The ACELC exists "to give a united voice against errors that are officially adopted in convention, tolerated, and/or promoted in the LCMS.”

A Noble Task: Pastoral Formation in the LCMS

The Bible is clear that the Office of Holy Ministry is instituted by Christ Himself. St. Paul writes, “And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4: 11-12) The Augsburg Confession in no obscure terms says it this way: “So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted.” (Article V)

It's also clear that preparation and training in the sacred scriptures is a necessary prerequisite for a man to exercise this office. If our Lord Jesus took three years to train His apostles, we can do no less. With that said, history reflects that pastoral formation has been carried out in different ways. What is required today? This has become a pressing question prompted by a host of issues – life in what some call a post-Christian nation; a shortage of pastors; the advent of technology and distance learning – just to name a few.

How we answer the question of pastoral formation has implications for our life together in the body of Christ. With that in mind, we invite you to our upcoming ACELC conference, “A Noble Task – Pastoral Formation in the LCMS,” to be held July 15th-16th at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Carlisle, IA. We will consider such topics as the history of pastoral formation, present challenges, and ways forward with Rev. Willie Grills, Rev. Adam Moline, Rev. Dr. Jon Bruss, Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, and Rev. Rolf Preus. Here are links to more information and the registration form. Hope to see you there!