To Clarify Lutheran Identity in Connection with the Concordia Universities

To Clarify Lutheran Identity in Connection with the Concordia Universities

RESOLUTION 7-07 Overtures 7-04–07 (CW, 422–24)

WHEREAS, The 2023 Synod convention (Res. 7 -04B, “To Revise Bylaws to Revisit and Renew Relationship of Colleges and Universities with the Synod,” Proceedings, 170–72) revised Bylaw subsection 3.6.6 to direct the Concordia University System (CUS) Board of Directors (BOD) to develop and adopt Lutheran Identity Mission Outcome Standards

(LIMOS), which were adopted in February 2024 (in.lcms.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LIMOS-2024.pdf); and

WHEREAS, The LIMOS are used during official CUS visitations of the Concordia universities, the goal being to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each university relative to the Lutheran identity standards adopted by the Synod

(2016 Res. 7-01A, “To Adopt Lutheran Identity Statement for CUS Institutions as Prepared by CUS Presidents,” Proc., 171–72); and

WHEREAS, The first round of evaluations of the Concordia universities by the CUS has recently been completed; and

WHEREAS, Following this initial round of evaluations, some questions have been raised as to the breadth and depth of the term Lutheran identity, and especially as to how it should be understood in connection with, and applied to, our Concordia universities; and

WHEREAS, The Lord is a God of clarity and order, and it is good, right, and salutary for His Church to seek clarity and order in all things; therefore be it

Resolved, That the CUS BOD, in consultation with the Commission on Theology and Church Relations, shall define and clarify what is meant by Lutheran identity and how it should be understood in connection with our Concordia universities, and shall issue a report to the 2029 Synod convention, at the same time issuing the same report to the boards of regents of our Concordia universities; and be it further

Resolved, That the CUS BOD shall continue to utilize, and develop further as necessary, the LIMOS, while strengthening and clarifying them with references to the scriptural and confessional bases for the standards, and making the updated, strengthened, and clarified LIMOS available to the Synod on the CUS website.