Response from Herb Mueller

First of all, we encourage all to read the ACTUAL resolution adopted by 74% of the delegates. You may find it now on pages 373ff of the Sunday Edition of Today’s Business available here – http://www.lcms.org/convention/downloads (get July 10 Issue, part 2)

There are several points I’d like to make briefly:

1) Those licensed lay deacons who are serving, in effect, as pastors, will be directed to a colloquy process to interview them, certify them, and to place them on the roster of SMP Pastors. As pointed out earlier in these responses, this does NOT mean that they have to enter a seminary SMP program, but they will be placed on the SMP roster by an interview process. We plan to do this regionally at no cost to the deacons other than to travel to the interview. This will enable the whole Synod to recognize them for what they actually are – functioning as pastors of the congregations they serve.
2) The resolution establishes a process for exceptions, should they be needed.
3) Districts are encouraged to continue training and credentialing (licensing) lay people for a variety of areas of service, especially evangelism.
4) In the next 9 months I will be working with three district presidents who will be chosen by the Council of Presidents in September to develop clear and fair policies and procedures to implement the resolution and to make it work well for all.
5) We recognize that the Synod adopted this plan (after much consultation across the Synod) as a means of addressing the dissensus in our midst over the issue of lay deacons functioning as pastors, but more importantly as a means of recognizing those licensed lay deacons who have been faithfully functioning as pastors on a regular basis, to recognize them for what they actually are to their people – pastors – and to do so in a fair way with integrity.

Having adopted this plan, we fully realize, NOW we have to make it WORK. Personally, I am 100% committed to seeing that it works fairly and with great integrity under the Word of God. Again, please check out the actual wording of the resolution, page 373 of Sunday’s Today’s Business, part 2.

Blessings in Jesus,
+ Herbert Mueller
First Vice President
Chairman, Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry