Life of theWorld Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne December 2009, Volume Thirteen, Number Three Fo r th e So, What Is a Vicar? By Prof. Richard T. Nuffer Forming Servant Pastors By Prof. Larry S. Harvala A Grace-filled “Inoculation” for Healthy Ministry By Kim Plummer Krull December 2009 3 F E A T U R E S PUBLISHED BY Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana PRESIDENT Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rev. Timothy R. Puls Jayne E. Sheafer ASSISTANT EDITOR ART DIRECTOR Colleen M. Bartzsch Steve J. Blakey COPY EDITORS Trudy E. Behning Adriane A. Dorr For the Life of the World is published by Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the editor of For the Life of the World. Copyright 2009. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at Huntington, Indiana. For the Life of the World is mailed to all pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the United States and Canada and to anyone interested in the work of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. CONTENTS 4 So, What Is a Vicar? By Professor Richard T. Nuffer Vicarage is a year of practical, hands-on training in which seminary students serve as interns under experienced pastors. They do so to “put legs on” all of their academic classroom training. And they begin to learn how to bring Christ to people who are hurting in a great variety of ways and to those who do not believe. 6 Forming Servant Pastors By Professor Larry S. Harvala The important things are that the faithful are faithfully taught, the lost are vigorously reached and all are cared for by the Word and Sacraments with which Christ has marked His beloved Bride. 10 A Grace-filled “Inoculation” for Healthy Ministry By Kim Plummer Krull In 1999, Dr. John Eckrich, a physician and lifelong Lutheran, founded Grace Place Lutheran Retreats. After years of treating church workers and seeing how their vocational challenges led to health problems and a pulpit exodus, he started Grace Place to help clergy who “were burning themselves out while they cared for others but did not take care of themselves.” Also in this issue: What Does This Mean? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.9 Symposia Series 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.16 Library Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.18 International Studies Update . . . . . . . . . . . .p.24 Bible Study–Forming Servants in Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.30 For the Life of the World Volume Thirteen, Number Three 4 For the Life of the World So,What IsaVicar? By Professor Richard T. Nuffer Iwas serving my vicarage in my fourth seminary year. As I wasgreeting parishioners at the door one Sunday a woman said to me,“What is this vicar thing? Is that a special brand of cigarettes?” On another occasion, a man who was visiting from England said to me, “Oh, it is so great to have a vicar again! I have missed mine from home!” In the Anglican church, a vicar is a minister who, unlike a rector, does not have charge of church property. One final event really brought home to me how little people know about vicars and vicarage. After my ordination and installation service, a woman, seldom in church, came up to me and said, “My goodness! All along I was thinking your name was Victor!” Even though these people did not understand vicarage fully, we at Concordia Theological Seminary believe we do. Vicarage is a year of practical, hands-on training in which seminary students serve as interns under experienced pastors. They do so to “put legs on” all of their academic classroom training. They use their newly acquired skills in interpreting the Bible to preach and teach in the parishes they serve. They use a fuller understanding of the Lutheran Confessions to teach Luther’s Small Catechism to children and adults. They use the church history they have learned at the seminary to teach the faith of the one, holy, Christian and apostolic church to all. They begin to learn how to bring Christ to people who are hurting in a great variety of ways and to those who do not believe. The seminary’s mission is to form servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost and care for all. This is not primarily an academic task but a pastoral one. What better way is there to teach students as they do pastoral things? They still need the academic skills, but all academics must serve the end goal of pastoral ministry to Christ’s people. Another way of seeing vicarage is to think of it as an apprenticeship. Just as a young man was apprenticed to the blacksmith to learn his trade, so a vicar is apprenticed to his pastoral supervisor. Just as in olden days men read law in the office of a mentoring lawyer, vicars learn at the feet of their supervisors. On vicarage, men desiring to be pastors gain experience doing the things pastors do. Who would want a doctor to remove an appendix if that doctor had not learned and practiced the surgery during an internship? Who would want an architect to design a skyscraper if the architect had not learned the skills required as an intern? Likewise, who would want spiritual advice and comfort from a pastor who had not learned and practiced them on vicarage? The bottom line is that vicarage forms pastors. The other years of seminary do as well, including field education experiences in local congregations, but perhaps the most formative year is the vicarage year. Here is where the rubber hits the road. Here is where a student can be confirmed in his vocational choice. Here is where the vicar’s family can make sure that the pastoral vocation will work for them. Here is where a pastor and his congregation can have a lifelong impact upon the vicar through their interactions with him. Here is where the vicar is formed “to teach the faithful, reach the lost and care for all.” The vicar is not Victor, nor a brand of smokes, nor an Anglican clergyman. A vicar is a student, an intern, an apprentice and an understudy who is being formed for pastoral ministry, so that he might teach, reach and care. Please pray that our Lord Christ will form future pastors of His Church through the vicarage year, so that they can joyfully proclaim His wonderful salvation for all. Rev. Richard T. Nuffer serves as an Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions and Director of Vicarage at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. December 2009 5 The seminary’s mission is to form servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost and care for all. This is not primarily an academic task but a pastoral one. What better way is there (other than vicarage) to teach students as they do pastoral things? They still need the academic skills, but all academics must serve the end goal of pastoral ministry to Christ’s people.