The pastoral shortage in the LCMS poses a significant challenge, with over 700 current vacancies and many congregations unable to support full-time pastors. Addressing this issue requires innovative solutions that preserve high theological standards while embracing flexibility and local leadership development. Drawing from my own diverse experiences in pastoral formation, I believe LCMS congregations can adopt a proactive, prayerful, and practical approach to meet this need.
A Unique Perspective on Pastoral Formation
My journey through pastoral formation has provided me with a broad perspective to help address these issues. I completed a residential Master of Arts program at Dallas Theological Seminary in 2005, followed by the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 2018. In 2023, I earned a Doctor of Ministry degree through a cohort-based program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Alongside these academic pursuits, I have recruited and mentored several students into the EIIT and CHS programs at CSL, including two vicars currently serving at Bethel, Dallas. Additionally, I serve as a faculty mentor for LCMS students studying with Luther House of Study (LHOS) and coordinate partnerships between LHOS, the Unite Leadership Collective (ULC), and Concordia University Texas. These experiences have shaped my insights into filling pastoral vacancies and equipping leaders for diverse ministries.
Recommendations for Filling Pastoral Vacancies
1. Begin with Prayer and Repentance
The first step is to earnestly pray to the Lord of the harvest, seeking His guidance and repenting for our apathy towards the pastoral shortage. Through prayer, we invite the Holy Spirit to inspire and raise-up new pastoral leaders and prepare congregations to be active in this process.
2. Identify Local Leaders for Formation
Rather than solely relying on external candidates, congregations should consider identifying potential pastors from within their communities. Local leaders often have a deeper understanding of their congregation’s culture and needs, making them ideal candidates for ministry.
3. Embrace Bi- and Co-Vocational Ministry
Many congregations cannot financially support a full-time pastor. Developing robust training programs tailored to bi- and co-vocational pastors is essential. These programs must address the unique financial and logistical challenges faced by these candidates while maintaining high educational standards.
4. Expand Accessible and Affordable Education
We need to maximize the use of existing pathways, such as affordable Master of Arts or Master of Divinity programs, for academically capable candidates. Additionally, intermediate pathways—like those offered in Michigan, the Pacific Southwest Districts, and the Hispanic Institute in El Paso—can serve as models for training leaders who may not have the financial or educational resources for more traditional routes.
5. Celebrate Local Leadership Development
Raising pastors and ministry leaders within congregations should be celebrated as normative. This approach mirrors the early church and the early LCMS, where pastoral leadership regularly emerged locally. By shifting expectations, we can foster hope and encouragement among congregations struggling to fill vacancies.
6. Overcome Institutional Barriers
We must address systemic barriers that hinder pastoral formation, including inflexible policies and outdated expectations. For example, the recommendations from white paper An Ordained LCMS Pastor for Every Synod Congregation (shared below) have been largely ignored institutionally. Removing roadblocks would allow for greater adaptability and innovation in pastoral training and deployment.
Practical Steps for Implementation
To implement this new approach, congregations and districts can take the following practical steps:
Equip District Leaders. Encourage district staff, circuit visitors, and others involved in the call process to view raising local pastors as a viable option. Provide resources and training to help district leaders and congregations explore this pathway.
Leverage Transitional Pastors. Pastors serving in a vacancy, interim, and retiring contexts are well-positioned to identify potential pastoral leaders within their congregations. These pastors can mentor candidates and prepare both the individual and the congregation for a new model of leadership.
Identify Sending Churches. Encourage congregations with strong leadership capacity to serve as regional hubs for raising and training pastors. These “sending churches” can help address pastoral shortages in neighboring congregations.
Insights from the LCMS White Paper
The white paper An Ordained LCMS Pastor for Every Synod Congregation presented in 2024 provides nine key recommendations to support pastoral formation and address vacancies:
Continue providing high-quality theological education.
Maintain and expand flexibility in pastoral formation pathways.
Develop and enhance contextual (non-residential) training programs.
Establish a lifelong process of pastoral formation with benchmarks for recertification.
Encourage local identification, formation, and service.
Ensure equal outcomes for all ordained pastors, regardless of their educational path.
Design training programs that accommodate bi- and co-vocational candidates.
Enhance affordability of contextual programs.
Adopt collaborative certification processes involving mentors, district presidents, and seminary faculty.
The current and growing pastoral shortage presents both a challenge and an opportunity for LCMS congregations. By prioritizing prayer, embracing local leadership development, and creating accessible educational pathways, we can address this crisis with hope and innovation. Congregations, districts, educational institutions, and other partners must work together to empower leaders for the harvest, ensuring the continued growth and vitality of Christ’s Church.
Thanks for staying on message. This is a critical issue and possibly a tipping point in our synod. I think apathy is only part of the heart problem. I also think control, pride in the "best educated Pastors", and doing whatever to save our institutions. Spending a million dollars per seminary student is sin. Holding on to two seminaries when they have classes of 50 to 70 is a sin. Formation for tradition and not the mission is a sin. Our stewardship of the resources i.e. buildings, talented faculty, donations, student's lives, technology, etc. is simply poor and doesn't serve the Church and a sin.
Change is difficult and complex. Pastors look down on other Pastors who were ordained through…