Resolution 3-07A

Resolution 7-21A

To Establish the Procedure by Which Laymen Licensed to Perform Functions of the Pastoral Office Be Called and Ordained into the Ministerium of the LCMS

 RESOLUTION 3-07A

Report RI-8-02 (CW, p. 8); Overtures 3-24,3-27-28, 3-30, 3-116-18 (CW, pp. 159-62, 186-87)

WHEREAS, Res. 3-05B of the 57th Regular Convention of the Synod authorized District Presidents to license certain laymen to perform functions belonging to the pastoral office--preaching, leading in public worship, and administering the Sacraments--under the supervision of an ordained minister in exceptional circumstances where no local pastor is available; and

WHEREAS, Any man performing the functions of the pastoral ministry as a licensed layman should be called by the congregation which he is serving and ordained into the pastoral office (or, as in the case of fieldworkers, vicars, or special colloquy students, he should be preparing to receive such call and ordination); and

WHEREAS, Laymen licensed to perform functions belonging to the pastoral office desire and should receive the theological education necessary to carry out these duties; and

WHEREAS, The seminaries of the Synod are prepared and desirous to provide these men with such theological education and so to prepare and certify them to be called and ordained into the pastoral ministry of the Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That any layman who is licensed to perform pastoral functions under the guidelines of said Res. 3-05B be required (if he wishes to continue preaching and leading in public worship) to apply for admission into the pastoral ministry of the Synod in accordance with the following process:

                1. The applicant follows the following procedure: (a) that he receive endorsement from the congregation which he is serving and (b) that he and his District President or supervising pastor work with a committee (specifically designated for the oversight of the training and theological examination of such applicants) of the seminary to which he applies to determine his present theological and pastoral ability and his further educational needs;

                2. The seminary committee establishes a specific course of study (tailored to the needs in theological education of the applicant) to be completed through ministerial experience, academic training (the majority of which should be conducted through extension classes), and a student‑mentor relationship with the supervising pastor;

                3. The applicant continues to serve (where appropriate) the congregation or mission station concurrently with and for the duration of his educational program;

                4. Upon completion of the prescribed program of theological education (or in some cases at an earlier time deemed appropriate by the seminary committee and the supervising pastor), the seminary committee interviews the licensed layman, focusing on theological orthodoxy and ministerial competence; after passing the interview, the licensed layman is certified for admission to the pastoral ministry by the seminary faculty and so becomes eligible to receive a call and be ordained;

                5. It is recommended that the new pastor continue taking courses offered by the seminary in a program of continuing education; and be it further

Resolved, That the seminaries together establish a common program of theological education that would enable a layman licensed to perform functions of the pastoral office to be trained and certified for a pastoral call and ordination without unnecessary interruption of his ministerial responsibilities; and be it further

Resolved, That the District President shall grant a grace period of no longer than two years (24 months), during which time the licensed layman may delay his application for admission to this program; however, in extreme and unusual circumstances, the District President, with the consent of the Council of Presidents, may extend this grace period beyond two years; and be it further

Resolved, That any layman licensed to perform pastoral functions who declines to apply for admission into the pastoral ministry be commended for his dedication by his District President, that his decision be honored, and that accordingly his license be allowed to lapse; and be it finally

Resolved, That the following be added to Bylaw 2.09, "Eligibility for Individual Membership,"

Candidates who have satisfactorily completed an approved synodical educational program for the pastoral ministry involving extensive use of distance learning, and/or a mentoring system must be declared qualified for a first call and recommended by the faculty of one of the seminaries before the effective date of the first call to service in the church, as assigned by the Board of Assignments as provided in Bylaw 2. 11.

Action: Adopted (7).

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To Designate Certified Lay Ministers as Ministers of Religion-Commissioned

RESOLUTION 7-21 A

Overture 7-95 (CW, p. 253)

WHEREAS, The auxiliary office of certified lay minister is a longstanding ministry begun already in 1959 by The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, Certified lay ministers continue to carry out extensive ministry responsibilities that include visitation, education, social ministry, youth ministry, administration, and evangelism; and

WHEREAS, Certified lay ministry entrants have definite education requirements that include completion of a BA degree; and

WHEREAS, All certified lay ministers must earn at least 47 credit hours of theology and complete a semester of internship; their certification can only be obtained through Concordia University Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, We thank God for the 500‑plus men and women who have faithfully served, and the approximately 175 currently serving in this position of certified lay minister; all who have demonstrated their professionalism as church workers; therefore be it

Resolved, That all Bylaw references to lay ministers in the Handbook of the Synod be changed to "certified lay minister"; and be it further

Resolved, That Art. V and VI of the Constitution be amended to read in their entirety as follows: PRESENT /PROPOSED WORDING

Article V Membership

Membership in the Synod is held and may be acquired by congregations, ministers of religion--ordained, and ministers of religion--commissioned, such as teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, and deaconesses and certified lay ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church who confess and accept the confessional basis of Article II.

B. Advisory Members

Advisory members only are the following:

  9. Certified Lay Ministers,

10. Candidates for the office of the ministry, or for that of a teacher of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, for director of Christian education, for director of Christian outreach, for deaconess, or for certified lay minister.

Article VI Conditions of Membership

Conditions for acquiring and holding membership in the Synod are the following:

3. Regular call of pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, and deaconesses, and certified lay ministers, and regular election of lay delegates by the congregations, as also the blamelessness of the life of such.

6. Pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, deaconesses, certified lay ministers, or candidates for the office of the ministry or that of a teacher ordained or commissioned minister not coming from recognized orthodox church bodies must submit to a colloquium before being received.

 and be it finally

Resolved, That the foregoing amendments concerning certified lay ministers be submitted to the congregations of the Synod for ratification in conformity with Art. XIV of the Constitution.

Action: Adopted as amended (10).

(The resolution was adopted by sections with those sections involving constitutional amendments being adopted by a two-thirds majority vote. An amendment to substitute the words and also, with the help of God, living a Christian life for the blamelessness of the life of such in Art. VI 3 was declined. The words ordained or commissioned minister were substituted by common consent for the ministry or that of a teacher in Art. VI 6. Although the resolution states that Art. V and VI are amended in their entirety, it was intended that only those portions referred to in the resolution are to read in their entirety as revised. Other portions of these articles are to be retained.)

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