To Direct Concordia Publishing House to Prioritize Mission and Distribution

Official Workbook overture source text

8-14 
To Direct Concordia Publishing House  
to Prioritize Mission and Distribution 
WHEREAS, Concordia Publishing House (CPH) was established 
in 1869 to serve the congregations of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod by publishing materials that are useful to the church 
and faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; and 
WHEREAS, The mission statement of CPH further states that it 
“will develop, produce, market, and distribute products and services 
that are faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions and 
which will effectively serve such proclamation to people throughout 
the world. All to the Glory of God” (“Who We Are,” Concordia 
Publishing House, accessed Feb. 25, 2026, 
www.about.cph.org/who-we-are.html); and 
W
HEREAS, The vision statement of CPH states that they will 
“strive to be the premier publisher and provider of choice for 
products and services that are faithful to the Scriptures and the 
Lutheran Confessions,” (ibid.) but does not envision a role in the 
Great Commission purpose of the Church (Matt. 28:16–20); and 
WHEREAS, CPH is well known for producing high quality and 
durable materials that serve well in North American congregations 
that can afford them, but that may be too expensive for our mission 
partners in other nations; and 
WHEREAS, CPH generously offers discounts to our Synod 
missionaries for their personal books, but does not offer such 
assistance for bulk distribution of helpful teaching materials that 
can be used to extend the kingdom of God in the world; and 
WHEREAS, Northwestern Publishing House provides us with a 
praiseworthy example of support for the mission of the Church by 
providing publications to Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod 
missionaries for free or for a steep discount (see www.nph.net/multi-
language-productions); and 
WHEREAS, The protection of copyrights has discouraged our 
missionaries from translating useful materials into the languages of 
their mission field by making them prohibitively expensive, and has 
hampered our missionaries in their task of reaching the lost with the 
saving Gospel of Jesus Christ; and 
W
HEREAS, Even our confessional documents and catechisms are 
protected by copyright from wide distribution in the mission field 
(for example, CPH sells the Book of Concord in Spanish for $34.99, 
cph.org/libro-de-concordia-the-book-of-concord); therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod in convention give thanks to God for 
CPH and its faithfulness to the Scriptures and the Lutheran 
Confessions in providing materials to churches and church workers 
for 156 years; and be it further 
Resolved
, That CPH, in addition to its mission to provide 
products that are faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran 
Confessions, be directed to prioritize the Great Commission and 
seek every way to provide free or low -cost materials for use by 
Synod missionaries in their congregations and communities; and be 
it further 
Resolved, That CPH be directed by the Synod in convention to 
work in cooperation with Synod missionaries in the field to identify 
and remove obstacles to providing affordable resources to the work 
of missions, including possible alternatives to the current copyright 
agreements; and be it finally 
Resolved, That the laborers and congregations of the Synod give 
thanks to God for the faithful authors, hymnwriters, and others who 
often work in obscurity to provide useful teaching material to the 
Church and pray God bless the wide distribution of their labors t o 
the glory of God and the coming of His kingdom. 
Michigan District 
Ov.