Our seminaries are not graduating enough new pastors. This shortage is serious. Last April more than 60 congregations received the sad news on Call Day that there would be no graduate coming to their church.
Some people come to worship rain or shine; almost nothing keeps them away. Others, sadly, have walked away from worship and don鈥檛 readily return. In the middle, between the always-come and never-come, are those who come but could drift away. 鈥淧rone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love,鈥� as the hymn puts it (Lutheran Service Book, 686, 3). Drifting away from the discipline of regular worship, they could lose their salvation. How many people in those 60-plus congregations will wander away from Jesus because they don鈥檛 have a pastor seeking them?
A unique strength of The Lutheran Church鈥擬issouri Synod (LCMS) is that we are closely knit. We tend to think alike, to believe alike, and even if we鈥檙e no longer on Page 5, our worship styles are still much alike, centered in the Word of God and Sacraments, practicing confession, rejoicing in the creeds and our Lutheran heritage. Personally we probably know one another or about one another more than people in most denominations. When it comes to seminaries, few denominations have the tight relationships between congregations and seminaries that bless us. Most American seminaries serve multiple denominations but ours serve only the LCMS. Because we are so closely knit, we can meet the enrollment challenge.
This is not just an LCMS problem. Of some 270 accredited seminaries in North America, 55 percent are facing low enrollments in their Master of Divinity programs. As much as I鈥檇 like to be a pastor, I can鈥檛 go deeper into debt! I鈥檓 married; uproot my family? American seminaries have responded in many ways, like online and contextual programs. We have as well, but our main program continues to be residential formation through the Master of Divinity program. It especially produces the pastors, scholars and church leaders for the future of your church. We鈥檝e revamped our recruitment efforts. Your continuing donations are making Seminary education very affordable. In your circles of family, friends and congregation, please encourage young people to set their sights on ministry, to become 鈥渉elpers of joy鈥� (2 Cor. 1:24).
Imagine the future with increased enrollments. Mission starts that would have languished for lack of a pastor will thrive and grow. Traditional congregations will be revitalized as new shepherds, millennials formed in the Word and confessions, lead old congregations into 21st century ministry. Parish education programs will increase a laity learned in God鈥檚 truth for the challenges of discipleship in today鈥檚 culture. Whole life Christian stewardship will make our congregations more responsive to opportunities than ever before. And most personally, your grandchildren, great-grandchildren and their generations will be served and brought into the arms of the Good Shepherd. They will sing in their day, as you and I do now before Jesus takes us home, 鈥淗ere鈥檚 my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.鈥�
