RESOLUTION 13-02 Overtures 13-01–50 (CW, pp. 437–464)
WHEREAS, The Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions teach that our Lord gave the keys of the kingdom to His whole church, the royal priesthood of believers (Matt. 16:15–19; Matt. 18:18–20; 1 Peter 2:9; Augsburg Confession [AC] Article XXVIII, paragraph 10; Smalcald Articles [SA], Section III, paragraph 7; Treatise [Tr] paragraph 11; see also Walther’s Church and Ministry/Office); and
WHEREAS, The Scriptures and Confessions also teach that Christ established an office that is distinct from the priesthood of believers (the office of the public ministry) for teaching and nurturing His royal priests by means of preaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments (1 Cor. 12:29; Rom. 10:15; James 3:1; AC XIV; see also Walther’s Church and Ministry/Office); and
WHEREAS, The royal priesthood and the office of the public ministry are to have a complementary and not a competitive or conflicted relationship; and
WHEREAS, In its history the Lutheran church has always maintained the divine requirement (de jure divino) of the office of public ministry, while it has in many and various ways prepared men for the Office of the Public Ministry, since the manner of preparation for the office is by human arrangement (de jure humano); and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church has always ensured, on the basis of Scripture: (1) that men who are to serve in the office of public ministry be examined as to their doctrine and life; (2) that the congregations they serve willingly call them into service; and (3) that the wider church (other churches in fellowship with the congregation) also affirms them as fellow ministers of the Word and Sacraments (see Acts 1:15–26; Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 3:1–7; Titus :5; see also 1 Tr 24, 26, 67–70); and
WHEREAS, The rite of ordination, although not a divine institution (Church and Ministry, Ministry Thesis VI), is the apostolic custom by which Lutherans have designated and publicly acknowledged a man as a minister of Word and Sacrament, that is, as one who is in the Office of the Public Ministry and recognized by the wider fellowship as a fellow minister (Ap XIII 11−13); and
WHEREAS, In faithfulness to the Word of God and to its confession requiring a regular call for those who preach and administer the sacraments publicly in the church (AC XIV; Ap XIV), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has followed the practice of identifying those who are eligible to be called into the Office of the Public Ministry by the certification of one of the seminary faculties or the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry; and
WHEREAS, In a human institution such as the LCMS, such human arrangements are necessary in order to foster harmony and prevent needless confusion and division; and
WHEREAS, The LCMS has long-recognized that challenging circumstances may make it difficult or impossible to provide a pastor for congregations and ministries, for example: (1) financial challenges (numerous congregations and missions are unable to support a pastor financially); (2) geographical challenges (small, isolated congregations in remote areas often face financial challenges and may have no pastors in geographic proximity to them); (3) demographic challenges (urban, minority, non-English-speaking, and ethnically diverse congregations and missions may find no rostered candidates available to fill their pastoral needs); and
WHEREAS, The practice of licensing lay deacons for temporary service in certain difficult circumstances, like the afore-mentioned examples, was approved by the LCMS in 1989 Res. 3-05B as a means to address the need for regular preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments by utilizing trained and supervised laymen to serve “temporarily” in Word and Sacrament ministry when “no pastor [is] available,” “in exceptional circumstances or in emergencies” (1989 Res. 3-05B, Nomenclature, Guidelines 1 b); and
WHEREAS, There has been significant dissension in the LCMS over the Synod-approved practice of licensing laymen to preach and administer the Sacraments while under the supervision of an ordained pastor, but the Synod needs to move forward together with deep concern for fidelity to the word of Christ as we confess it together and for faithfulness in the mission that Christ has given to His Church; and
WHEREAS, 1989 Res. 3-05B repeatedly references temporary service for deacons when no pastor is available in emergencies and exceptional circumstances, but in some cases deacons have served for years regularly preaching and administering the Sacraments; and
WHEREAS, The presence of continuing dissension about licensed lay deacons is an aspect of further disagreement about elements of doctrine and practice, e.g., the understanding of the pastoral office, the relationship between the Office of the Public Ministry and the royal priesthood, the understanding of call and ordination, and faithful and effective ways to share the Gospel and plant churches in our post-Christian world; and
WHEREAS, The Specific Ministry Pastors (SMP) Program was established by the LCMS convention (2007 Res. 5-01B) in response to the need for effective theological education and practical training to prepare pastors to serve in particularly challenging settings and situations that prevent them from enrolling in residential theological education; and
WHEREAS, The Synod recognizes a need for flexibility in its approach to preparing men to serve in the Office of the Public Ministry while upholding the biblical requirement that they be men who are “above reproach” and “able to teach,” and so offers approved training programs to prepare pastors for urban and cross-cultural service, namely, the Center for Hispanic Studies, the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center, the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT), all at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and the Spanish-speaking SMP track at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW); and
