Official Workbook report source text
Official Workbook source-navigation report record. No analysis has been added.
- Report number/id
- R20
- Report title
- R20 Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty
- Workbook start page
- 102
- Workbook end page
- 105
- Source pages
- 102, 103, 104, 105
- Source status
- source_checked
- Committee
- Not available
R20 Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty Introduction—LCRL Basics The mission of the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty (LCRL), ation of a captive reinsurance company to facilitate the offer- ing of property and casualty insurance coverages to LCMS ministries. In 2025, the Commission on Constitutional Mat- ters confirmed that the LCMS Board of Directors (BOD) can authorize and assign such an activity to CPS. In January 2026, the LCMS BOD approved CPS taking the next steps to commence operation of a captive reinsurance company to be named Concordia Risk Solutions (CRS). CPS expects CRS to receive a license to operate in the spring of 2026, and for CRS to commence operations soon thereafter. Operations are expected to begin with a small number of ministries and grow at a conservative, sustainable pace so CRS remains fi- nancially stable as it grows. • Through years of work to drive better health outcomes, meet CHP members’ needs, and limit costs, CPS was able to drive savings that are expected to reduce CHP expenses by more than $90 million over a three-year span. C. Conclusion C.1. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Strengths The Concordia Plans are an organizational strength, each caring for Synod workers and their families. • The combination of the CRP pension and the Concordia Re- tirement Savings Plan 403(b) offers LCMS ministries and workers a level of financial stability they cannot achieve alone. Through shared participation, ministries pool resourc- es to secure lifetime retirement income for workers, while empowering individual savings for retirement. • The Concordia Disability and Survivor Plan (CDSP) is a comprehensive protection package, providing income re- placement and life insurance benefits that safeguard workers and families. Recent changes have led to a decreased CDSP rate for most ministries. • Through the collective purchasing power of participating ministries, CPS provides access to health plan options that would be out of reach for most individual employers. We are able to negotiate competitive rates without adding prof- it margins—delivering greater value to both ministries and workers. Weaknesses • The cost of healthcare across the country is rising and sub- sequently the cost of the CHP is viewed by some ministries as a challenge. CPS is addressing this by balancing cost and health outcomes while focusing on resources to help man- age health conditions, renegotiating contracts, managing our vendor partners, and consistently searching for the most ef- fective and efficient way to provide care and support. Opportunities • Actions taken by or within any of the three branches of the U.S. government can impact the legal and regulatory outlook for the Concordia Plans and those we serve. Our involve - ment with the Church Alliance helps CPS advocate on behalf of those we serve and allows CPS to manage those Plans as designed to meet the needs of LCMS ministries and workers, without undue governmental interference. 2026 Convention Workbook 103 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS This void is now filled by the growing and expanding voice of the LCRL for the betterment of the country and in opposition to any movements, views, or legislation that would harm the right of religious freedom in the public square. The LCRL office offers advantages. • It maintains a direct presence of the LCMS and like-minded Lutherans in the nation’s capital. • It enables the LCMS to monitor and communicate impend - ing legislation, infringement on religious liberty, and other matters of concern to LCMS members, congregations, rec- ognized service organizations, and other LCMS institutions. • It provides a venue and a process through the Champions for Liberty Religious Network to engage, encourage, and equip Lu- therans of all ages to exercise their vocations as part of God’s preserving work through government or political engagement. • It offers proximity to a growing list of partner organizations and offices to help build coalitions, thus strengthening our First Amendment voice in Washington, D.C. Four Primary Tasks 1. Advocacy and Encouragement on Capitol Hill: Through our active presence on Capitol Hill—including advocacy meetings (Values Action Team meetings with Senate and House), direct engagement with members of Congress and the Executive Branch (personal as well as via radio), and our expanding broadcast outreach through The Liberty Ac- tion Alert—we work to ensure that the concerns of LCMS churches, schools, and universities are faithfully represented before civil authorities. We also encourage and support those who labor in public office to uphold religious liberty and the God-given rights of the Church. 