To Affirm the Master of Divinity Route at the Synod’s Seminaries
RESOLUTION 6-03
Report R64 (CW, pp. 268–296); Overture 6-10 (CW, pp. 359–360)
WHEREAS, Our Lord said, “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 the Apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Tim. 3:1); and
WHEREAS, The 2013 Res. 5-14A Task Force Report states, “The New Testament passages listing qualifications for the pastoral office focus mainly on the character of the man proposed for the office (“above reproach, husband of one wife, sober minded, self-controlled, respectable,” etc. [1 Tim. 3:2ff]). The one theological requirement in that section is that the man be “able to teach.” He must “keep a close watch on himself and on the teaching” (1 Tim. 4:16). He must be “able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). Character and the ability to teach and to hand the doctrine on to others are the qualifications Scripture looks for. These high standards apply to each of the various means by which the church recruits and trains pastors from her midst. Here is scriptural rationale supporting the work of our seminaries to train future pastors, as well as the careful work of our Colloquy Committee. We want men who love Jesus, whose hearts have been transformed by the Holy Spirit so that they also love people. We want men who are fiercely loyal to their Savior and to His Body, the Church. But we want these men to be thoroughly trained in biblical truth as well as other necessary disciplines for the task” (R64, p. 268); and
WHEREAS, The Synod has been blessed by the graduates of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Master of Divinity programs; and
WHEREAS, The 2013 Res. 5-14A Task Force report states, “The most complete means of preparing a man for the general responsibilities of the pastoral office and a lifetime of service is the master of divinity route at our two seminaries. This full residential experience has always been our ‘gold standard’ for pastor formation” (R64, p. 271); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention affirm that the most complete means of preparing a man for the general responsibilities of the pastoral office and a lifetime of service is the residential Master of Divinity route at the Synod’s seminaries; and be it further
Resolved, That men aspiring to the noble task of pastor be encouraged by the Synod in convention to apply for admission to the Master of Divinity program at the Synod’s seminaries; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod in convention urge all members of Synod and members of Synod congregations to encourage men to study in the Master of Divinity programs of the Synod’s seminaries.