WHEREAS, There is a need within the LCMS to regularize the status of licensed lay deacons who are engaged in Word and Sacrament ministry; and
WHEREAS, The Synod directed the President to appoint a task force to address questions 2 about the practice of licensing lay deacons, and the task force, as required, reported a recommended plan to address questions (see Convention Workbook, pp.234–255) and the theological framework of the report has been affirmed by both seminary faculties and the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR); and
WHEREAS, The Synod has budgeted $40,000 for the remainder of the current fiscal year and is committed to budgeting at least $150,000 per year for the next two years to assist deacons entering the SMP and EIIT programs; therefore be it
Resolved, That the LCMS recognize that “emergency knows no rule” and that no Synod action can or should prevent a congregation from taking the steps necessary to provide for the Word to be proclaimed in time of emergency, while at the same time, every congregation of the Synod is required to address matters involving the Office of the Public Ministry in a way that is consistent with its subscription to Scripture and the Confessions, as well as its agreement to abide by the Synod’s Constitution; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS affirm and give thanks for the men who have recognized the needs of the church and its mission, serving as licensed lay deacons, preaching and administering the Sacraments in keeping with 1989 Res. 3-05B, often without remuneration and at personal cost, lest congregations be deprived of the means of grace; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS, while mindful of the need for continued conversation within the church, affirm the theological framework of the “2013 Resolution 4-06A Task Force Report,” namely, that a right calling to the office of public ministry requires that a man be properly prepared and examined regarding doctrine and life, be called by the congregation (or ministry) where he is to serve, and publicly appointed in a way so that the entire church fellowship recognizes the validity of his service (Acts 13:1–3; 14:21–23; 2 Tim. 2:24–26; Titus 1:5); and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS, under the auspices of the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry, establish and implement an expanded regional colloquy program (with appropriate regional colloquy committees) to regularize the status of current licensed lay deacons (LLDs) who are 50 years of age or older and who have been preaching the Gospel and/or administering the Sacraments publicly on behalf of the church for the past 2 years (de facto pastors), so that these servants of Christ can be called and ordained according to the order of the LCMS and be rostered as pastors with SMP status; and be it further
Resolved, That exceptions to the SMP colloquy requirements with respect to age and years of service for LLDs may be granted by the appropriate regional colloquy committee with the approval of the respective district president and the plenary of the Council of Presidents; and be it further
Resolved, That until January 1, 2018, district presidents may license new deacons to preach publicly and to administer the Sacraments. In exceptional cases, the appropriate district president may grant a license beyond that date with the consent of the plenary of the Council of Presidents and the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry; and be it further
Resolved, That those deacons currently licensed for and serving in Word and Sacrament Ministry shall have until July 1, 2018, to:
(1) apply to one of our seminaries for admission into an alternate route program,
(2) apply for entrance into an SMP program, or
(3) apply to the regional colloquy committee for admission to the SMP roster,
unless granted a waiver by his district president, the plenary of the Council of Presidents, and the appropriate regional colloquy committee, and be it further
Resolved, That the district president, the plenary of the Council of Presidents and the regional colloquy committees, in making decisions related to the three resolves above, shall do so in a fashion that no congregation or current ministry will be forced to close or discontinue; 1 and be it further
Resolved, That lay deacons licensed for Word and Sacrament Ministry who have applied for colloquy to the SMP roster prior to July 1, 2018, shall continue to serve under their current district licensure until the colloquy process is complete and certification is given by the Colloquy Committee; and be it further
Resolved, That upon the certification of the Colloquy Committee, the licensed lay deacons will be eligible to be called by the congregations where they have been serving, ordained into the Office of the Public Ministry, and placed on the roster of SMP pastors; and be it further
Resolved, That as recommended by the Res. 4-06A Task Force, the LCMS, in partnership with districts, congregations, and individuals, provide funding to ensure that financial constraints will not prevent any eligible licensed lay deacon from participating in an LCMS seminary ordination-track program; and be it further
Resolved, That the First Vice-President of the Synod and three members of the Council of Presidents appointed by the Council be directed to develop by June 1, 2017, necessary policies and procedures for the implementation of this resolution, such policies and procedures to be approved by the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry; and be it finally
Resolved, That the LCMS thank and commend the Res. 4-06A Task Force for its work on the question of licensed lay deacons.
[The estimated cost to implement this proposed resolution appears in the Report of the Finance Floor Committee – found in Sunday’s issue of Today’s Business.]