Specific Ministry Pastor Program
(SMP)

The SMP program is designed to fill needs in congregations and other missions when a residentially trained or commissioned minister cannot be provided.

The applicant must be in, or entering, a place of service where his presence and ministry are expected and supported both during and after completion of the program. The particular ministry must be a suitable SMP context. Whether a context is suitable for a Specific Ministry Pastor is determined by the local district president.

A suitable SMP context may be:

• A specialized ministry, such as an institutional chaplain, campus pastor, or ministry serving particular cultural or linguistic needs.
• A congregation with a pastoral vacancy that can be effectively served by a Specific Ministry Pastor.
• A mission start.

1. Because of the doctrinal position of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), all candidates for the Specific Ministry Pastor program must be men. If you are a woman who would like to enter full-time service in the Church, consider our diaconal programs.
2. The applicant should be mature in faith and life. To this end, SMP applicants must be at least 40 years old.^*
3. Bearing in mind Paul’s exhortation that an overseer “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit” (1 Tim. 3:6), an applicant is expected to have significant experience in the life of the church and must be a member of an LCMS congregation. SMP applicants must have held membership and provided significant service in an LCMS congregation for at least the last five years.^*
4. SMP applicants must have held membership in the congregation of placement, or in a nearby congregation, for at least the last three years.^*
5. Educational preparation: All applicants should have adequate postsecondary coursework and experience to enable successful completion of a program delivered in English. Applicants who intend to pursue a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree should ordinarily possess an undergraduate degree. See the Academic Catalog for additional information. Applicants must also demonstrate knowledge of the Old Testament and New Testament by completing the Entry Level Competency Exams or the appropriate pre-seminary courses.
6. If married, the applicant should be devoted to his wife and family and supported in his vocational pursuit by his spouse, who is also an active member of an LCMS congregation. As 1 Timothy 3:4 states, “He must manage his own household well.”
7. The applicant must be committed to the Lutheran confession of the faith and willing to uphold the doctrinal position of the LCMS. St. Paul writes, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16).
8. The applicant is expected to meet the personal and spiritual qualifications expressed in 1 Timothy 3:1–7. He must be above reproach, faithful in marriage, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, gentle, responsible in the management of his household, mature in the faith, and well thought of by those outside the Church.
9. In keeping with the mission the Lord has entrusted to the Church—and because of the significant role a pastor plays in that mission—the applicant should possess the following attributes:
   • A clear sense of his identity in Christ.
   • A commitment to service.
   • An ability to lead.
   • An ability to listen to others.
   • A demonstrated ability to witness to others.
10. Prospective SMP applicants will be directed from the beginning of the process to seminary admission counselors for clarification regarding the nature of the SMP program and exploration of the possibilities of residential seminary study. A visit to campus will be strongly encouraged as part of the application and vocational discernment process. Congregations should not act or vote to approve a man for SMP service before he has confirmed his willingness to enter the SMP program following consultation with the Admission Department.
11. As an applicant begins his seminary coursework, he will be placed as a concurrent vicar in the location where he is serving. The SMP vicar will:
    • Serve an LCMS entity that is eligible to receive a vicarage placement and issue a call.
    • Have been prepared to lead worship, preach, teach, and provide basic pastoral care under supervision.
    • Not be authorized to administer the Sacraments until ordination as a Specific Ministry Pastor.
    • Preach sermons prepared in collaboration with, and approved by, his supervisor until ordination as a Specific Ministry Pastor.

^* Exceptions to policy requirements 2–4 may be recommended to the admission committees of the seminaries by the Council of Presidents after approval by a majority of the Council of Presidents.