LCMS addresses unauthorized, non-LCMS pastoral formation programs

Roy Askins

1 week ago

By Roy S. Askins

In a show of unity, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Council of Presidents (COP) has committed to directing potential pastoral students only to LCMS-approved programs and has agreed not to place or ordain graduates from unauthorized, non-LCMS institutions. The COP unanimously affirmed a statement to this effect as part of its regular meeting on April 29. The statement comes in view of the recent emergence of several online pastoral formation programs not accountable to the Synod. The programs — Luther House of Studies (LHOS, associated with Kairos University) and the Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership (CMPL, associated with the Institute of Lutheran Theology) — have been promoted for the preparation of LCMS laymen to eventually serve as congregation pastors.

In a recent statement, LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison explained the concerns about these unauthorized pastoral formation programs: “As a church of 5,800 congregations, we all must have the confidence that our pastors are confessors of the inerrant Scriptures and the truth confessed in our Book of Concord.” What’s at stake, Harrison said, is the Gospel itself: “Unless the Word of God, especially the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ, governs our lives together, we lose our Lord’s mission (Matt. 28:19) and our precious and God-given unity. That’s why we have agreed to do pastoral training together as a Synod.”

Harrison also warned against having men serve in LCMS congregations who have not been examined (certified), called and ordained through the processes established by the Synod: “Nor may men be trained and placed in our congregations under a different name, while in effect serving as pastors. This is for the sake of the Gospel of Christ.” Under Bylaw 2.5.2, LCMS member congregations voluntarily agree to “call and be served only by” those men who have been placed by the authorized means of pastoral formation.

The COP statement unanimously affirmed on April 29 reads:

Our Synod needs pastors for all our congregations and mission outreach. We implore the Lord of the Church to send them. We commit ourselves to direct potential students for the pastoral office only to the routes to ordination approved by and accountable to Synod. The Council will not place graduates from other programs. The Council members agree not to ordain graduates from other programs. We commit ourselves to engage the Church, our Synod’s seminaries, and Pastoral Formation Committee to strengthen the routes to ordination and address the challenges and opportunities for providing the Church well-formed candidates for the pastoral ministry.

COP Chairman Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan said, “The Council of Presidents had an open and fraternal conversation regarding the Synod’s responsibility to recruit and train pastors. … The discussion amongst the council was viewed by the members as positive and led to a unanimous statement regarding the counsel we provide to one another regarding the recruitment, training, ordination and placement of pastors in the congregations of the Synod.” The discussion left Hagan “very encouraged by the spirit of unity on the council and the support for a statement regarding our agreement and accountability to one another.”

Both LCMS seminary presidents also issued statements regarding LHOS and CMPL. The Rev. Dr. Thomas Egger, president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL), appealed to the Synod for unity in pastoral formation: “Let us continue to share together the vital work of pastoral formation for the LCMS, for the sake of a clear confession of Christ for our children and grandchildren and for the world. Please do not support the splintering of this effort into ‘every district for itself, every congregation for itself and every pastor for himself.’ Let’s work together, in an orderly and honest way.”

Likewise, the Rev. Dr. Jon Bruss, president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), pointed out that the deftness of CTSFW pastoral graduates “in handling the Word of God and applying it faithfully is based on hundreds of hours of formal study of God’s Word, our Lutheran Confessions, Christian doctrine, the history of the Church, and pastoral theology.” But residential seminary means more: These pastors have “been steeped in Lutheran liturgy and hymns. During seminary they’ve taken in over 600 sermons” and more.

As Bruss noted, residential seminary is not a “gold standard”; rather, it’s “the standard” that the vast majority of LCMS Lutherans have come to know and expect from their pastors.

In his statement, Harrison also notes his request to the Synod’s Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC) to speak, “particularly after the statement of the LCMS Council of Presidents.” In response to that request, the PFC has posted answers to a number of questions frequently asked about unauthorized, non-LCMS pastoral formation programs.