Official Workbook report source text
Official Workbook source-navigation report record. No analysis has been added.
- Report number/id
- R1.2.2
- Report title
- R1.2.2 Office of International Mission
- Workbook start page
- 19
- Workbook end page
- 28
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- 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
- Source status
- source_checked
- Committee
- Not available
R1.2.2 Office of International Mission The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ for sinners is not merely the cornerstone of our faith—it is the very foundation of the Church’s mission. Because Christ lives, we proclaim His tri- umph over sin, death, and the devil to the ends of the earth. This proclamation is not by human creation, but by divine commission, entrusted to the Church through the Word and Sacraments. Because Christ lives, the Church lives. And because He reigns, the Church is sent—to baptize, to preach, to teach, to administer the Sacraments, and to plant. We who confess the one true faith—rooted in the Holy Scrip- tures and articulated in the Book of Concord—go forth not with our own message, but with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This Gospel mission is never abstract. It takes shape in congregations—faithful assemblies gathered around the Means of Grace, where sinners are forgiven, saints are nourished, disciples are made, and the Church is built. The Office of International Mission (OIM), under the guidance of the Board for International Mission and the leadership of the Synod President, carries out this Christ-given task to the nations. Its work is not driven by trends or strategies, but by the clear teaching of Scripture as it is expressed in the Book of Concord. Its goal is not merely to send workers, but to plant and strengthen faithful Luther- an churches that will endure for generations. The OIM’s threefold mission—spread the Gospel, plant Lu- theran churches, and show mercy—is deeply incarnational and profoundly ecclesial. This work prepares pastors and deaconess- es, equips lay workers, supports theological education, and fosters long-term relationships that lead to lasting, indigenous Lutheran congregations. Our goal is not to export American Christianity, but to plant Lutheran churches faithful to Christ and His Word. A. Because Christ Is Risen, We Plant The OIM’s stated overarching task to plant Lutheran church- es is simple but not easy. To plant Lutheran churches that boldly confess Christ crucified and risen. Churches that preach justifica - tion by grace through faith. Churches where pastors administer the Sacraments rightly and preach the Law and Gospel clearly, where catechesis is deep, and where liturgy shapes and forms the faithful. Planting such churches takes sacrifice. Our OIM missionaries, in sacrificial service to the Lord and the Church, often miss family gatherings, sell all earthly treasures, and forfeit quality time spent with a dying loved one. Our OIM missionaries, both pastoral and lay, deserve our deepest gratitude and support. Today, over 100 LCMS missionaries serve in 34 countries. About half of OIM’s missionaries serve as pastors—men called and ordained to preach Christ and administer His Sacraments. The other half serve faithfully as educators, deaconesses, and skilled lay workers. These missionaries are joined by 15 alliance mission- aries—workers from our sister Lutheran churches around the world who serve with us in unity of confession and fidelity to the Luther- an doctrine we hold dear. Thanks be to God for all OIM mission- aries faithfully serving together for the good of Christ’s kingdom. Additional thanks are given to God as nearly two-thirds of our missionaries have served for more than five years in the field—dou- ble the average among other sending organizations. This longevity is not accidental. It is the fruit of careful support, faithful formation, (2023 Res. 12-03A). • Lutheran school curriculum standards for core subject areas have been created and distributed (2023 Res. 12-01A). • Increased consultation services and resources for classical Lutheran schools, microschools, and Lutheran homeschool cooperatives. Vacant C.6. Youth Ministry LCMS Youth Ministry faithfully leads, serves, resources, and networks youth and adults—working through districts and congre- gations—with Christ and His gifts at the heart and center of every- thing. Accomplishments over the past triennium: • LCMS Youth Ministry hosted the LCMS Youth Gathering July 19–23, 2025. Almost 1,300 LCMS congregation were represented as over 19,000 youth and adults met in New Orleans, La., under the theme “ENDURE,” based on Heb. 12:1–3. Over 1,000 program planners, volunteers, exhib- itors, speakers, and special guests provided planning, pro- gram elements, and support. • “YouthLead” (formerly Lutheran Youth Fellowship) held the annual leadership training in 2024, 2025, and 2026 in St. Louis, Mo. Around 350 youth and adults attended these four trainings. • In November 2023, the LCMS received a $250,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment to support efforts to help member congregations utilize effective ministry practices with youth. • LCMS Servant Events hosted by Synod camps and congre- gations provided opportunities for young people to serve in the name of Jesus and build relationships and skills. Rev. Dr. Mark Kiessling, Director C.7. Campus Ministry LCMS Campus Ministry works through LCMS U, an initiative to connect and support Lutheran students as they head off to college and face countless challenges to their biblical worldview, doctrine, ethics, and practices. Accomplishments over the past triennium: • Held two campus ministry staff gatherings since the last con- vention, engaging a total of 92 participants. • Awarded eight grants to eight ministries so far this year, to- taling $15,220. Daniel M. Galchutt, Executive Director 2026 Convention Workbook 20 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS B. Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Region The LAC Region is comprised of Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. This year, we celebrated our 125th year since starting mission work in Brazil. Missionary church planting has led to the LCMS having 10 partner churches in our region, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela, Mexico, Haiti, Guatemala, and Uruguay. After 14 years of working closely with the Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica Luterana Boliviana (ICEL), altar and pulpit fellowship was declared by Rev. Dr. Presi- dent Matthew C. Harrison in St. Louis in May 2024. Our missionaries directly support church planting in 10 coun- tries or are a step removed by preparing pastors for these church plants. While we plant churches, we do not create national church- es. Our work is to throw out the seed with reckless abandon, pur - posely and intentionally gather in those who respond to the Gospel around Word and Sacrament, as that is where Jesus has promised to be and give of His life-giving signs and gifts for the forgiveness of sins. The Lord of the harvest has continued to provide alliance mis- sionaries, particularly from our partner church of Brazil (IELB), for which we are grateful. An alliance missionary is a pastor from a partner church who is called and sent by our partner church to work alongside LCMS missionaries in the planting of churches un- der our supervision and support. We are grateful for these dedicated men and their families, who faithfully teach alongside our LCMS missionaries. B.1. Spread the Gospel The Gospel always seeks free course, and serious missionary efforts are always intentional and involve the throwing out of the Gospel in a variety of fashions, which include literature, continuing education courses, Luther Academy, and other missionary ventures. VDMA (Verbum Domini manet in aeternum, the Word of the Lord endures forever) is a digital initiative of LCMS Mission LAC to provide solid Lutheran orthodox literature to pastors in 22 coun- tries. To date, there are 420 pastors and seminarians who receive free theological works in Spanish and Portuguese in exegesis, prac- tice, history, and doctrine. More than 54 books have been released to Latino seminarians and pastors, whereas previously, Latino pas- tors only had an average of three Lutheran books. A team of 35 translators and editors continue to translate and provide these resources under the capable leadership of Deaconess Cheryl Naumann, who has ably directed this initiative at the behest of the VDMA committee for the past 10 years. Partners include Concordia Publishing House, Lutheran