A.R. Admission Requirements
Candidates for admission shall be male and shall be:
- Graduates of the Synod’s colleges, whose names appear on the roster of the Synod as commissioned ministers of the Synod, and who have at least eight (8) years of successful experience as commissioned ministers of the Synod and are communicant members in good standing of a congregation of the Synod, or;
- Communicant members in good standing of a synodical congregation who are ordinarily at least 35 years of age at the time of application, ordinarily have accumulated at least ten (10) years of significant experience directly related to Word and Sacrament ministry (elder, lector, evangelism caller, Bible class teacher, etc.) in a Missouri Synod setting, and have ordinarily successfully completed at least sixty (60) semester hours of college-level course work.
- Men licensed by their district presidents to perform functions belonging to the pastoral office.
All candidates will demonstrate spiritual, emotional, aptitudinal, social and cultural qualifications to serve as a pastor as identified in Scripture (I Timothy 3 and Titus 1); if married, have a spouse who is a communicant member in good standing of a synodical congregation and who offers spousal support and understanding of each partner’s respective role and involvement in ministry.
A.R. Admission Process
The process for application and admission to Concordia Theological Seminary normally takes from 6-12 months prior to enrollment. An applicant must submit the following documents for the admission process:
- A recommendation from the applicant’s pastor (form provided with application).
- Four personal recommendations (forms provided with application).
- Information listing the ten (10) years of significant church experience (elder, lector, evangelism caller, Bible class teacher, etc.) in a Missouri Synod setting.
- Applicants should arrange to have official transcripts sent to the Admission Office by the Registrar of the college(s) they have attended.
- Applicants should contact their district president to schedule the district interview. It is the responsibility of the district interview committee to arrange this interview. The results of the interview will be forwarded to the Seminary’s Admission Office.
- Applicants are required to complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test and have the scores forwarded to the Seminary for consideration as part of their application for admission. Those applicants who already have a master’s, doctorate or equivalent degree are not required to take the GRE. GRE test scores beyond five years will not be accepted. GRE Information Bulletins can be obtained from the Admission Office or at any college Registrar’s Office. The GRE is also available by computer at many locations.
- Applicants are required to undergo a criminal background check prior to admission. Protect My Ministry, an agency contracted by the LCMS. The Admission Department will submit this on the applicant’s behalf, but the applicant is responsible for the fee. Applicant will be required to sign a waiver release.
- Confirmation of Admission: After the applicant receives his letter of acceptance, a signed “Confirmation of Admission” is to be returned to the Admission office at Concordia Theological Seminary as a confirmation of the intention to enroll. This confirmation will specify the newly accepted student’s responsibilities that will lead to matriculation at the time specified in the application.
Before Classes Begin
There are a few things we expect you to know before you begin your classes. For example, we expect that you’re going to know the basic flow of the Bible and Christian doctrine. Because the Bible is so incredibly important, we also expect that you’re going to have some basic skills in Greek. You can demonstrate your knowledge through the Entry Level Competency Exams or by taking our pre-seminary courses.