Introduction
The Pastoral Studies Institute (PSI) has been charged to recruit, guide and assist non-traditional students who aspire to the pastoral ministry through their pre-seminary and seminary training. Why? In view of the array of challenges our synod faces in these day, why now? Our traditional program is producing a sufficient quantity of pastors. Do we even need non-traditional students? Besides, what makes us think we know how to prepare men from different cultural and language backgrounds for ministry? What will we do with these men after they have completed their education?
Some Questions to Consider
These are important questions! Is it possible to find answers to these questions by asking more? In this case, we can. Consider:
- How will we train pastoral leaders to serve the millions of immigrants-mostly Spanish speaking-who are arriving in America every year? Many of our WELS churches and schools are already serving ethnically diverse and immigrant-rich communities with the gospel of Jesus. Within a generation's time, most of our WELS churches and schools will have people from these populations in their neighborhood. Should we be training our pastors now to serve these populations?
- We are doing a great deal of world mission work in North America right now. How can we train workers from these ethnic and immigrant communities to serve as WELS pastors and missionaries in their own communities?
- We have a precious Reformation heritage. How can we share the commitments of of Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura with new communities who do not know the joy of God's unconditional grace?
- What rich resource for pastors do we have in older men who have been WELS members their whole life? How can we help "second career" men prepare for the ministry?
- In view of the changing demographics in our nation, would it not serve the men who are residential students at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary to live and learn with men from a broad spectrum of cultural backgrounds?
- The WELS has seminary training programs across the planet in many world mission settings. Through closer ties to and collaboration with Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, could not these programs encourage and enrich each other?
- Do we know how to do all of this? Indeed, we do not! Dare we be content with the knowing of what we know right now? We do know this: We must preserve what is best in our current system of pastoral training. By being appropriately flexible, we can learn how to pass on tested and traditional training to men from non-traditional backgrounds. We face precious little risk as we seek to find ways to train more pastors from more backgrounds in more ways. There are many reasons to justify our church body's bold commitment to guide and assist non-traditional students through their seminary training:
- People that come to our fellowship as adults and from different cultures feel a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for the unconditional gospel that they heard from us. They are excited to participate in the mission of proclaiming clear law and gospel that brought them into Jesus' church.
- These men may not all have impressive academic pedigrees. What they all do share, however, is a commitment to serve. These men want to be ministers and will endure great inconveniences and frantic personal schedules in order to prepare for ministry.
- They come to the PSI program with a history of service. They come often with a tested capacity to lead, to endure trial and to help others through trial. If we only knew what these men have experienced in the jungles of Southeast Asia, on Native American reservations, in the political mine fields of South America, or in stressed urban neighborhoods, we would anxious to see the results of their Spirit-led leadership in the battle against Satan's darkness. The stories of these men are inspiring.
- These men understand their communities and love the people in their communities. They are zealous beyond measure to bring the gospel to their people. They want to be trained. They want to "Go!"
- These men desire to serve in challenging and difficult fields where a cross-cultural effort might be difficult to maintain. With God's blessing, their committed determination to stay the course will revitalize churches and invigorate communities through the gospel they proclaim.
- These men from non-traditional backgrounds come to their pastoral training with a sense of great urgency. They have already lived a good percentage of their lives serving in secular fields. They want to prepare for a new challenge and a new career serving the Lord's church. And time is short!
Summary
The only risk is not undertaking a program like the PSI to guide and assist non-traditional students through their training to become pastors. Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38). The harvest is more plentiful than we can imagine. It is so large. The fields of the lost are so diverse and so ripe. We need partners to share the joyful burden of bringing in all nations. And the partners need us. Pray for workers. Please pray for God's blessing on the PSI's desire to help identify and train these workers.