Heritage Foundation, Lu- theran Academy, and many others. Though these books are sent digitally, LCMS Mission also sends physical copies to 40 librar - ies across North America, as well as South America, in the hope that students and the like will find these and be exposed to good Lutheran theology. Many of these VDMA books can be found on Amazon for a minimum price of $1 to $3, and more than 2,500 such books have been sold across a dozen countries, making excellent Lutheran literature available to anyone interested. We are thank- ful to report that all eight volumes of the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics series are now in Spanish; two are in Portuguese, with another three in production. We are also thankful for the ebook of our new Spanish hymnal, Himnario Luterano, which can be pur - chased online via Amazon and used on one’s tablet or cellphone, and the Church’s steadfast prayers. Financially, the Lord has also provided—our missionary support reserves now cover nearly 12 months of expenses. This blessing is largely due to the efforts of LCMS Mission Advancement and, especially, Mission Central in Iowa, whose servants donate countless hours engaging donors in support of our missionaries; all of which bears witness to the Lord’s faithfulness and the generosity of His people. The mission of the Church is not a short-term project—it is a generational task. As the Holy Spirit tarries, His Church continues to go, preach, teach, baptize, and administer His gifts, confident that our labor is never in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). We plant today so that others may harvest tomorrow. Over the last triennium, in an effort to more fully prepare our missionaries, the OIM has given renewed attention to theological education. Through OIM’s custom curriculum titled Unpacking Lu- theran Mission, we’ve ensured that our missionaries and staff are formed by a distinctly Lutheran missiology—one grounded not in human innovation, but in our Lord’s command and promise: “Go therefore and make disciples … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). In response to 2023 Resolution 2-07A and in order to make dis- ciples, OIM offers the opportunity for LCMS districts, congrega - tions, recognized service organizations (RSOs), short-term teams, and others to participate in the Synod’s international mission work through the FORO model. Presently, every OIM region offers a FORO, and more will be rolled out in the coming years. As we look ahead, the harvest remains plentiful. The need for faithful Book of Concord Lutheran churches is urgent. Requests from our sister churches are growing. To meet these needs, OIM is preparing to expand our net missionary corps to 150 over the next three years. This is no small goal. But neither is the task small. The call to plant Lutheran churches must be met with doctrinal integrity, pastoral formation, a faithful and well-catechized laity, and robust support from God’s people. We are deeply grateful for those who walk alongside us—our seminaries, Concordia universities, districts, congregations, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, the Office of National Mission, Concordia Plans, RSOs, LCMS Foundation, the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, and countless individuals. The boards and officers of the Synod have given sound guidance and accountability to ensure this work is carried out in good order and with transpar - ency. As we gather in convention, we give thanks—not for numbers or reports, but for Christ’s steadfast faithfulness. Every congrega - tion planted, every new believer baptized, every catechism translat- ed, every font, altar, and pulpit established—these are signs of the Lord’s living and active Word at work through His Church. Let us go forward together—pastors and laity, congregations and districts, auxiliaries and units—committed to the faithful plant- ing of Lutheran churches, where the pure Gospel is preached, the Sacraments rightly administered, and our confession of Christ rings clear for all to hear. Let us continue to spread the Gospel, plant Lutheran churches, and show mercy. And let us do so with joy, confidence, and bold- ness, for Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia! 2026 Convention Workbook 21 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS La Chorrera, Panama; Cienfuegos, Santiago, Dominican Republic; Salto, Uruguay; and Canelones, Uruguay. The planting of Lutheran churches requires that a missionary be prepared and supported in this task. As such, our Language Insti- tute, which teaches missionaries Spanish and English, is in its tenth year. A missionary needs, through the Network Support Mission model, to have an average of 150 donors before deploying to the Dominican Republic for orientation. Once they arrive in the DR for orientation, missionaries engage in four months of intensive language learning, cultural adaptation, and studying of religious currents in Latin America. They also make visits, preach, and the like. Following this, they deploy to their field of service, often still learning Spanish and beginning their church-planting work. Human Care missionaries, Deaconess nurse Tirzah Krey and Deaconess nurse Jamielynn Tinkey Flores, lead the human care cir- cle. Rev. Dr. Jonathan Naumann and Rev. Dan Conrad, both veter- an pastors and missionaries, serve as chaplains to our English- and Spanish-speaking missionaries and serve as professors at CMSCR. This human care circle advocates for our missionaries, helping them obtain visas, housing, and access to medical services, helping them with finances, helping them find education for their children, and the like. Our average tenure of missionary service in LAC is 6.9 years, potentially the highest average achieved in the past 20 years. The human care circle continues to directly contribute to the longevity of missionaries continuing to serve in LAC. LCMS Mission LAC Human Care also supports a once-a-year missionary conference, which this past year was held in St. Louis in recognition of the LCMS mission work that began in Brazil in 1900 with missionary Mahler. Concordia Historical Institute partnered with the LAC region under the banner “Remember, Repent, Re- joice” and has upheld Brazilian missionary work in its main exhib- it for 2025–26. All of our missionaries were made CHI members. Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly dedicated its spring issue to missionary essays. Additionally, Krey and Naumann published a missionary book of eight historical essays of LCMS LAC work in her mission fields. We are grateful to Altenberg and historic Trin- ity in St. Louis for allowing us to use the two chalices that were brought from Germany with the Saxons for our Divine Service in those churches as we visited our American Lutheran roots and stud- ied with Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast the early church planting efforts of LCMS and the founding of her seminaries. B.2.a. Theological Education CMSCR is in its ninth year of existence. Forty-four men have graduated from our residential and online (Formación Pastoral para Hispanoamérica, FPH) programs, and via colloquy since its inception. In May 2026, we anticipate the graduation of 13 pastoral students. Twelve men are currently in the pastoral residential pro- gram, which teaches men to be evangelists, shepherds, and teach - ers. In this four-year program, men study Greek and Hebrew and receive four classes in the Lutheran confessions. Additionally, 16 men are currently in the FPH online program, which is also a joint program with the Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Specific Ministry Pastor Program in Spanish/English. In July 2026, we await with joy the graduation of our first seven men from the FPQ program in Bolivia, which is in the Quechua language. We anticipate 10–12 new men entering in our residential pastoral pro- gram this September 2026. Our ninth annual symposia is focused on church planting, in which Rev. Dr. Detlev Schulz’s book Mis- sion from the Cross will be presented in Spanish, and church plant- ers from LAC and missionaries alike will participate. making this hymnal, the use of which the Synod encouraged in the last convention (2023 Res. 4-04), even more versatile, especially in mission settings where it is difficult to make accessible physical books across Latin America. Luther Academy courses, in coordination with executive Rev. Dr. Bennett and Rev. Carlos Schumann, also continue to be taught yearly across the Americas. In the last triennium, 34 theological conferences have been held involving 19 countries and