The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. ~ 1 Timothy 3:1-7
CTSFW’s information says the application and admissions process normally takes six to twelve months. Not counting our years of contemplation, we’re currently in month ten. When you have the same job for several years, you forget how many steps and forms and contacts are involved in a major life transition. But for all of you who have ever applied for college or a job, there likely won’t be many surprises here.
Our initial intent was to visit both seminaries, (For you non-LCMSers reading this, that’s Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO and Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN.) decide which one we wanted to attend, and apply to that one only. Sadly, we were unable to visit St. Louis this spring or summer, and so we applied to both in May 2020. The applications, although not exactly the same, were very similar. They both asked for family information, educational history and official transcripts, employment history, an autobiography describing my church involvement and explaining why I desire to become a pastor, financial information, a criminal background check, reflection questions on how my personal traits might influence me as a pastor, one pastoral reference and four personal references. That was the easy part.
Once all those documents were submitted, we scheduled an interview with our church district in August. Pamela and I went to the district office in Sioux Falls to meet with the District President and three other pastors who questioned us for about 90 minutes to ensure we met the Synod’s quality standards. As you might guess, we were nervous going in, but it actually turned out to be quite an enjoyable experience, at least for me. I had fun recalling experiences that pushed me toward the ministry, boasting about our amazing church, and sharing why I’m now so ready to be God’s servant in this capacity. Afterward, the committee informed us they were recommending us for admission and prayed for our continued success.
Near the end of September, I was notified that we were accepted to both seminaries, and thus began phase two. The big components of this stage are the entrance exams, finances, and what I call logistics. There are five entrance level competency exams (ELCEs) that all applicants are expected to take. The first three - Old Testament, New Testament, and Christian Doctrine - are required for admission. With the help of God and some study materials from my pastors, I passed those in October, November, and December, respectively.
I am now working on Greek. Yes, you must be proficient in Greek to attend the seminary in the LCMS. As you may know, producing a “readable” translation from another language is not always possible due to differences in grammar and vocabulary. Therefore, reading New Testament Scriptures from Greek is a regular exercise for seminarians and many pastors. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been studying Greek nearly every night after the boys go to bed. Once again, I am fortunate to have received assistance from multiple pastors as I attempt to master this new skill. If I am able to pass the entrance exam this spring, I will begin classes in the fall. If, however, I do not pass, I will need to take a summer Greek course at Ft. Wayne. Needless to say, there are many who are praying I pass so we get a few more months in South Dakota. Your prayers in this matter are also greatly appreciated.
The last ELCE is Hebrew. You guessed it - Old Testament stuff. I’m thankful there’s nothing significant riding on that one, so I’m not worried about it at this time.
Finances are the other major consideration right now. It is a tremendous blessing that tuition is covered by scholarships, church districts, and the CTSFW Foundation, but there’s still the matter of additional costs and living expenses for the next four years. With Pamela homeschooling our boys and me being a full-time student, we’re not yet sure what employment opportunities might be available to us, so we’re trying to cover all our bases. I’ve completed the FAFSA and necessary financial aid forms. We’ve been in communication with a few churches and families who have expressed interest in supporting us financially during my education. I’ve begun compiling a list of scholarships for which I am eligible. This is one of the most uncertain parts of our immediate future, but we have heard time and again that the grace of God and the generosity of His people will sustain us, and we believe that promise.
The final big “to do” will be finding housing, but that won’t happen until later this spring, so stay tuned for that.
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