A proposal to establish a Specific Ministry Pastor Program was endorsed by the Council of Presidents (COP) during their April 21-25 meeting. A major portion of that meeting was given to placement of pastoral candidates from the Synod’s two seminaries and participation at call services in Fort Wayne and St. Louis.
Prepared by the Board for Pastoral Education, the proposed Specific Ministry Pastor Program would provide foundational competency in Lutheran theology, ordination, and completion of additional studies to prepare men for service in specific kinds of ministry. Specifics of the curriculum would be developed by seminary faculties and involve distance education and short-term seminars on the seminary campuses.
The proposal will be considered by the July 14-19 LCMS convention.
Regional cooperation among districts also was discussed by the COP. Regional approaches have are seen as a way to bring efficiencies in some staffing and services, as well as sharing resources for ethnic ministries and starting new congregations.
For several years, the districts have met as regional groups to share common needs and opportunities. There are five regional groups, clustered regionally on the East and West Coasts, two in the Midwest and one on the Southern Tier of the United States.
The council met on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, and attended placement services for candidates and vicars. The presidents then traveled to St. Louis for placement services at Concordia Seminary. A total of 233 pastor candidates were placed in first calls and 191 men assigned to vicarages. Receiving internship assignments were 20 deaconess students from the seminaries and Concordia University Chicago.
Posted June 1, 2007
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