more than 600 pastors and seminarians across 15 countries. B.2. Plant Lutheran Churches The planting of Lutheran churches is the primary focus of LCMS LAC, as we are committed to bringing to the people in the countries that we serve the fullness of the Gospel as confessed in our liturgy, creeds, Law and Gospel preaching, pastoral care, Small Catechism, and instruction in Christian righteousness. Church planting continues, as in the last triennium, in Belize, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Ja- maica, Panama, Peru, and Puerto Rico. Our missionaries also assist in planting Lutheran churches in Mexico and Uruguay. At the time of this writing, 50 LCMS and alliance missionaries are actively planting Lutheran churches. In 2025 alone, we have seen 12 new missionaries join the work in LAC, which is the largest influx of missionaries in one year in the past six years. Twelve districts, perhaps hundreds of congregations, RSOs, Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson of Disaster Response, and individuals from Synod visit our mission sites twice a year during FORO meetings to receive reports, attend worship, study theology, and review the work that is presented to them. In Cuba, we have seen our work expand from one pastor to three, with an additional two men currently studying, a deaconess, and five more preparing for diaconal work. We are also glad to re- port that the Sinodo Luterano Mexico has grown from three pastors a decade ago to 10, with another five studying and potentially an- other six joining the Concordia Seminary (CMSCR) in the Domin- ican Republic Seminary next year. In LAC, an average of 30 short-term teams support church planting. A secondary goal is to have 50 percent of our teams focus on mission education, strengthening our laity in their understand- ing of Lutheran missions both abroad and at home. Our capacity to handle short-term teams in proximity to Lutheran church plants through our FOROs has allowed us to see an average of 50 teams a year with 25 to 30 of those being handled by our LCMS mission- ary coordinators and the rest through RSO partners such as the Be- lize Mission Society, Ysleta, and MOST. We are grateful for these partnerships with our RSOs at our FOROs and their collaboration in placing their teams in proximity to our church plants. Special thanks to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Concordia Theologi- cal Seminary, Fort Wayne, for sending nearly 100 seminarians and deaconess students to the Dominican Republic for three consec- utive years for mission education on short-term teams. Likewise, through an initiative by the Office of the President, 10 new dis- trict presidents were in the Dominican Republic in 2025 with Rev. Dr. Cory Rajek to learn of the work of LCMS Mission around the world and how to partner with her in her worldwide work. New Lutheran church plants in the past three years are found in Choluteca, Honduras; Havana, Cuba; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tijuana, Mexico; Chetumal, Mexico; San Pedro Peralta, Mexico; 2026 Convention Workbook 22 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS C. Eurasia Region The Eurasia region of the Office of International Mission re- mains, geographically, the largest of the four global regions, encom- passing all of Europe, the Middle East, the countries of the former Soviet Union, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Israel. In 2025, the region was served by 28 missionary families (up from 25 in 2024), two alliance missionaries, and a growing network of indigenous pastors and deaconesses working with 14 sister church bodies in altar and pulpit fellowship and numerous emerging confessional Lutheran groups. Key long-standing sister churches include the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Germany, the Evangelical Luther- an Church of England (ELCE), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB), the EvangelicA.2 al Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, the Evangelical Lutheran Church–Synod of France, and several others. The LCMS enjoys a mutually productive partner - ship with sister churches in theological education, church planting, and mercy. The strategic plan continues to be shaped by the three pillars that have guided the work for more than a decade: spread the Gos- pel, plant Lutheran churches, and show mercy. Church planting re- mains the keystone, for the planted congregation is the place where the Word is preached in its purity and the Sacraments are faithfully administered and from which mercy flows to the neighbor. This ap- proach ensures that efforts are rooted in the Lutheran Confessions, as churches address challenges like sanctions, refugee crises, and restricted access while advancing proclamation. C.1. Spread the Gospel The Lord is fulfilling this promise in dramatic ways across Eurasia. Over 2,000 Persian (Iranian and Afghan) converts have been baptized in Germany in recent years, with Trinity Lutheran Church in Berlin-Steglitz now numbering approximately 1,600 members, 80 percent of whom worship in Farsi. Complete Farsi lit- urgy, catechisms, and hymnody are available online (nurezendegi. org) and are used even inside Iran. Ukrainian refugees (over 1 mil- lion in Germany alone since 2022) receive Word and Sacrament care in Wittenberg and other cities, with services and catechesis in Ukrainian and Russian. English-language “expat project” con- gregations, or “home missions abroad,” serve military communi - ties and internationals while reaching locals, particularly near U.S. bases in Frankfurt, Kaiserslautern, Spangdahlem, and new plants. In restricted access Central Asia and the Middle East, dedicated missionaries proclaim Christ at some personal risk, using relational approaches like English classes and other aids to communicate the Gospel. C.1.a. Theological Education Translation of confessional Lutheran resources into Farsi, He- brew, Italian, Romanian, Russian, Greek, Czech, and other lan- guages continues at an accelerated pace, placing the unique mes- sage of Christ crucified and raised for our justification into the hands and hearts of people who have never before had access to it. Missionaries of the Eurasia region are collaborating in the de- velopment of a software index system for translations of the Book of Concord and other Lutheran resources across 21 languages. The Riga Luther Academy (in partnership with the LELB) serves as the primary engine for pastoral education. Its hybrid English-language Bachelor of Theology (BTh) program—combining online course- work, biannual residential intensives in Riga and Wittenberg, and on-field mentoring by LCMS missionaries—now serves 44 pasto- ral candidates from more than a dozen countries. This program is In this past triennium, we graduated 50 deaconess students from our second cohort, bringing our total to 146 graduates from the three-year program. Sixty-nine diaconal students from 11 countries have completed their first year of studies. This year, we launched our Phoebe Academy in three countries, which focuses on encouraging deaconesses in the Word, fellow- ship, and diaconal work. The goal is yearly to offer courses, Bible studies, workshops, and special studies as requested in different church bodies and mission fields. A Lutheran teacher program is being built and, Lord willing, will be launched in this next triennium to bolster Lutheran identity in our schools across the region. LCMS Mission and the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, in coordination with Rev. Kevin Robson and Rev. Bart Day, have part- nered with Concordia Seminary, Argentina, to remodel a portion of their seminary to expand their capacity to receive students and to rent a portion of their property, enabling the seminary to support an additional professor. Currently, the LCMS Mission endorses the salary of one professor at Concordia Seminary, Argentina. These remodels will contribute toward the seminary’s goal to pursue ac- creditation for its pastoral students for the first time. B.3. Show Mercy Our Mercy Center in the Dominican Republic (an institute of CMSCR) offers 10 workshops for the laity. New workshops are on Stewardship, Marriage, and the Himnario Luterano. These work- shops are taught across the region and in 15 countries, as requested by pastors or partner churches, with an average of 15 workshops offered each year. These are meant to help laypeople be a force for mercy in their homes, workplaces, and communities. Our deaconess graduates work with Lutheran Hour Ministries, Sunday School, Lutheran schools, after-school programs, Vacation Bible School, and