SMP Committee Publishes Initial Documents

The Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Program Committee has published foundational documents for the program. They are available as PDF documents as follows:

• SMP Admission Criteria
• SMP Admission Sequence*
• SMP Pastor Supervisor Responsibilities
• SMP Covenant Agreement
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Additional Frequently Asked Questions
• Application for Admission
• Congregational Instructions for Vicarage Application
• June 2008 Reporter Insert
• Information for SMP Applicants Desiring Mission Service*

By passing Resolution 5-01B, seventy-six percent of the delegates at the 2007 Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Convention approved the creation of a new category of pastor, the SMP, and a new program to prepare SMPs. Since then, the SMP Committee, including representatives from the seminaries, the Board for Pastoral Education, the Council of Presidents, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations, and parish pastors has worked diligently to craft many aspects of the new SMP program.

The seminaries anticipate the ability to enroll 40 SMP students each this Fall. Some of these students will start new mission congregations. Others will serve in congregations that are more than 100 years old. Some will serve in full-time ministry positions. Others will be bi-vocational, working part-time in a vocation other than pastor for economic reasons.

Here are some important points to keep in mind regarding the SMP program:

• Specific – a designated type of ministry (church planter, youth pastor, campus pastor), declared at the outset, is the realm in which the SMP is eligible to serve. He is not a “general pastor,” as LCMS pastors have been to date. Following completion of the program, the SMP may accept a call to another location only if that call is within his specific ministry category.
• Mission-driven – the student does not nominate himself for admission. The site at which the ministry need exists nominates the student for admission. This is the site where the student is already active and the site where he will serve throughout his SMP preparation and beyond.
• Vicarage – the student is a vicar during the first two years of his program. He completes four courses/year, offered via distance education by the seminaries, while he gains practical experience. A local pastor-supervisor provides oversight for the student.
• Ordination – after two years of successful participation, the student is ordained and continues serving at the same ministry site. He remains under the oversight of the pastor-supervisor and completes four additional courses/year over the next two years.
• Oversight – the SMP is always under the oversight of a general (non-SMP) pastor, even after his  four-year program is completed.
• Future Possibilities – assuming he has received the required undergraduate education, the SMP is able to upgrade his preparation to a M.Div. degree through additional preparation, as prescribed by the seminaries.

May the Lord of the Church bless these first SMP students, those who will follow them,  and those who will participate in their pastoral formation. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10, NIV).
 

It is anticipated that the first SMP students will be enrolled this Fall. Those who have an interest in learning more about the SMP program are requested to contact the district office in their area. A complete listing of LCMS district offices is available at www.lcmsdistricts.org.

Seminary Contacts:

Dr. Douglas Rutt, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne

Dr. David Wollenburg, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis

* - SMP students desiring to pursue service as a church/mission developer should speak with their district president concerning additional assessment (strongly recommended) to assess suitability for service in that role. Failure to participate in this additional assessment will have negative implications in terms of financial assistance available to the student and the mission through the LCMS Board for Mission Services.