Specific Ministry Pastor Program

The Specific Ministry Pastor Program (SMP) is a new category of pastoral ministry established by the LCMS in 2007 designed to meet the need of pastors for mission and ministry in the Church where a pastor with a seminary degree might not be available. These men are identified by the ministry and mission opportunity (a congregation, mission plant, etc.) where they will serve in consultation with their district president.

After they have completed the prerequisite preparation for the program determined by their district, they will apply through their district office. The district president must nominate the men for this program. Once admitted they serve as “vicars” in the location where they will eventually serve as a Specific Ministry Pastor. They will take no less than two years of classes prior to ordination and then a minimum of another two years following ordination. They are supervised by local pastors and coursework is completed via the Internet.

Completed applications for 2010 enrollment will be due from the district offices to the Seminary's Office of Admissions and Ministerial Recruitment by June 30, 2010.

Students who are accepted and will begin in the fall of 2010, and their Pastor/Supervisors, will be required to attend the Orientation Seminar on Concordia Seminary’s campus Sept. 1-3.

SMP PROGRAM COSTS -- 2010-2011

The SMP program of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, consists of 17 courses which are taught sequentially, one per academic quarter -- these courses are counted as 3 credit hour courses, and are billed as such.  During the first two years of the program the student is also a Vicar serving in the congregation which has asked him to prepare for the pastoral ministry -- there is an administrative charge for this vicarage, it is a one-time chrage but is billed over two years. 

Courses:  $1755 ($585/credit hour for the 2010-2011 School Year)
Vicarage:  $579 (1/2 per year=$289.50)

In addition you will need to purchase some books and there will be expenses associated with the Orientation Seminar (which both new students and their Pastor/Mentors are required to attend) and an annual Residential Seminar, as well as some field experiences.  It is recommended that you budget between $8000 and $10,000 per year for the SMP program.

These costs may be shared by the calling (sending) congregation, District, and student.

A multitude of theological audio and video resources are available to download for FREE at itunes.csl.edu. With respect to ELCE preparation you will find videos of our pre-seminary courses in Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek and Christian Doctrine in their entirety.

Old & New Testament Content Exams

• The Holy Bible (English Standard Version recommended)
• Old Testament Content Class Video Series available on ITUNES
• A Bible History, CPH, 1936
• A Survey of the Old Testament.  Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2000.  ISBN: 0310229030
• An Introduction to the New Testament.  D.A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo, and Leon Morris, editors.  Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.  ISBN: 0310519403
• Concordia Self-Study Bible (especially the introductions to each books, as well as the maps and charts)

Christian Doctrine Exam

• Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation
• A Summary of Christian Doctrine. Edward Keohler. St. Louis: CPH, 1952
• The Christian Faith. Robert Kolb. St. Louis: CPH, 1993.

• Click here for SMP FAQs. These follow a Sept. 12, 2007, meeting of the SMP Committee, which includes representatives from both LCMS seminaries and the Synod's Board for Pastoral Education.
• Click here for Additional Frequently Asked Questions.
• Click here for the latest SMP press release regarding policies, admissions, and application information from the Board for Pastoral Education at lcms.org.
• Click here for comments on the new SMP Program from Director of Distance Education, Dr. David Wollenburg.

• Click this link to view the article on the SMP Program from the Reporter Online.  This article was originally placed online on Dec. 1, 2007.

• Click here for the SMP Program article featured in the Fall 2007 issue of FOCUS.

In light of the passage of Resolution 5-01b at The 63rd Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, we will no longer be enrolling new DELTO students at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Nearly 76% of the delegates at the Synodical Convention in Houston passed Resolution 5-01B, titled “To Establish Specific Ministry Pastor Program," following its presentation to the convention by representatives from both LCMS Seminaries and the Synod’s Board for Pastoral Education.

The resolution mandated the establishment of a Specific Ministry Pastor Committee to “develop comprehensive guidelines that are consistent with the theological foundations, educational expectations, rostering process, training of mentors and supervising pastors, and membership limitations intended for this Specific Ministry Pastor Program.”