The Rocky Mountain District of the LCMS: No New Licensed Deacons

The Rocky Mountain District passed the following resolution at their convention last week. It is significant because it starts to turn the tide on the flood of people who do what only a rightly called and ordained pastor is permitted to do according to Holy Scripture, and as our confession states:

2012-03a-06 TO ENSURE THAT EVERY MAN WHO SERVES AS A PASTOR
IS CALLED AND ORDAINED INTO THE PASTORAL OFFICE

     WHEREAS, all our congregations and all our pastors unanimously confess the doctrine of the Augsburg Confession as a true and clear exposition of the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ; and

     WHEREAS, all our congregations and all our pastors speak with one undivided voice in extolling our Lord’s gift of the Office of Holy Ministry, publicly confessing that “Our churches teach that no one should publicly teach or preach in the Church or administer the Sacraments without a rightly ordered call [rite vocatus] (Augsburg Confession, Art. XIV); and

     WHEREAS, in certain situations today, the Synod approves of preaching and administration of the sacraments by men who have not been publicly called to and placed in the office of the ministry (i.e., without rite vocatus—this position is expressed, e.g., in 1989 Res. 3-05B, “. . . when no pastor is available, and in the absence of any specific Scriptural directives to the contrary, congregations may arrange for the performance of these distinctive functions [preaching and administering the sacraments] by qualified individuals”); and

     WHEREAS, since the Synod adopted Res. 3-05B at its 1989 Convention, our Synod’s language and practice are not in agreement as to whether a Licensed Deacon, requested by a congregation or District to serve in the Public Ministry of the Gospel, with the approval of the District President, meets the requirements of Augsburg Confession Article XIV; and

     WHEREAS, the Rocky Mountain District in the 2000 convention adopted Res. 4-02a PROFESSIONAL CHURCH WORKER SHORTAGE which resolved “That the LCMS Rocky Mountain District in convention 2000 so move to encourage her congregations to humble themselves before the Lord in prayer and careful study of the Holy Scriptures regarding the office of the pastoral ministry…” and also “That the LCMS Rocky Mountain District 2000 convention send a memorial to the 2001 Synod Convention urging the LCMS not to succumb to the pressures of the world, but to seek biblical solutions to the shortage of professional church workers.”; and

     WHEREAS, the Rocky Mountain District in the 2003 convention adopted Res. 4-01a CONCERNING THE PUBLIC OFFICE OF THE HOLY MINISTRY AND THE TRAINING OF LAYMEN FOR THE OFFICE which resolved “That all our pastors and our congregations encourage laymen to prayerfully consider entering into training for the Office of the Holy Ministry through District and Synodical training programs leading toward certification for a call and ordination…” However, since the adoption of the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program there is no longer a District level training program leading toward certification for a call and ordination; and

     WHEREAS, the Rocky Mountain District in the 2006 convention adopted Res. 2-08A TO SUPPORT THE LICENSED DEACON PROGRAM which resolved “That the District Convention support the recommendation of the Committee that when a Licensed Deacon, at the request of a congregation and with the approval of the District President, conducts Word and Sacrament ministry under the supervision of an ordained pastor, after being trained, educated, examined, and certified through an alternate route to ministry, then accordingly he should receive a divine call and be ordained…” and also “That the Rocky Mountain District Convention, through an overture to be prepared by its Licensed Deacon Committee and approved by the Board of Directors, request the Synod at its 2007 Convention to amend its Bylaws to clarify the terminology, call and ordination of Licensed Deacons…” Yet, at the 2007 Convention, Synod took no action; and

     WHEREAS, the Rocky Mountain District in the 2009 convention adopted Res. 01-11 TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO MEMORIALZE THE 2010 SYNODICAL CONVENTION TO CONTINUE DISTRICT LICENSED DEACON PROGRAMS AND TO AMEND THE BY-LAWS OF SYNOD TO SUPPORT THE CALLING AND ORDAINING OF ELIGIBLE DEACONS TO THE PASTORAL OFFICE which resolved “That the Rocky Mountain District Convention authorize the District, through an overture prepared by its Committee on Licensed Deacons and approved by its Board of Directors, to recommend to the Synod’s 2010 Convention the continuation of District Licensed Deacon Programs and the amendment of the Synod’s Bylaws to clarify the terminology, call and ordination of eligible Licensed Deacons into the pastoral office in accordance with Augsburg Confession Article XIV, rostering them as ordained ministers, and amending the bylaws accordingly.” Yet, at the 2010 Convention, Synod took no action; and

     WHEREAS, the Synod does not recognize the District understanding of the request of a licensed deacon, the solemn appointment by the District President, and the rite of induction to be synonymous with being rightly called and ordained into the pastoral office; therefore be it

     Resolved, that the Rocky Mountain District, rejoicing in our common and unanimous subscription of the Augsburg Confession, giving thanks for the unity of doctrine expressed in the Church’s confessions (including the Augsburg Confession), and extolling our Lord’s gift of the Office of Holy Ministry (Augsburg Confession, Art. XIV), work together to teach of our Lord’s gifts of his Gospel and Sacraments and the Holy Office, and support and encourage those men who are being trained up (or are contemplating being trained up) to be called and ordained servants [rite vocatus] of the Lord to his beloved sheep; and be it further

     Resolved, that the Rocky Mountain District, apart from renewals, discontinue the licensing of lay deacons to serve as pastors (preaching and administering the sacraments) without being rightly called and ordained into the pastoral office and that the District President be respectfully requested to discontinue issuing any new licenses; and be it further

     Resolved, that the Rocky Mountain District encourage those men who are currently serving as licensed lay deacons to enroll in a residential seminary program or in the SMP program, leading toward call and ordination into the pastoral office, and that the District work with those currently serving as licensed deacons with appropriate care given for the allowance of their continued service; and be it finally

     Resolved, that the Rocky Mountain District in convention memorialize the Synod in convention to direct the synodical entity with oversight of pastoral education as well as the Council of Presidents to develop and implement a plan to ensure that all men engaged in Word and Sacrament ministry are rightly called and ordained into the pastoral office.

Respectfully Submitted Floor Committee 03a, Life Together (Theology)
Rev. Randy Bolt, Chair
Rev. Terry Beltz, Secretary