Pamela and I have been asked countless questions over the past few months about going to the seminary. We appreciate that very much, because it’s a sign people care about us. We don’t know all the details quite yet, but here are a few of the most common questions and the answers as best as we can provide them at this time.
Why go to Fort Wayne? Sure, there are seminaries in and near South Dakota. And true, you don’t even need a Master of Divinity degree to preach at some churches. However, our church body, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, does require extensive training before a man can become an ordained pastor. There are two LCMS seminaries in the United States that provide that training; one is in St. Louis, MO, and the other is in Fort Wayne, IN. Without going into details here, I’ll just say that Pamela and I believe Ft. Wayne is the better fit of those two for our family.
How long does pastoral formation take? There are in fact three paths for becoming a pastor in the LCMS, but the preferred and most common option is the Master of Divinity program. In total, it’s a four-year course of study. I’ll spend the first two years taking classes on campus and completing field work at an assigned church in the area. Next is a year of vicarage. This is like student teaching or an internship. I’m assigned to a church somewhere in the United States and work full-time with the pastor to learn the ins and outs of church leadership. I’ll do virtually everything he does with his careful supervision. Finally, I’ll go back to campus for a year of reflection and final preparation.
How much does it cost? Annual estimates are as follows: $31,000 for tuition; $2,800 for fees, books, and supplies; $15,000 for rent and utilities; $2,700 for transportation; $18,000 for insurance; $2,500 for food and household expenses; $1,500 for moving (three times in the next three years). In case you weren’t keeping track, that’s a grand total of $73,500.
How do we pay? I’m very grateful that the seminary is currently in a financial position to guarantee tuition will be covered by scholarships and contributions from my church district and seminary donors. This means all gifts from other organizations and private individuals go directly to our family. I’m also very thankful to report that of the date of this posting, we have received pledges of just over $20,000 for each of our four years. Pamela and/or I may find part-time employment, but we don’t anticipate that will add up to much since we’ll both have full schedules and won’t be in a city for more than two years at a time. As with other postsecondary education, we’ll rely on student loans to cover any remaining expenses during these next four years.
How do placements and pastoral calls work? Placements for field work and vicarages are pretty similar to other educational placements. A student provides a list of preferences for church size, setting, worship style, and such, and seminary staff work to find suitable placements. Pastoral calls are quite different, however. In this case, faculty from both seminaries and the synod’s 35 district presidents work collaboratively. They consider all the new pastoral candidates and do their best to match them with vacancies at any of the LCMS’s churches or partner churches throughout the world. At special services in May, the seminaries each announce the first calls for their graduating pastors. By the grace of God, these will be these men’s permanent congregations and homes, but that is not always the case. If they so choose, pastors can place certain information about themselves in a database which can be searched by any LCMS church looking for a new pastor. Interested churches may request more information from a pastor and invite him to visit and speak with members. The church may then extend a formal call which the pastor may accept or decline. All that is to say, as much as we desire to return to South Dakota someday, only God knows where we will go after seminary.
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