youth programs. They also work at hospitals, conduct home visits with elderly people, visit group homes for peo- ple with disabilities, and help out at soup kitchens and any other places where the marginalized are found. Mercy houses in Belize, the Dominican Republic, Hondu- ras, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela include Lutheran schools, group homes, after-school programs, food kitchens, and disaster-relief centers. In each of these areas, the Gospel is offered alongside bodily care. Haiti continues to be a challenging situation with a weak gov- ernment in place. Our Haitian Lutheran Church continues to serve its people in dire circumstances, and LCMS Mission strives finan- cially to support the six districts there twice a year. The Venezuelan exile now exceeds 8 million people and is the single largest exodus of people from one country in the Western hemisphere since World War II. LCMS Mission continues to sup- port the faithful work of its partner church in Venezuela by forming pastors, preparing deaconesses, and working with the board of di- rectors of the Iglesia Luterana Venezuela (ILV) in its ministry and mission needs through the FORO in Venezuela. We strive to con- nect Lutheran immigrants with our LCMS missions around LAC and assist these refugees as they settle in their new countries. We continue to work with our partner church in Chile to send tens of thousands of dollars in medicine to Venezuela through Lutheran communities and their neighbors throughout the year. 2026 Convention Workbook 23 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, medical projects and English teaching connect people to local Lutheran congregations. Orphan care in Ka- zakhstan and support for Ukrainian refugees across Europe point to the crucified and risen Christ, who gave Himself for the life of the world. In Central Europe and Central Asia, short-term volunteer teams from the LCMS assist with Vacation Bible Schools, mercy clinics, clothing drives, and church renovations. In every case, mer- cy is offered in close proximity to the Gospel so that body and soul are cared for together and new believers are folded into planted Lutheran congregations. From the British Isles to Central Asia, and from the Arctic Cir - cle to the Holy Land, the Lord continues to open doors no human hand can. The Eurasia region gives heartfelt thanks for the Synod’s faithful partnership that sustains this extraordinary season of Gos- pel proclamation, church planting, and works of mercy. D. Africa Region The OIM Africa region spreads the Gospel, plants Lutheran churches, and shows mercy in more than 25 countries on the Afri- can continent. Among those countries, the LCMS has connections to more than 45 Book of Concord–confessing and conservative Lutheran church bodies and a very small handful of less conser - vative Lutheran church bodies seeking a deeper understanding of Lutheran identity. LCMS work in Africa takes place through these Lutheran church bodies and is responsive to their priorities, strat- egies, goals, and objectives. The most frequent requests presented to the LCMS seek support for the formation of church workers and support for the showing of mercy and compassion. Through these relationships and our mutual work, the LCMS proclaims with the local church, Christ is risen, indeed! The OIM Africa region is served by eight deployed LCMS missionary families, four alliance missionaries from sister church- es in Brazil and Finland, and three local workers in the regional field office in Kenya. This may be the smallest regional team the LCMS has assigned to work in Africa since the initial deployments of missionaries to West Africa almost a century ago. The LCMS remains committed to deploying missionaries to Africa to meet the 40-plus requests from the churches with whom we work (teachers, nurses, IT specialists, theological educators, deaconesses, language teachers, etc.); the program openings to oversee and implement region-wide endeavors (volunteer coordinators, conference coor - dinators, area visitors, etc.); and the needs of the LCMS, serving both the missionary force and the Synod at large (team chaplains, missionary care coordinators, communication specialists, business managers, etc.). Recruiting efforts are underway through various channels, including direct recruitment by the OIM recruiting team, direct mailings, and through the Synod’s publications. Read an ap- peal letter from Africa’s regional director in The Lutheran Witness, November 2025. Although the LCMS team in Africa is small, the work is expan- sive. The LCMS has 10 altar and pulpit fellowship sister church- es on the continent: The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia, the Lutheran Church of Nigeria (LCN), the Confessional Lutheran Church of South Af- rica, the Free Evangelical Synod in South Africa (FELSISA), the Lutheran Church of Southern Africa (LCSA), the Evangelical Lu- theran Church in South Sudan/Sudan (ELCSS-S), the Lutheran Church of Togo/Eglise Luthérienne du Togo (ELT), and the Luther- an Church of Uganda. Beyond these 10 altar and pulpit fellowship effective in restricted-access nations and diaspora communities, including Kazakhstan and Pakistan. The Old Latin School in Wit- tenberg functions as the Eurasia Center for Spreading the Gospel, hosting regional conferences and respite. It is being prepared for continuing education events, missionary orientation “boot camps,” and residential intensives. Additional continuing education courses and regional conferences, such as diaconal seminars and pastoral conferences in Palanga (Lithuania), Rome, Braşov (Romania), Oslo, and other cities, are offered annually in partnership with LCMS seminaries and regional theologians. C.1.b. Literature and Publishing Through literature and publishing, efforts include the Persian Project’s full Farsi liturgy, Small Catechism, and growing hymnal (nurezendegi.org). The new confessional Lutheran congregation in Tel Aviv is translating the Book of Concord and liturgical materials into Hebrew. The seminal work of Romanian pastors has spread to several other countries, including Hungary, where a new church is being planted. In Italy, the first confessional Lutheran hymnal is nearing completion. Many of these local projects are being replicat- ed in dozens of languages across the region to stimulate both new mission activity and underground believers who live in restricted nations. C.2. Plant Lutheran Churches Following the apostolic pattern, the region continues to plant and strengthen confessional Lutheran congregations. Active church plants and preaching stations now exist in Spain (12 congrega - tions and growing), Italy (Rome, Padua, and 5 stations), Romania (Bucharest, Braşov, Suceava, and a station on Cluj-Napoca), Bul- garia (Sofia), Greece (Thessaloniki), Turkey (Istanbul), Moldova (Chisenau and Cahul), Hungary (Budapest), Israel (Tel Aviv), Ire- land (Cork), Pakistan (three students who will soon be ordained), and several cities in Germany serving Persian, Ukrainian, and En- glish-speaking communities. Major milestones since the last convention include the February 2024 ordination of a new pastor to serve a church plant in Sofia, Bulgaria; the May 2024 ordination of a new pastor in Moldova; and the ordinations of Luther Academy—Riga students, who serve in Rome. Lutheranism in Spain continues to grow, with two LCMS alliance missionaries and the recent commissioning of eight Span- ish deaconesses. Germany is experiencing rapid growth among Persian converts, and missionaries are strategically placed to raise up pastoral candidates to carry mission to Farsi speakers through- out the world. Ukrainian refugee ministry in Wittenberg and other German cities provides spiritual care to established communities in Ukrainian and Russian. English-language “expat project” congre- gations near U.S. military communities in Frankfurt, Kaiserslaut - ern, and several new plants serve as a base for outreach to interna - tionals and locals. New church plants are sprouting up in Ireland, Poland, Hungary, and Moldova. C.3. Show Mercy Mercy is never detached from the Gospel but flows from con- gregations where Christ is rightly preached and the Sacraments are rightly administered. Persian refugees in Germany receive church asylum, language training, and integration assistance alongside Baptism and catechesis. Three pro-life counseling centers in Rus- sia—Ingria Hope in St. Petersburg and Faith and Hope in Novosi- birsk, partnering with local churches—continue to offer alternatives to abortion and care for mothers and children despite sanctions. In 2026 Convention Workbook 24 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS congregations each, visiting their congregations as they are able to, although the challenges of travel and the cost of travel prevent fre- quent visits in many contexts. Church leaders in the region recog- nize that where the Word is proclaimed—Christ is risen, indeed!