Feeling Lost About Seminary
Felt like I had to write this somewhere. Anyways, I’ve been in the process of trying to begin seminary with Concordia. Initially I was starting the Cross Cultural Ministry program through Concordia Irvine but due to unexpected circumstances my wife was medically retired from the Navy leading us to move back to Michigan. This prevented me continuing the CMC program as they don’t operate that far from California.
However after moving around the country for ten years thanks to military service, both my wife’s and my own, we are done with moving cross country for work. This is obviously at odds with the LCMS view on residential seminary. My family can’t go through another cross country move so the only other option is effectively abandoning my duties as a husband and father for several years to live in Fort Wayne or St. Louis.
So residential seminary is just not an option for our circumstances, for both personal and medical reasons. This leaves the SMP route, but I am not 40 years old and it seems from my reading that the LCMS is extremely limited in its approach to the SMP.
Overall, I’m feeling incredibly disheartened and depressed by the obstacles placed between my deep desire to become a pastor and the LCMS current policies. Any suggestions, advice, and especially prayers are welcomed. Thanks to anyone that actually reads all of this.