Pastor Resources
God established the Office of the Holy Ministry precisely to distribute Christ’s good gifts of Word and Sacrament. He sends shepherds, whom the Holy Spirit appoints as overseers, to care for His flock. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is fully committed to the spiritual, character, confessional, physical, emotional and intellectual development of our pastors.
Worker wellness
You are loved, supported, and worthy of help. Our wellness page will give you the tools you need to succeed in ministry.
There are also tools available for planning a ministry sabbatical.
Taxes & ministers
A resource on taxes from the LCMS for commissioned and ordained ministers.
Hospital contacts
This list is subject to change. If you’d like to have your name and contact info added for a hospital near you, please send us an email.
pastors conferences
Information and registration for upcoming pastors’ conferences.
Church resources
Looking for any of the following? They’re now on the church resources page!
Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC)
What to do when you receive a call
Update your PIF / SET
The Pastor Information Form (PIF) and the Self-Evaluation Tool (SET) are the required forms for ordained workers to update their information.
You can request your current on-file PIF and information on how to update your SET from Debbie Borchardt.
guest pastors
Guest Pastor List (updated 10.31.24)
Helpful checklist for congregations to prepare for a guest pastor
Questions? Please contact Debbie Borchardt
MinistrySafe
The LCMS is asking the pastors, teachers, and parish professionals of every District to get certified with MinistrySafe. MinistrySafe is a sexual abuse awareness training program. Through MinistrySafe you will learn about the characteristics of an abuser, the grooming process, how to interview and screen applicants, criminal background checks, how to create handbooks and policies, and many other useful tools. The Synod is offering this program free through June, 2024 to all our LCMS churches and schools. Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod – MinistrySafe
To receive your free code, please contact Christina Krentz from the MN South District office at 952.250.7113 or christina.krentz@mnsdistrict.org.
LCMS MinistrySafe Notification
Please note: The information and template offered by the LCMS Office of National Mission is not intended to provide specific legal advice. This material is provided for informational purposes only. You are encouraged to contact your legal advisor, insurance provider and other experts to determine what policies and procedures best fit your congregation or school situation. No endorsement of the MinistrySafe program in these materials is implied or intended and the LCMS does not guarantee or warrant that sexual abuse will not happen, even if an entity decides to utilize the offered resources of the MinistrySafe program.
Become a pastor in the LCMS
There are several routes to becoming an ordained pastor in the LCMS, including traditional, Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP), colloquy, alternate route (A.R.), Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT), and Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS) / SMP Español / English (SMP—EsE).