To Encourage and Support Campus Ministry in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Official Workbook overture source text

1-05 
To Encourage and Support Campus Ministry  
in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod  
Preamble 
Southern Illinois District President the Rev. Heath Curtis has shared 
(while serving as LCMS Stewardship Coordinator), “In a sea of 
unbelief, LCMS campus ministry gives our kids an island of 
community, support, and living faith. [I]n my work…I tell people:  
the best bang for your mission buck today is campus ministry. 
Hands down!” (“Ministry Readiness Study Report,” 
cidlcms.org/resources/missioneducationtoolkit/CIDExecutiveSum
mary.pdf, accessed Jan. 1, 2026). Campus ministry presents a 
tremendous mission opportunity for The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS). Every year, hundreds of thousands of 
young adults —many of them not knowing the teachings of 
Scripture at all, let alone the Gospel —enter college. While 
attending, those who are Christian have their faith tested, 
questioned, or neglected. Many are formed by a culture that is 
hedonistic, materialistic, legalistic, and in some ways demonic. 
Nevertheless, research shows that young people today are deeply 
interested in spirituality, purpose, and truth. Many are open to a 
serious Christianity rooted in conviction and authenticity.  
For over a century, the Synod has provided faithful pastoral care, 
spiritual nurture, and Gospel proclamation to students through its 
campus ministries. These bring the Word and Sacraments of Christ 
to students in critical years of faith formation, extend Christ’s 
mission to the nations on campus, and serve as training grounds for 
future faithful church members and leaders.  
WHEREAS, Young men and women continue attending colleges 
and universities throughout the nation in significant numbers, and 
these campuses are to be regarded as mission fields for the 
proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and 
WHEREAS, Longitudinal research indicates that behavioral 
aspects of religiosity (such as worship attendance and devotional 
practices) tend to decline in the first semesters of university 
attendance, even though the personal importance of faith often 
remains stabl e (Carolyn Barry and Larry Nelson, “The Role of 
Religion in the Transition to Adulthood for Young Emerging 
Adults,” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 34, no. 3 [2005], 245–
255); and 
WHEREAS, A national survey of U.S. college freshmen found that 
the percentage reporting “no religious preference” increased from 
about 10 percent in 1986 to about 31 percent in recent years, while 
those identifying with a Christian denomination declined from 
approximately 81 percent to 60 percent (Helen Gibson, “College 
Freshmen Increasingly Drop Religion,” July 13, 2017, 
research.lifeway.com/2017/07/13/college-freshmen-increasingly-
drop-religion/), and a 2025 Pew Research report indicates that only 
46 percent of adults aged 18–24 (the prime college age) identify as 
Christian (Gregory Smith et al., “Decline of Christianity in the U.S. 
Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off,” Feb. 26, 2025, 
pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/decline-of-christianity-in-
the-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off/); and 
WHEREAS, Despite this trend toward disaffiliation, surveys also 
reveal a growing openness among young adults to spiritual 
questions, faith discussions, and “serious Christianity,” with over 
70 percent of Generation Z responding they are “at least somewhat 
motivat
ed to keep learning about Jesus throughout their lives” 
(Barna Group, The Open Generation , barna.com/research/barna-
trends-2025-pt-1); and 
WHEREAS, Even among students who identify as nonreligious, a 
majority report interest in conversations about purpose, morality, 
and transcendence— fertile ground for the seed of God’s Word on 
college campuses (Springtide Research Institute, The State of 
Religion and Young People 2023 [Minneapolis, 2023]); and 
WHEREAS, Pew Research Center has reported that Christians 
with higher education are as likely as—or even more likely than—
those with less education to demonstrate high levels of religious 
commitment, such as regular worship, prayer, and the importance 
of faith (Pew Research Center, “In America, Does More Education 
Equal Less Religion?,” April 26, 2017, 
pewresearch.org/religion/2017/04/26/in-america-does-more-
education-equal-less-religion/); and 
WHEREAS, The Synod has a long and faithful tradition of campus 
ministry through congregations, Lutheran Student Fellowship, and 
LCMS U chapters, which connect college students and scholars 
with Word and Sacrament ministry; and 
WHEREAS, The Synod has long recognized the importance of 
deliberately supporting, expanding, and funding campus ministries 
that are directly connected to full -
time Word and Sacrament 
ministry; therefore be it 
Resolved, That we give thanks to the one true God—Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit—for past and current Synod campus ministries and