2. Education and Assistance a. Through its expanding body of r esources, the LCRL equips Synod laity with a faithful understanding of major cultural and legal challenges, the Lutheran doctrine of vo- cation (especially Christian citizenship), and the theology of the two kingdoms. In this way, believers are prepared to serve their neighbors in the civil realm while supporting and preserving the Church’s Gospel mission. b. Through trusted partnerships (with Alliance Defending Freedom [ADF], First Liberty Institute, Liberty Counsel, and the Becket Fund), the LCRL assists Christians and congregations in securing legal support and critical re- sources when they face opposition, litigation, or govern- ment action for confessing and living according to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. 3. Advocacy, Training, and Support: Through our Cham- pions for Liberty Network, the LCRL provides advocacy training, strategic coaching, and ongoing support for Synod congregations, schools, and universities. This work equips laity to live out their Christian vocation in God’s left-hand kingdom with clarity, courage, and confessional faithfulness. 4. Publication and Communication: In partnership with like-minded organizations and public leaders, the LCRL communicates an orthodox Lutheran, two-kingdom perspec- tive on cultural, legal, and public policy matters to govern- ing authorities, ensuring that a clear and faithful Lutheran witness is maintained in the public square. Resources in this The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) two-kingdom, First Amendment organization in Washington, D.C., is to ignite and advance a distinctly Lutheran response to increasing government intrusions into the life of the Church, while educating, encouraging, and equipping LCMS members and organizations to take informed action in defense of religious freedom for the sake of the Gospel ministries of our churches, schools, and universities. Purpose and Services The Synod, through the LCRL, monitors and protects the church’s First Amendment rights—guaranteed by the U.S. Con- stitution—in the public square so that our churches, schools, and universities can continue to boldly preach Christ crucified as the power of God for salvation without government coercion or inter- ference. The LCRL will equip Lutherans and Lutheran organiza - tions to 1. engage federal and state officials through advocacy and de- fensive legal strategies; 2. educate future generations about serving God through voca- tions in government, law, and public policy; and 3. connect with Lutherans involved in government affairs. Where the government, the culture, and faith conflict, Lu- therans can and must speak up and out in support of religious liberty. Why This Matters We are living in a time when Christian values and morals are under attack culturally, legally, and politically, with cultural and political forces throughout society committed to • aggressively chipping away at Americans’ most basic re- ligious liberties, despite the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment; • rapidly deconstructing and redefining, through law and liti - gation, the biblical understanding of marriage and the family, the foundational building block of our culture; • discarding as inconsequential, despite the defeat of Roe v. Wade, the lives of more than 67 million preborn Americans; • politically and legally targeting Christian schools and pre- schools, in defiance of constitutional protections, because of their biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality; and • politicizing and demonizing the public expression of the Christian faith, including its central proclamation of “Christ alone crucified,” in an effort to silence any faithful public witness to the whole counsel of God—the very heartbeat of our Lutheran identity and calling. An evaluation of current faith-based entities and think tanks in Washington, D.C., indicates a plethora of groups and institutions that support the protection of religious liberty. However, none of- fer the distinctly confessional Lutheran understanding of Luther’s two-kingdom theology: One is the kingdom of this world. Into it we are born; in it we sustain our bodies and do our work. The other is the Christian Church, in which we have become members by faith. In it we do our spiritual tasks; in it we pray, serve the Church, and do mission-work. This is the purpose for which we have been placed on earth. (Dr. Theodore Graebner, “Christian Citizen- ship,” essay for the 1937 English District convention) 2026 Convention Workbook 104 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS o Partnership with ADF, First Liberty, and Liberty Coun- sel in various efforts to offer both our two-kingdom voice/training coupled with their legal support to the issues that beset our churches and schools today. Challenge: While the LCRL presence has been es- tablished, the next phase of development needs to further establish our unique voice in the cultural/ political issues of the day. Expanding our role on committees, expanding our radio voice, and be- coming a go-to resource for two-kingdom answers to the issues surrounding liberty, life, marriage, and education are the challenges of the next step in advocacy. • LCRL established and has grown the main LCRL website, lcrlfreedom.org, the two-kingdom web resource for LCMS churches and schools. o Presently the site is populated with timely and easy-to- read resources to inform and instruct our people how “to put their temporal liberties to work for the sake of the eternal liberties of Christ.” These include the week- ly Word