Version History
Current published version
Today's Business, Issue 2B. p. 275. Revised published proposal.
Official Resolution Source Text
Resolution: 1-11
Canonical number: 1-11
Committee: National Witness
Source: Today's Business, Issue 1
Printed pages: pp. 65-66
PDF pages: 65-66
Version: original, superseded
Source reference: Issue 1, pp. 65-66
Line numbers follow Today's Business, Issue 1, with numbering reset on each printed page, so delegates can compare this page with the official PDF.
Page 65
- To Confess God’s Design for the Family
- RESOLUTION 1-11
- Overtures 1-24–25, 1-32 (CW, 289–291, 293)
- WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod upholds the scriptural mandate for families and the church to
- nurture faith in the home: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your
- children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road” (Deut. 6:6–7 NIV); and
- WHEREAS, Luther declares, “let everyone know that it is his duty, on peril of losing the divine favor, to bring up his
- children in the fear and knowledge of God above all things [Proverbs 1:7]” (LC I [Fourth Commandment] 174); and
- WHEREAS, The Fourth Commandment, as explained in the Large Catechism, places all authority over a child on the
- parents of that child, so that we confess, “For all authority flows and is born from the authority of parents. Where a father
- is unable alone to educate his … child, he uses a school master to teach the child. … So all whom we call ‘masters’ are in
- a place of parents and must get their power and authority to govern from them” (LC I [Fourth Commandment] 141–42);
- and
- WHEREAS, The Office of National Mission (ONM) and organizations that support those seeking to live according to
- God’s design for the family, such as Concordia Center for the Family, are great blessings to this work in the church; and
- WHEREAS, Government in our society—at federal, state, and local levels—has attempted or may attempt to step
- between children and their parents (impeding the parents’ duty to raise their children in the faith and life of the Christian
- confession) in various ways, including but not limited to:
- • laws that allow, recommend, or give children sex change operations or medical procedures for “transitioning”
- minors without parents’ approval;
- • laws that permit minors to get an abortion without parents’ approval;
- • laws that label parents who refuse their minor children sex change operations and procedures, or abortions, as
- engaging in child abuse;
Page 66
- • laws that remove children from the custody of parents who refuse their minor children sex change operations and
- procedures, or abortions;
- • school policies that encourage children to “transition,” use gender-confusing language, or introduce sexual or gender
- identities that do not conform with the child’s birth sex without parents’ approval;
- • school policies that promote various anti-scriptural social agendas without parents’ approval;
- Therefore be it
- Resolved, That the Synod in convention plainly state our religious objection to government interference in Christian
- parents’ duty to raise their children in the faith and life of the Christian confession; and be it further
- Resolved, That the Synod encourage all Synod congregations, pastors, commissioned workers, and lay leaders to make
- use of training and resources (such as those from the Family Ministry Office and Concordia Center for the Family); and
- be it further
- Resolved, That the ONM be prepared to inform congregations about public resources (such as the Alliance Defending
- Freedom) available to support their biblical convictions; and be it finally
- Resolved, That we urge our congregations and schools boldly to confess and witness to the truth in the public square.