— and the Sacraments are rightly administered, a church is planted in the full and beautiful embodiment of Christ. Lutheran church leaders across Africa recognize the LCMS for its clear Gospel proclamation, sound theology, and commitment to thorough church worker formation. Consequently, for many Book of Concord Lutheran church bodies, the LCMS is an important re- source when they seek assistance in the formation of church work- ers. Those church bodies request residential missionary theolog - ical educators, short-term professors, textbooks from Concordia Publishing House, assistance in developing curriculum, support in building their seminary campus, and contributions toward their seminary’s operating costs or scholarships. The LCMS OIM Africa region currently supports 14 Book of Concord residential seminaries that are owned, operated, and ad- ministered by one or more of the church bodies LCMS works with. Collectively, these seminaries have hundreds of students in pro- grams of pastoral and deaconess formation at certificate and diplo- ma levels: the ILCA’s Concordia Seminary in Cabinda, Angola; the ELCE’s Beleza Training Center in Eritrea; the EELC’s Asella Lu- theran Theological Seminary in Asella, Ethiopia; the ELCG’ s Lu- theran Theological Seminary in Sasaabi-Accra, Ghana; the EELG’s Lutheran Center for Theological Studies (CLET) in Gueckédou, Guinea; the ELA-SCI’s Lutheran Center for Theological Studies (CLEET) in Toulépleu, Ivory Coast; the ELCK’s Matongo Luther- an Theological Seminary at Neema Lutheran College in Chabera/ Sondu, Kenya; the LCN’s Jonathan Ekong Memorial Lutheran Seminary in Obot Idim-Uyo, Nigeria; the EELC’s Lutheran Center for Theological Studies (CLET) in Pointe-Noire, Republic of Con- go-Brazzaville; the FELSISA-LCSA-Bleckmar’s Lutheran Theo- logical Seminary in Tshwane-Pretoria, South Africa; the ELCSS-S’ Concordia Lutheran Institute on the Holy Ministry in Yambio, South Sudan; the ELCT South East of Lake Victoria Diocese (SEL- VD)’s Shinyanga Confessional Lutheran College in Shinyanga, Tanzania; the LCEA’s St. Peter’s Lutheran Theological Seminary in Himo, Tanzania; and the ELT’s Lutheran Center for Theological Studies (CLET) in Dapaong, Togo. These are full residential sem- inaries operating in English, French, Swahili, or Portuguese, many of which are accredited and the majority of which offer three full years of pastoral formation with Greek and Hebrew. The region also supports specialty programs that provide a route to ordination through intensives, including the ICCM’s Theological Education Program in Villa de Senna, Mozambique; the CELC-SL’s Christ Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary in Jembe-Bo, Sierra Leone; and the ELCT-SELVD’s Bishop Emmanuel Makala Train- ing Center outside Shinyanga, Tanzania. Finally, the region sup- ports bachelor students studying through Riga Luther Academy in Latvia and graduate programs in the EECMY’s Mekane Yesus Sem- inary in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; FLM’s Martin Luther University/ SALT in Fianarantsoa, Madagascar; Concordia Seminary’s online master of arts in theology program; and Concordia Theological Seminary’s Gothenburg master of sacred theology program. Beyond forming pastors for new church plants, the OIM Africa region supports the congregation’s building of their church struc- ture through the Africa Tin/Chapel Roofs project. Although con- gregations are often able to collect sand, make mud bricks, collect firewood, fire their bricks, collect foundation stones, and fundraise sister churches, there are an additional 35 church bodies currently identified as theologically compatible with the LCMS, a few new church bodies in the process of forming, conservative districts and dioceses of larger Lutheran churches that have a breadth of theolog- ical expression, and even a couple church bodies not theologically compatible with the LCMS but deeply interested in learning about Book of Concord Lutheranism. Among all these relationships, the LCMS Africa team seeks to spread the Gospel, plant Lutheran churches, and show mercy such that the call Christ is risen, indeed! goes out far and wide. D.1. Spread the Gospel The OIM Africa region supports spreading the Gospel through- out the many church bodies it works with. The endeavor is multi - faceted, broad, and strategic. Collaborations with church bodies, RSOs, districts, congregations, auxiliaries, system schools, and other institutions provide the opportunity and the necessary re- sources for the Gospel message to reach the unreached. Church bodies like The Lutheran Mission in Africa—Synod of Thousand Hills (LMA-STH) in Rwanda began radio programming supported by LCMS grants during COVID-19 lockdowns. This Book of Concord church body recognized an opportunity to use ra- dio programming to reach not only their members across the coun- try but also the unreached. Since 2020, the clergy of the LMA-STH have hosted a live 30-minute weekly radio program, which includes Scripture, a devotion, and engagement with the audience by taking calls on-air. Through this program, the church spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ across the radio station’s nationwide audience of millions, proclaiming, Christ is risen, indeed! Through the regional translation committee, opportunities to translate evangelistic materials, children’s books, and theological resources are prioritized based on the strategic emphases and areas of mission focus. These projects are coordinated with Lutheran Her- itage Foundation, an RSO that closely collaborates with the LCMS OIM Africa region on translation projects. Through this partnership over the past triennium, with funding from the 2023 National Of- fering, the region supported the following translations projects and printing runs: the Small Catechism Enchiridion in Swahili (East Africa) and Kuria (Kenya); the full Small Catechism with questions and answers in Swahili (East Africa), Lulogooli (Kenya), and Moba (Togo); the Large Catechism in Tonga (Zambia); the Smalcald Ar- ticles in Tshiluba (DRC), Kinyarwanda (Rwanda), and Rundi (Bu- rundi); the Apology of the Augsburg Confession in Dholuo (Ken - ya), Luba-Lulua (DRC), Tshiluba (DRC), Kinyarwanda (Rwanda), and Rundi (Burundi); the Book of Concord in Malagasy (Mada- gascar); A Summary of Christian Doctrine in Swahili (East Afri- ca); Pastoral Car e Companion in Swahili (East Africa); Jesus Nev- er Fails in Kuria (Kenya); and A Children’ s Garden of Bible Stories in Ateso (Uganda). D.2. Plant Lutheran Churches Most of the church bodies collaborating with the LCMS are ex- periencing rapid growth, with congregations springing up due to migration of Lutherans to new areas, engagement with Lutheran media, or intentional church planting strategies. Those congre- gations quickly appeal to their church officers for a pastor to be assigned to them, presenting a significant challenge to the church- es with whom the LCMS works. This is a good problem to have. There are so many congregations being established so quickly that there aren’t enough pastors to care for them all! Most pastors in the Lutheran churches in Africa oversee between five and fifteen 2026 Convention Workbook 25 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Togo. D.3. Show Mercy The OIM Africa region supports church bodies across the re- gion in showing mercy to their communities, just as our mission- aries each show mercy in their own contexts. In extreme situations of natural disaster, for example, the region collaborates with our experts in LCMS Disaster Response to support recovery efforts through local congregations. In some cases, support must extend from the initial response to sustain community members to the next harvest season. In the last triennium, the region supported respons- es to typhoons, floods, fires, and famine. In all of these cases, the response is administered through the local church body and its con- gregations, with church members and church officers intentionally engaging the community with mercy in close proximity to Word and Sacrament ministry to ensure that temporal needs are not sup- plied at the cost of eternal salvation but that they give an opening for the proclamation Christ is risen, indeed! The OIM Africa region supports the long-term development of agricultural systems