from the Center, Mom and Pop Two-Kingdom Paper, Liberty Action Alert podcasts, Prayer Partner Thursdays, and the Champions Advocate Weekly. Challenge: The resources, which are many and growing, need to be more known, accessible, and more easily investigated for use and application by our people. We are working to index these. Challenge: Social media use is a necessity. We are presently working to put our information on mul- tiple platforms for the sake of our churches and ministries. • LCRL established a growing Champions for Liberty Net- work of churches, which are trained not only in two-king- dom engagement of various issues in our culture, but are also trained and equipped to engage this issue in service to the mission of the Church, not as political ideologues. Un- der the leadership of the Rev. Mark Frith, we have digitally uploaded our information and our lectures and have created a “Champion’s Training Process” that empowers pastors and laity to learn to put one’s “temporal liberties to work in ser - vice to the eternal liberties of the Gospel,” without politiciz- ing our mission and witness. o Rev. Frith is growing the Champions Network, mak- ing it the support organization for our D.C. presence as well as equipping our laity to serve in their home communities. o He has digitalized our Champions for Liberty educa- tional process, both lecture and application, to prepare and equip Christians for differentiating God’s preserv- ing and saving work, thus being more effective in the left-hand kingdom work in service to the mission of the Church—without politicizing the Gospel, as many ad- vocacy groups are tempted to do. o From 2019 to present, LCRL conducted over 100 Champions for Liberty Weekends with churches and schools to frame and empower pastoral and lay leaders to engage the seminal issues of liberty, life, marriage, and educational freedom with a two-kingdom mind- regard include the webpage LCRLFreedom.org, the Liber- ty Action Alert (podcast), the Word from the Center, Prayer Partner Thursdays, the Champions Advocate Weekly , and Mom and Pop Papers. Alignment with LCMS goals 1. Mission planting: This office exists to protect the pub- lic voice, the religious liberty of our churches, missions, schools, and universities for the sake of mission. 2. Theological education: The LCRL is building a network of churches who are trained and deployed with a “2KG [two-kingdom] Civics” mindset to deal with the issues in culture and politics for the sake of the mission of the Church. This training program, network of influence, and leadership may continue to grow into an academic program, training the next generation of leadership for our church as well. 3. Collaborate to enhance mission effectiveness: The LCRL effort will, in all its teachings and literature, emphasize why and how “two-kingdom cultural engagement” is vital to ef- fective missional outreach. Great Opportunities Seized in 2023–26 • LCRL established a growing LCMS two-kingdom citizen - ship voice in Washington, D.C., including the following ac- tivities. o Regular member participation with various advocacy groups, such as the Values Action Team of the House and Senate, the National Right to Life, the March for Life, the Southern Baptist ERLC group, the Religious Liberty Network (RLN), the Religious Freedom Insti- tute (RFI), the Heritage Foundation, and the Weyrich Luncheon, all seeking to undergird religious liberty, the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and educational freedom. o Advocacy visits on the Hill, including visits and inter - views with representatives and thought leaders on the Hill. o Creating and leading 2KG Roundtable Meetings on the Hill bringing together political leaders, LCMS leaders, and various supporters to enhance our witness on the Hill. o Our growing D.C. radio program and LCRL podcast, The Liberty Action Alert with Greg Seltz (292 programs and counting), which both advocates for our positions with leaders in the country and informs our congrega- tions about issues, advocacy, and action in interviews with thought leaders on the Hill. Guests include Sen. Cynthia Lummis (LCMS), Sen. Steve Daines, Rep. Robert Aderholt, Sen. James Lankford, Os Guinness (culture), Eric Metaxas (culture), Dr. Victor Davis Han- son, (culture, politics), John Stonestreet (culture), Fa- ther Frank Pavone (life), Jeanne Mancini (life), Carrie Campbell Severino (judiciary), Mike Berry (judicia- ry), Kelly Shackelford (judiciary), Mat Staver (courts, culture), Katharine Gorka (culture), George Barna (culture), Lt. Col. (Ret.) Allen West, Larry Elder, Tim Goeglein (culture), George Tryfiates (education), Jami- son Coppola (education), and Dr. Ben Carson (politics, culture, education). 