DELTO is a specialized program with the purpose of preparing men for ordination who are "in, or entering, a Word and Sacrament ministry where no seminary prepared pastor is available and where his [the student's] presence and ministry is expected both during and after the completion of the program" (Admission Criteria #4). These men are selected for the DELTO Program by their districts. They will work with a local pastor (mentor), who will guide them in their studies and supervise their work in the church. DELTO students (called DELTO vicars) serve in vacant congregations, in mission groups, and in churches where a second pastor is needed. The district where the DELTO vicar serves will recognize and authorize him.

The need for pastors and missionaries in our church is great. The DELTO Program gives those who have been asked to provided needed pastoral functions in the absence of a regularly ordained pastor the opportunity to reach a level of competency that will be recognized by the whole church. In other words, this is an opportunity to help such men fulfill the principle of Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession: "no one should teach publicly in the church or administer the sacraments unless properly called (rite vocatus.)"

Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree - This is the most academically rigorous program and requires a working knowledge of Greek, a bachelor's degree (normally), and other prerequisites. It entails almost three years of on- campus education, plus a year of vicarage. To enter the ministry after completing the M.Div. degree, students must be certified by the seminary faculty as being qualified for ordination. This certification by the faculty is required for all routes to ordination through the seminaries.

Alternate Route (A.R.) Program - This is a reduced on-campus certificate program. No academic professional degree is awarded, unless the students chooses to work for the Master of Arts. Applicants must have graduated from a synodical college and have been a commissioned minister for at least eight years, OR have completed sixty hours of undergraduate work and be able to list ten years of significant church experience in the LCMS. A.R. students spend about two years in study at CTS, then have a one-year vicarage. The A.R. Program also requires a working knowledge of Greek, though A.R. students are not required to study Hebrew (as M.Div. students are).

Pastoral Colloquy Program - This is a synodical program, outlined in the 2001 Handbook on page 111 and following. It is reserved primarily for ministers of other Christian church bodies who want to become LCMS pastors.

Yes, if there is a man in place who seems to have the necessary spiritual qualifications. Work with your district office to identify such a man, then contact CTS if he is prayerfully considering the DELTO Program.

DELTO has a 30-course curriculum, the first ten courses to be taken at the district level. Students take the remaining twenty courses through by CTS. It is possible that a man could take up to six courses per year, one course every two months, equaling three years and four months to completion. However, this time schedule can be affected by illness, secular job demands, family stresses, etc. Currently, there is no mandated maximum time for completion of the program. Our concern is not that students get finished with the courses in the fastest manner, but that each student masters the material and grows in understanding and faith through the DELTO Program.

DELTO will use a variety of distance education delivery systems, blending technology with human interaction. Both students and mentors will need a computer with the following features:

Minimum

• Pentium 100 or higher
• 32 MB RAM
• 100 MB free disk space
• floppy disk device
• CD-ROM (24 speed)
• Mouse
• 33.6 band modem or faster
• printer
• compatible monitor
• sound card with speaker(s)
• microphone

Optimum

• Pentium MMX200 or greater
• 64 MB RAM
• 1 GB free disk space
• CD-ROM (24 speed or higher)
• Mouse
• Super VGA compatible monitor
• 3 ½-inch floppy drive
• 4 MB (minimum) video RAM
• 33.6 band modem or faster
• laser, inkjet, or bubble jet printer
• disk or other back up device
• sound blaster or equiv. sound card, speakers, and microphone

Software

• Microsoft Windows 95 or 98
• Word or WordPerfect
• Netscape 4.5 or Internet Explorer 5.0
• Current anti-virus program

In addition to courses by computer, students will also have content delivered by videotape, CD, DVD, etc. There will also be regular visits to the CTS campus to receive course content, probably once per year.

We have discovered that the on-campus experience is important for the formational portion of pastoral, theological education. Current and previous DELTO students who have participated in these experiences repeatedly tell us of their importance.

One very important visit is the initial orientation session, as students begin taking seminary-delivered courses. At that time, we will expect both the student and his pastor-mentor to attend. This session will include training for the pastor-mentor.

Being on the CTS campus gives students the opportunity to experience seminary life and get to know the institution and people who are responsible for your training. DELTO students will participate in corporate worship and make connections with other students and faculty members — relationships that will shape their ministry for years to come. Supplemental seminars will also be offered dealing with issues of church life, including items of synodical emphasis and concern.

We hope that those who benefit from the visits (home congregations and districts) will assist with the cost. But ultimately, it will be up to each individual to cover the costs of these visits.

Our goal is to make DELTO a program that is flexible and meets the varying needs of our students. We will deliver courses as often as possible. Students will also be able to pick up courses through Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

The cost of DELTO (currently $745 per course) will be billed to the district that recommends the student for the program. Arrangements for financial aid will need to be made at the local level. We anticipate that many districts will provide some assistance, but they also will need help from the student's home/sponsoring congregation and/or the student himself.

Many districts already have programs in place and are working to adapt this training to meet the course objectives developed by the synodical DELTO Oversight Committee as they are posted on the synod's website (www.lcms.org). Others are collaborating with other districts to provide this training. Contact your district office for more information.

Access the synodical website at www.lcms.org. Once there, use the drop down menu and go to "Higher Education," then click on "Seminaries." Look for the "DELTO curriculum" entry. The full 30-course curriculum is listed, along with suggested syllabi for the first 10. These are the guidelines being used by the districts as they update their own offerings.

Note that the first three courses listed (Old Testament Bible, New Testament Bible, Summary of Christian Doctrine) require the student to pass the synodical competency exams for those subjects. CTS and your district will work with each student to determine whether previous course work meets the requirements of the DELTO Program.

Upon completion of the program, the seminary will certify DELTO graduates for ordination. Their call into the pastoral ministry will be to the congregation (or mission, etc.) in which they have received their training. Following ordination, these men will be listed as pastors on the roster of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. A sample notation supplied to the Synodical Oversight Committee by the synod's secretary might be "FW 2006 DELTO."

Beginning with course #11, DELTO students will be considered "vicars," and their pastor-mentors will serve also as their vicarage supervisors. This is another aspect of the partnership of the seminaries with the church and will allow congregation, district, and seminary the opportunity to shape the ministry of the DELTO vicar.

The pastor-mentor is a vital part of the DELTO program. The relationship of the pastor-mentor to the DELTO student is one of supporting, guiding, tutoring, and supervising. He is the one who helps to contextualize the theological studies. He also will introduce the student to area pastoral conferences and continuing education workshops.

Pastor-mentors are to be identified by the district and recommended to the seminary. Once they are appointed as DELTO mentors, they will receive about eight hours of training during the initial visit to the CTS campus (along with their student). The home district and/or congregation of the student should fund this visit.

Pastor-mentors receive an honorarium from the seminary for each course in which their student enrolls.

Prospective DELTO students are encouraged to apply to the seminary of their choice as soon as possible, even while taking courses at the district level. This will enable the seminary to plan for future offerings and arrange for an early visit to the campus by the student and pastor-mentor.