through the long-standing Agricultural Consultancy team, a team of LCMS volunteers who are experts in farming and small business management. Through community engagement and a well-refined technique of bringing the commu - nity’s own expertise to bear, the volunteers advise the community on long-term, inexpensive, and sustainable techniques to improve crop yields or adapt to environmental changes. Lessons build on Scripture, include opportunities for the pastor to address the partici- pants, and are hosted by the local congregation, bringing this mercy project into close proximity to Word and Sacrament ministry. The OIM Africa region supports the showing of mercy through long-standing projects directed toward preventing and treating ma- laria. In the last triennium, projects directed toward malaria were implemented by churches in Madagascar, Tanzania, and Nigeria. In each case, these projects involved congregation members, pastors, and church officers who could point to Christ and to the church in the midst of addressing the suffering, grief, and loss caused by malaria. The OIM Africa region supports water projects on Lutheran church plots and at Lutheran schools. Projects are proposed by the local church body according to what is most appropriate for their context and include shallow (hand-dug) wells, bore-hole (drilled) wells, rainwater collection systems, and waste/septic systems. Lo- cating these community resources at the congregation or at the local Lutheran school brings community members into engagement with Word and Sacrament ministry at the local congregation. The OIM Africa region supports the training of deaconesses through seminaries in several countries, including the notable pro- gram at Matongo Lutheran Theological College at Neema Lutheran College in Chabera/Sondu, Kenya, the seminary of the Evangeli - cal Lutheran Church in Kenya. This program receives deaconess students from neighboring countries and prepares them for mercy service. In the next triennium, deaconess programs are expected to be started in at least two other seminaries on the continent. Finally, the LCMS invests deeply in the Africa region’s flagship mercy project, Project24/Christ’s Care for Children: Kenya. As of the end of 2025, the program supports 252 vulnerable young peo- ple in primary school at nine Project24 boarding facilities across Kenya. These children receive holistic care and are active members of the local sponsoring Lutheran congregation. The local pastor regularly engages them with catechesis, and their daily routines a bag of cement at a time for mortar, they can get stuck at the point of purchasing trusses and tin sheets for roofing. The roof is almost always the most expensive part of the church building. When a con- gregation has built the walls of their church building up to the point where a roof can be safely and securely attached to the structure, they make a request through their church body for assistance in roofing their new building. In the last triennium, the LCMS has supported roofing projects in Guinea, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana. In specific contexts where a family is unable to purchase Bibles due to lack of availability, the OIM Africa region supports the pur- chase and delivery of Bibles. For example, refugees who are liv- ing far from their home country in refugee camps and settlements are not able to purchase heart language Bibles in the camps. The LCMS purchases Bibles in those languages and transports them to the camp or settlement for use by the church and its members. OIM Africa has also supported the purchase of Bibles for specific out- reach programs, including prison ministry. The OIM Africa region supports the purchase of motorcycles for pastors and evangelists to reach new mission areas where church- es are being planted. In combination with OIM Africa’s short-term teams focused on door-to-door visitation, such access and efforts support the work of planting Lutheran churches. Under the umbrella of Africa Luther Academy, conferences for church workers provide the opportunity for pastors or deaconesses to gather for time in the Word, encouragement, and collaboration with lectures presented by professors from a Book of Concord sem- inary, church officers, missionaries, LCMS seminary professors, or LCMS pastors. This triennium, the Africa Luther Academy pro- gram included the following courses: “Worship, Hymnody, and Lit- urgy” in Rwanda, Togo, Francophone Africa, and the DRC; “Rec - onciliation Through the Lens of the Small Catechism” in Rwanda; “Law and Gospel” in Zambia and Benin; “The Office of Pastoral Ministry” in Rwanda; “Preaching” in Zambia; and “Hermeneutics and Homiletics” in Kenya. These conferences address theological topics with practical application, intended for participants to be edi- fied, engaged, encouraged, and to have both content and confidence to immediately bring their experience to bear in their communities, proclaiming, Christ is risen, indeed! In support of the planting of churches and formation of church workers for those churches, the OIM Africa region has estab- lished four new FOROs around the work of Lutheran Theologi - cal Seminary in Pretoria, South Africa; the Confessional Lutheran Church-Malawi Synod; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Er - itrea; and LMA-STH in Rwanda. In each of these countries, the focus is on bringing salvation to every people and nation as we spread the Gospel, plant Lutheran churches, and show mercy. Dis- tricts, congregations, RSOs, and individuals of the LCMS attend our annual FOROs to receive reports, attend worship if the FORO is gathered around an altar and pulpit fellowship sister church, study theology, visit mission sites, and prayerfully support the ef- forts of these church bodies and our missionaries through short- term teams, vocational opportunities, and financial contributions. These FOROs join other collaborations in the region in support of specific projects, including the Agricultural Consultancy project, which rotates through countries on a three-to-five-year cycle and an advocacy group supporting the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya’s Project24/Christ’s Care for Children: Kenya programs. In the next triennium, the region expects to establish FOROs in Tanzania, Liberia, Guinea, Mozambique, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, 2026 Convention Workbook 26 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS ical conferences are held in numerous countries to support pastoral ministry so that pastors and their congregations can faithfully min- ister in their communities and extend the proclamation of Christ through the planting of churches. E.2. Plant Lutheran Churches The LCMS’ mission history in Asia is rich with stories of mis- sionaries arriving in and planting Lutheran churches in countries where no Lutheran (and few Christian) churches existed. While most of the current church planting is done by sister church bodies, OIM Asia is still actively planting churches and looks to expand that work. In the next triennium, OIM Asia plans to plant congregations near where LCMS expats live and work. This includes support for LCMS members and families teaching at international schools in East Asia. This also includes planting churches near active U.S. military bases in Guam and Japan, which not only provides pastoral care and Word and Sacrament ministry to LCMS members in the armed forces but also establishes permanent confessional Lutheran congregations to serve the local community. Asia region missionaries will continue supporting developing and sister churches as they plant and sustain Lutheran congrega - tions through pastoral mentoring and theological education. The Lutheran Church of the Philippines (LCP), the fruit of LCMS mis- sion work, is actively planting churches on the northern islands of the Philippines while the Tagakaulo Lutheran Church of Christ in the Philippines (TLCCP) continues planting congregations in Min- danao, even as it matures as a church body. Through pastoral men- torship and formal theological education in seminary formation, OIM Asia is actively assisting the LCP and the TLCCP extend the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout this archipelago with 14 church plants. Elsewhere in the region, missionaries are either planting or sup- porting the planting of congregations in Japan (four church plants), China (one church plant), Cambodia (27 preaching stations), and Australia (15 church plants). E.2.a. Pastoral Formation The planting of Lutheran churches necessitates the formation of pastors to preach the Gospel