2026 Convention Workbook 105 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS people reside in this district that is composed of the vast rural areas in its northern and eastern regions; the sprawling suburban areas throughout its northern, central, and eastern regions; and the bus- tling metropolitan areas of Albany (in its northern region) and the city of New York (in its central region). The district has an unparal- leled cultural diversity and population density, replete with exciting mission opportunities. The Atlantic District’ s congregations, work- ers, and agencies share God’ s grace in Christ Jesus by nurturing Christians and reaching out to others (district mission statement) as it is Making Disciples for Life (Synod mission emphasis) by En- gaging the World with the Gospel of Hope (district mission empha- sis). Communication, education, and celebration have been “res- urrection hallmarks” for this triennium as the saints are abounding in hope that is encapsulated in the refrain “Christ is risen, indeed.” A. Communication Communicating the confessional commitment of children of the Augustana continues in earnest through the district memoran - dum, through which Scripture, Confessions, a theological medita - tion, and Synod, district, and other announcements are shared. This underscores the confessional commitment of children of the Au- gustana who affirm Making Disciples for Life (district convention resolution [R]4-02) and the Synod’s mission priorities (2019 Res. 4-03). “Christ is risen, indeed!” resounds as visitation, support, and resourcing continues for congregations, workers, and agencies. The Atlantic District Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) continued to be active and growing during this triennium, communicating Atrévete en Cristo, “Dare in Christ,” as new local groups were started in the district during this triennium. Simulta - neously communicating mission goals and district goals has under- scored a delightful relationship with this auxiliary. LWML Atlantic District women have been advocates for Engaging the World with the Gospel of Hope as they have been reassessing, reimagining, and re-engaging people in neighborhoods and communities while sup- porting professional church workers in their vocations. Their cards and gifts for pastors have been welcomed reminders of how they join Saint Mary of Magdala in exclaiming, “Christ is risen, indeed.” B. Education The annual Festival of Workshops has attracted hundreds of lay- people, commissioned servants, and pastors with the themes Mak- ing Disciples for Life and In This Hope, We Were Saved. Learning opportunities range from scriptural and doctrinal studies, prayer and worship, mercy and witness, parish governance, and much more (R1-01A, R1-02A, R1-03A, R1-05A, R1-08A, R3-01, R3- 02A, R3-03A, R3-04A, R5-11, R5-15, R6-03A, R12-05A, R12- 06). At the scenic campus of SUNY Maritime, people of the district enjoy reconnecting and encouraging one another during this antici- pated and appreciated annual educational tradition. An emphasis on the care of the wives of pastors (R6-09) has continued the paschal proclamation as retreats and other gathering opportunities foster community. Circuit gatherings and convoca - tions also have provided avenues for wives to connect and encour- age one another in the mission field. Pastors’ conferences grounded in the resurrection proclamation “Christ is risen” facilitated discus- sions about worship and evangelism in global contexts (R2-02A, R2-05, R2-07A, R4-04). Circuit winkels continue to provide op- portunities for robust theological discussion and mutual encourage- ment (R6-07A). The schools of the Atlantic District have received significant set, good both for the culture and the mission of the Church. Challenge: Continuing to grow and streamline the delivery process of the Champions Network educational process and to ensure its applica - tion to the many needs of our congregations and schools. Challenge: Adding a more definitive legal di- mension to the resources that we provide with a church’s partnership with us as a Champion Church. Presently, we defer to organizations such as ADF, First Liberty, Liberty Counsel, and the Becket Fund. Goals for 2026 and Beyond 1. Membership expansion of web resource, radio program/ podcasts, vlogs, and cadre of 2KG writers in service to the Church. 2. In D.C., encourage Lutherans on the Hill; expand 2KG Roundtables, and increase personal connections to repre- sentatives and thought leaders on the Hill who align with our LCRL values. 3. Expand Card Initiative, Champions Advocate Email, and personal advocacy. 4. Become the go-to public resource on the Hill for two-king- dom perspectives on the issues of the day; assemble an LCMS two-kingdom collection that reflects successful voices like The Federalist, Daily Wire, etc. 5. Develop a maturing Champions for Liberty Network in service to the LCMS, acknowledged and supported by the various districts of the LCMS —20 new congregations. o The educational aspects of the network have been totally digitalized under the leadership of Rev. Mark Frith, who is also tasked to grow the network system- atically through events around the country. Champi - ons for Liberty events around the country train the la- ity for two-kingdom cultural engagement concerning liberty, life, marriage, and education, all in service to the Church’s mission. o The LCRL is also expanding our LCRLFreedom.org web resource, utilizing social media more effectively. 6. LCRL staff-led development growth of financial partners (25 core donors, 10,000+ active regular donors). 7. While God continues to bless us with the support that we need, more effectively meeting the growing opportunities and challenges will require growing staff and support. In order to do the latter, the LCRL is now partnering with Meyer Partners to unlock the potential of our churches and people toward the efforts that the LCRL is making on be- half of us all. Gregory P. Seltz, Executive Director