Clergy & Priesthood

The LCMS affirms the pastoral office as a divinely instituted office within the church. Pastors are ordained men who are called to preach the gospel, administer the sacraments (Baptism and the Lord's Supper), exercise pastoral care and discipline, and teach God's Word. The pastoral office is not a sacramental priesthood (in the sense of offering sacrifices or dispensing grace through their person), but a functional office of Word and sacraments ministry.

Women are not ordained to the pastoral office in the LCMS. This position is grounded in the LCMS's interpretation of certain New Testament texts (1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Corinthians 11:3) and in the historical practice of the church. The LCMS does not teach that women are inferior or less valuable in God's sight; rather, it holds that the pastoral office is restricted to men based on its reading of Scripture.

The priesthood of all believers is affirmed as a cornerstone of Lutheran theology. All baptized Christians share in the priestly office of Christ and have direct access to God through Christ. All believers are called to intercede for one another, bear witness to the faith, and serve in the congregation and the world. However, not all believers are called to the pastoral office. The distinction is between universal priesthood (all baptized believers) and the pastoral office (a particular calling to ordained ministry).