and rightly administer the Sacraments. OIM Asia supports the pastoral formation in four languages: En- glish, Tamil, Pigeon, and Mandarin. Concordia Theological Seminary in Nagercoil, India, has 95 seminarians studying English and preparing to serve Tamil-speak - ing people around southern India. Lutheran Theological Seminary in Baguio City, Philippines, has 18 students studying to serve as pastors, deaconesses, and church planters across the Philippines. In the uplands of Papua New Guinea, several Bible colleges feed students into Timothy Lutheran Seminary. Presently, 37 students are studying to serve as Pigeon-speaking pastors across Papua New Guinea. In September 2025, the China Evangelical Lutheran Church in Taiwan launched their church worker formation program with its first cohort of four students to provide church workers for the Mandarin-speaking world. In addition to supporting and strengthening these seminary programs, the Asia region will work to expand opportunities for pastoral formation. The Lutheran Theological Seminary – Australia is in development and hopes to have 10 students studying to be confessional Lutheran pastors and church planters to serve across the continent of Australia. include morning and evening devotions recognizable in Lutheran homes around the world. On school breaks, children return home to their families, extended families, or clans and share their faith. As children graduate from primary school, they receive scholarships to attend boarding secondary schools, attend an intensive pre-college Luther academy between secondary school and college, and finally receive scholarships to colleges and vocational schools, retaining their tight connection to the program and the spiritual care provided by the church all the way through to adulthood. The program sup- ports 305 students in secondary schools and colleges. Sponsorships by LCMS members, congregations, and other entities have enabled expansion of the program this year to bring more vulnerable chil - dren into close proximity to Word and Sacrament ministry so that they may proclaim with us, Christ is risen, indeed! Beyond these programs, the OIM Africa region supports min- istry to persons with disabilities, Word and Sacrament ministry to refugee populations, medical costs for church workers, construc- tion of parsonages and seminary buildings, ministry to prisons and hospitals, and an extension of Christ’s Care for Children to a newly expanded site in Mwadui, Tanzania. Through all these projects, the church shows mercy. E. Asia Region The preaching of Christ crucified and raised from the dead in the Asia region began in the late 1800s, when missionaries arrived in southern India. Over the last 130 years, hundreds of churches have been planted across southern India, and in September 2024, 100 years of pastoral formation was celebrated at Concordia Theologi - cal Seminary in Nagercoil, India. The work that began in the south- ern tip of India has expanded north, east, and south. The Office of International Mission – Asia Region now serves the subregions of East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, which inhabits approximately 4.8 billion people, representing roughly 60 percent of the global population. Presently, 21 OIM missionary families and one alliance mission- ary serve across 20 countries in Asia, and the LCMS gives thanks to God for the growth, faithfulness, and collaboration of its seven sister churches (IELC in India, LCHKS in Hong Kong, GLC in Papua New Guinea, LCP in the Philippines, LCK in South Korea, CELC in Sri Lanka, and CELC in Taiwan) in the work of spreading the Gospel, planting Lutheran churches, and showing mercy. E.1. Spread the Gospel The prophet Isaiah writes that the Word of God never returns empty, always accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent (Isa. 55:11). Across lands where Islamic calls for prayer blare over megaphones, the sound of monks chanting emanates from Bud- dhist temples, smoke rises from the offerings burned in small cans along the streets, and prayers are offered at family altars in homes, missionaries in Asia trust Isaiah’s Word. Through evangelism, translation, continuing theological education, music, and Christian education, missionaries spread the Gospel, knowing that the Lord is faithful to accomplish His purpose(s) through missionary work. Since the last Synod convention, Asia region missionaries have developed and offered sacred music courses and workshops that strengthened the worship life of local congregations and brought non-Christians in contact with the Gospel in song through special concerts and festivals. Sunday School curriculums with associated crafts have been developed and distributed to sister churches for use in Christian education programs. Annually, six to eight theolog- 2026 Convention Workbook 27 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS $405,000 to help Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil rebuild eight churches, reprint essential confessional materials destroyed in the disaster, and support a nationwide disaster-response train- ing conference attended by more than 200 pastors and laity. These efforts strengthened the IELB’s capacity to serve more than 2,200 affected Lutheran families, many of whom lost homes, church buildings, and livelihoods. In Chile, catastrophic wildfires devastated Viña del Mar, de- stroying more than 12,000 homes. LCMS Disaster Response sup- ported the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile with two grants totaling $310,000. These funds provided construction materials to rebuild 100 homes, sustained a Lutheran psychologist offering trau- ma counseling, supported ongoing food distribution (over 30,000 meals given), and funded full-time pastoral care, children’s min- istries, and volunteer construction teams from across Latin Ameri- ca. The project demonstrated a strong Lutheran mercy witness and served more than 8,000 people through preaching, teaching, and spiritual care. G. Ministry to the Armed Forces In a world that often feels shrouded in darkness—where cultur- al winds howl and threats to religious freedom grow louder—God has not left His people without witnesses. He has raised up faithful LCMS pastors to serve as military chaplains, carrying the unstop- pable, life-giving message into the hardest places: Christ is risen, indeed! While many denominations struggle to find qualified pastors willing to wear the uniform, the LCMS has been richly blessed. Dozens have answered the call to go where their flock goes—into training, into danger, into austere and lonely places—to preach in season and out of season that the tomb is empty and Christ lives. Our chaplains eat the same food, endure the same dust and cold, bear the same risks, all to shepherd souls with Word and Sacrament, showing the compassion of the risen Christ, who once said, “Peace be with you,” even while bearing His wounds. Yet the harvest is great, and the workers are still too few. If not us, then who will send shepherds to serve those who selflessly serve our nation (and their families)? We need more voices boldly proclaiming that death has been swallowed up in victory, that sin no longer has the last word, that because Jesus lives, every battlefield grave will one day give up its dead. Right now, 51 faithful LCMS chaplains serve on active duty, and another 65 ministers serve in the Reserve, National Guard, Civ- il Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and Veterans Affairs (V A)— plus 2 directors of religious education. They stand protected (for now) by law and Department of War policy to preach the Gospel in its truth and purity, without compromise, treating every soul with dignity while refusing to bend the knee to the spirit of the age. In an environment that daily tests conscience, they keep lifting high the cross and the empty tomb: Christ is risen, indeed! Your Ministry to the Armed Forces surrounds them with prayer, pastoral care, Lutheran continuing education, and fierce advocacy for religious liberty. We fight to keep them endorsed, equipped, and free to be faithful. Our goal: 70 active duty and 120 Reserve/Guard/ V A chaplains by 2027—so that no service member or veteran ever lacks a pastor who will look them in the eye and say with unshak- able certainty, Christ is risen, indeed! Every quarter we mail over 17,000 pieces of solid Lutheran de- votional material—Portals of Prayer, So Help Me God, and more— To support pastoral formation and church planting, the Asia re- gion has continued translating materials. Since the 2023 conven- tion, volumes from Chemnitz’ s Works, The Lutheran