC) has been established to help carry out these objectives; and

WHEREAS, 2013 Resolution 5- 03E, “To Provide Procedure for Establishing Policies Governing Specific Ministry Pastor Program,” established “t hat the Chief Mission Officer and one representative from each seminary shall, in consultation with the Council of Presidents, provide leadership, coordination, and oversight for the Specific Ministry Pastor program” and “that each seminary shall select its own representative” (Proceedings , 138– 39); and

WHEREAS, The current PFC reflects this same composition, with the addition of the executive director of the Office of Pastoral Education as a nonvoting member of the committee (Bylaw 3.10.4.6); and

WHEREAS, Such composition consists of individuals who are very gifted and able, yet not directly accountable to congregations and laity of the church in the same way as those called and elected to congregational and district offices; and

WHEREAS, The district presidents and laypeople do have such accountability and, together with pastors and other church workers, serve “on the ground” in congregations and are therefore closely acquainted with congregational needs regarding pastors and pastoral formation; and

WHEREAS, The need for sound doctrine and practice is the same for all congregations of the Synod, while the application of the same may be affected by region and local context; therefore be it

Resolved, That the PFC include a broader representation of those served by the committee, including those who have more direct accountability to the congregations of the Synod and are living out the very needs that the PFC seeks to meet; and be it further

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 or their representatives 3. One (1) district president from each geographical region of the Synod, to be selected by the district presidents within that region.

4. One (1) lay member of a member congregation of the Synod from each geographical region of the Synod, to be selected by the district presidents within that region, and from a district distinct from the district president representative on the committee.

Nonvoting Advisory Member:

The Executive Director of the Office of Pastoral Education Board of Directors Southeastern District

Ov. 6-69

To Amend Bylaw 3.10.4.6 to Expand Pastoral Formation Committee

WHEREAS, An explicit purpose of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod, along with missions, is to provide pastors for the congregations of the Synod (Constitution Article III 3); and

WHEREAS, The current system of graduate level residential training at an approved seminary continues to struggle to provide both the sorts and the numbers of pastors that the congregations of the Synod desire; and

WHEREAS, Questions surround how to maximize the specific ministry pastor program appropriately to maximize the benefit of its existence; and

WHEREAS, The Synod has established a Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC, Bylaw 3.10.4) of just three members to oversee the overall approach to pastoral formation; and 2026 Convention Workbook

406 PAST ORAL MINISTRY AND SEMINARIES