To Confess God’s Design for the Family

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1. 1To Confess God’s Design for the Family
2. 2RESOLUTION 1-11A
3. 3Overtures 1-24–25, 32 (CW, 289–291, 293)
4. 4WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod upholds the scriptural mandate for families and the church
5. 5to nurture faith in the home: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them
6. 6on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road” (Deut. 6:6– 7 NIV);
7. 7and
8. 8WHEREAS, Luther declares, “let everyone know that it is his duty, on peril of losing the divine favor, to bring up his
9. 9children in the fear and knowledge of God above all things [Proverbs 1:7]” (LC I [Fourth Commandment] 174); and
10. 10WHEREAS, The Fourth Commandment, as explained in the Large Catechism, places all authority over a child on the
11. 11parents of that child, so that we confess, “For all authority flows and is born from the authority of parents. Where a
12. 12father is unable alone to educate his … child, he uses a school master to teach the child. … So all whom we call ‘masters’
13. 13are in a place of parents and must get their power and authority to govern from them” (LC I [Fourth Commandment]
14. 14141–42); and
15. 15WHEREAS, The Office of National Mission (ONM) and organizations that support those seeking to live according
16. 16to God’s design for the family, such as Concordia Center for the Family, are great blessings to this work in the c hurch;
17. 17and
18. 18WHEREAS, Government in our society—at federal, state, and local levels —has attempted or may attempt to step
19. 19between children and their parents (impeding the parents’ duty to raise their children in the faith and life of the Christian
20. 20confession) in various ways, including but not limited to:
21. 21• laws that allow, recommend, or give children sex change operations or medical procedures for “transitioning”
22. 22minors without parents’ approval;
23. 23• laws that permit minors to get an abortion without parents’ approval;
24. 24• laws that label parents who refuse their minor children sex change operations and procedures, or abortions, as
25. 25engaging in child abuse;
26. 26• laws that remove children from the custody of parents who refuse their minor children sex change operations and
27. 27procedures, or abortions;
28. 28• school policies that encourage children to “transition,” use gender-confusing language, or introduce sexual or
29. 29gender identities that do not conform with the child’s birth sex without parents’ approval;
30. 30• school policies that promote various anti-scriptural social agendas without parents’ approval;
31. 31Therefore be it
32. 32Resolved, That the Synod in convention plainly state our religious objection to government interference in Christian
33. 33parents’ duty to raise their children in the faith and life of the Christian confession; and be it further
34. 34Resolved, That the Synod encourage all Synod congregations, pastors, commissioned workers, and lay leaders to
35. 35make use of training and resources (such as those from the Family Ministry Office and Concordia Center for the Family);
36. 36and be it further
37. 37Resolved, That the ONM be prepared to inform congregations about public resources available to support their
38. 38biblical convictions; and be it finally
39. 39Resolved, That we urge our congregations and schools boldly to confess and witness to the truth in the public square.