Difference, and Luther’s Small Catechism have been translated into Japanese. V olumes from Luther’ s Works as well as works by David Scaer, C.F.W. Walther, and William Weedon have been translated into Mandarin. Several resources, most notably the Baku Ibadah Luther (Indonesian hymnal), have been translated into Indonesian. E.2.b. FOROs To support the planting of Lutheran churches through the spreading of the Gospel and pastoral formation, the FORO model of mission support is being established in Asia and will expand. The first FORO was held in the Philippines in early March to sup- port and strengthen the work of Lutheran Theological Seminary in Baguio City, which serves the Philippines but also serves as the pastoral formation for several nations in Asia. The groundwork for FOROs in Australia and Japan was also laid in early 2026 to sup- port church planting and the formation of church planting pastors in those respective nations. OIM Asia’s goal is to have six developed FOROs in the next triennium. E.3. Show Mercy Mercy is always connected with the Gospel and flows from con- gregations where Christ is rightly preached and His Sacraments are rightly administered. In Taiwan, multiple English Bible camps are offered to connect the Taiwanese to the local Lutheran congrega - tion. In Cambodia, deaconesses were brought together for a con- tinuing education conference to strengthen their service to the com- munity. Across Asia, where typhoons and other natural disasters struck, the church came alongside the suffering with the Gospel of Christ crucified and raised from the dead. As the Asia region continues to spread the Gospel, plant Lu- theran churches, and show mercy in the most populated area on the planet, the Asia region extends deep gratitude to the Synod’s prayers, partnership, and ongoing support as well as our mutual confession of faith that Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia! F. Disaster Training and Response Since January 1, 2023, LCMS Disaster Response has supported work in 12 countries across three regions (Asia, Latin America, and Africa), providing $1,082,873 in grants to assist sister churches fol- lowing natural disasters. These grants primarily supported the re- building of Lutheran churches and schools, church worker homes, and community homes and the provision of food, water, and essen- tial relief supplies after natural disasters. F.1. Disaster Training Two major projects in Brazil and Chile exemplify the contin- ued implementation of 2023 Res. 3-04A, which directs the Synod to continue producing disaster-response training, resources, and grants. Together with similar work in Asia and Africa, LCMS Di- saster Response has strengthened sister churches, provided relief to suffering communities, and expanded the global Lutheran mercy presence during times of crisis. F.2. Disaster Response Significant work was carried out in Latin America following two major catastrophes in centers of Lutheranism. In Brazil, his- toric floods in 2024 severely affected the Rio Grande do Sul re- gion. LCMS Disaster Response funded three major grants totaling 2026 Convention Workbook 28 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS men to preach and teach the Word of Christ as pastors and to form and recruit youth and adults to teach and share the Word of Christ as LCMS commissioned church worker vocations is because it is through the Word of Christ they teach that the Holy Spirit creates, nourishes, and sustains saving faith for their life and salvation. A.1. Research and Measurables Having something become part of the culture of the LCMS, with its magnitude and wonderful complexity, takes the commit - ment and ownership of everyone across the Synod. The same is true for SAS. Ongoing research helps us measure our short-term impact and long-term trajectory. In our fourth annual youth survey, SAS learned conversations with church workers remains the most important trigger for youth who self-reported they are consider - ing church work. Youth are also stating that the top obstacle for considering church work—real or perceived—is the cost of tuition and expected salary upon graduation. From this research, SAS is strengthening its communication with influential adults as they play a most significant role in the increase in church workers. SAS is also strengthening its communication about the many ways the church has made church work programs more affordable. The 2025 annual influencer survey revealed SAS awareness has gone from zero to 91 percent in the last six years among ordained and commissioned workers and continues to rise among lay leaders to 58 percent. The survey also revealed a 10 percent increase in respondents reporting they are more prepared to talk about church work than the previous year. Also, ordained and commissioned workers reported that 74 percent of them are having one or more conversations with youth about considering church work, an in- crease of over 25 percent since SAS began. Through pilots, focus groups, presentations, stakeholder engagements, and more, SAS is striving to move these increases even higher. The 2025 annual congregation survey, focusing primarily on laypersons, revealed that the proportion of laypersons having at least one conversation with youth about church work has increased from 19 percent in 2023 to 30 percent in 2025. Yet, 15 percent of laypeople stated they are uncomfortable initiating church-work conversations but would be more comfortable with good resources and instruction. Therefore, SAS is working on improving current resources and developing new ones to meet this need. A.2. Collaboration Individuals and entities across the Synod are involved in mak- ing church work formation and recruitment become a part of our Synod’s culture. Leaders from eight districts are helping develop ways and sharing best practices for all the districts to focus on church work recruitment. Circuit visitors from thirteen districts are helping develop turnkey tools for circuit visitors to promote church work formation and recruitment in winkels, circuit gatherings, and interactions with the congregations and schools they serve. Edu- cation executives from six districts are partnering with SAS for a Facebook advertisement campaign targeted at public school edu- cators, encouraging them to consider teaching at an LCMS school. The first phase, working with the Minnesota South and South Wis- consin Districts, elicited nearly 400 responses from people who re- quested more information. Also, a theology professor from each of the Concordia universities and seminaries met with the SAS team to discuss how professors are forming the next generation of influ- ential adults who will form and recruit church ordained and com- missioned church workers. These conversations will help develop a turnkey resource for all our theology faculty. to more than 3,500 warriors, retirees, and V A patients around the globe, because man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God—and that Word made flesh has risen from the dead. Christ is risen, indeed! Our LCMS Operation Barnabas project is the church saying, “We will not forget our veterans.” Over 18 million American vet- erans walk among us; many sit silently in our pews or live in the shadow of our steeples, wounded in body and soul. Through 637 (and soon, Lord willing, 1,000) Operation Barnabas congregations, we are training the Church to bind up the brokenhearted, to pro- claim liberty to the captives, and to declare that the same Jesus who conquered death is mighty to save every veteran from despair, addiction, and the lingering echo of war. Adopt-A-Chap links congregations directly to deployed or serv- ing chaplains so that even in the loneliest outpost, a pastor knows his church back home is praying, writing, and standing with him as he proclaims the resurrection hope. And through the Doctor of Ministry in Military Chaplaincy, we sharpen these shepherds so that they can feed the flock with deeper wisdom while never leaving the battlefield. This is the mission: that every warrior, every veteran, every military family would hear and know the shout that changed the world forever—Christ is risen, indeed! And because He is risen, there is hope beyond the grave, healing beyond the wound, and a peace the world cannot give. Pray for our chaplains. Adopt a chaplain. Join or start an Operation Barnabas congregation. Send us the names of your sons, daughters, grand- children, and neighbors in uniform. Because the tomb is empty, the mission is urgent, and the victory is already won. Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Cory J. Rajek, Executive Director