The Lutherans’ Great And Holy Council

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is holding its triennial convention July 9-14 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The delegates will not be trying to revise the Christian sexual ethic, ordain women, or weigh in on national politics.

The biggest issue, as I understand it, has to do with the paradoxically-named “Lay ministers.” Some decades ago, the LCMS started a program for laity who wished to serve congregations full time. But some congregations–especially small, rural parishes–began using lay ministers as pastors, having them preach, give pastoral care, and administering the sacraments. But that seemed to go against the Augsburg Confession, Article XIV , which requires an ordained ministry for public preaching and for ecclesiastical order. Some in the LCMS defend the lay ministry program in the name of the priesthood of all believers and for pragmatic reasons, saying that these little congregations couldn’t afford a seminary-trained pastor and that these lay ministers have been doing an excellent job and don’t deserve to lose their positions.

A proposal before the convention would do away with the Lay Ministry program, but–and this is the brilliant Solomonic provision–ordain those who are currently serving congregations in a pastoral capacity. This would align church practice with the Lutheran confessions while also doing a favor for the lay ministers who have been serving. Being a pastor does not require seminary training as such, but it does require a call and an ordination. The measure before the convention would also provide for additional training for the new pastors. (Somebody please correct me if I have any of this wrong.)

Does anyone know of any other big questions before the convention?

You can follow the convention, including livestreaming, here.

The convention FaceBook page gives a good running summary.