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DISORDERED? BEGINNING TO SORT OUT WHAT MAKES A CALL “PROPER” Julie Smith “Concerning church government it is taught that no one should publicly teach, preach, or administer the sacraments without a proper [public] call.” AC XIV There are a growing number of churches whose pulpits are not currently occupied by someone with the type of credentials that have lately been the norm among Lutherans. Preachers who do not have a Master of Divinity, or maybe have little theological education of any kind, have been asked by a congregation to assume the office of ministry. Perhaps it is for one weekend while their pastor is on vacation, or perhaps it is open-ended, while the church engages in a traditional call process. Perhaps it is an open-ended contract, for all intents and purposes functioning exactly like any other call the congregation has extended to a pastor. As these “non-traditional” arrangements become increasingly common, all sorts of questions arise around how we understand call, ordination, and the office of ministry. From
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