Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 163

2026 Convention Workbook
128 
OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
to invite the leadership of believers from all ethnicities. 
D. Supporting LCMS Pastoral Formation
In light of the continual challenge to provide pastors for our con-
gregations (we face vacancy rates of 25–30 percent, which is 10–15 
percent higher than the Synod average) and in keeping with 2023 
Res. 6-02A, “To Encourage Proper Pastoral Formation through 
Our Synod’s Seminaries,” our district has invested in the distance 
education pastoral formation programs of our Synod seminaries. 
Even as we continue to send men to residential study at our Synod 
seminaries, we have made a commitment to fund tuition grants for 
students entering Center for Hispanic Studies, Ethnic Immigrant 
Institute of Theology, Specific Ministry Pastor, and Cross-Cultural 
Ministry Center because we recognize that the congregations uti-
lizing these avenues to provide for pastoral ministry are often the 
congregations least in position to afford calling a full-time pastor 
to fill that need. We have found these distance avenues for pastoral 
formation to be a tremendous blessing for the district and for our 
Synod. 
E. Summary 
These are simply a few of our initiatives. As all LCMS districts 
do, we are continually seeking to resource and support our congre-
gations, schools, and church workers. We have 240 congregations, 
22 elementary schools, 4 high schools, and 85 early childhood 
programs across the district, which includes four states (Washing-
ton, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska) and a church in Hong Kong. With the 
largest geographic reach of any LCMS district, and being the fifth 
most ministries, we have a variety of challenges and endless oppor-
tunities as we carry the good news that Christ is risen; He is risen 
indeed.
Michael T. V on Behren, President
R44
Ohio District
Scripture Alone was the theme of the Ohio District’s 2025 con-
vention, based on 1 Thess. 2:13. Drawing from our Reformation 
heritage, the theme speaks to our continuing confession that Scrip-
ture is the sole source and norm of Christian faith and life. 
Since the purpose of Scripture is to reveal Jesus’ work of justi-
fication, the district celebrates the 2026 Synod convention theme, 
Christ Is Risen Indeed. The theme itself is based on 1 Cor. 15:20–22.
Ohio District Planning
District president visitation in 2022–23 found district churches 
remaining steadfast in confessional Lutheran doctrine and practice. 
However, an inordinate number of congregations were struggling 
with mission and ministry coming out of the pandemic. Congre-
gational leaders were unsure how to bring back members who left 
during the pandemic and how to reach unchurched and spiritually 
lost people in their communities. 
To learn the congregational and school needs and opportunities, 
the district partnered with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund to 
create a district planning process. The process started by gather -
ing church and school leaders in regional discovery sessions. Af-
ter sharing the needs and opportunities of their congregations, the 
leaders were sent home to share what they learned from fellow 
church leaders. The process also sought feedback from school ad-
district, finding that there were three key behaviors exhibited by 
trusted adults in their lives that made a significant impact on their 
choice to enter a church work vocation. First, the adult showed up 
non-judgmentally and got to know them. Second, that trusted adult 
saw something in them. Third, that trusted adult found creative ways 
to say yes to that youth’s ideas for serving in the church. Our YLI is 
all about encouraging and tracking these key behaviors throughout 
our ministries: (1) know the youth, (2) name the gift, and (3) find 
the next yes. 
A.3. Invest School Leadership
Invest is a leadership development process in our school minis-
tries that prepares educators for administrative levels of leadership 
in school organizations. Administrators identify teachers and staff 
members with the potential to be servant leaders at the adminis -
trative level and begin pouring into them as mentors through the 
district Invest program. Invest offers cohort-based curriculum spe-
cifically targeted to school leadership. This also becomes an avenue 
for colloquy conversations for non-rostered teachers and opens a 
pathway to a formal church work vocation. 
A.4. Mission Training Center (MTC)
Lay leaders in congregations have need for training and equip-
ping too. The long history of lay training in the district led to the 
establishment of Mission Training Center (MTC). MTC is an online 
training opportunity that offers courses and webinars in worship 
planning, devotional leading, community outreach, Christian doc-
trine, spiritual care, and much more. Once operated in partnership 
with Concordia University, Portland, the district currently partners 
with the California-Nevada-Hawaii and Pacific Southwest Districts 
to offer MTC through Concordia University, Irvine. Districts across 
the Synod access and utilize this valuable lay training resource. 
A.5. Set Apart to Serve
These four prior key leadership emphases have enabled us very 
naturally to engage in fulfilling 2023 Res. 6-01, “To Affirm and 
Strengthen Set Apart to Serve in Word and Action.” Our leadership 
initiatives—NOW LI, YLI, Invest, and MTC—provide a broad fun-
nel from which people engage Set Apart to Serve resources and con-
sider at a deeper level a life of service in vocational church work.
B. District Grant Programs
The district offers Catalyst grants, Faith in Community grants, 
and Community Care grants to encourage new ministries—and new 
bridges into our communities—through congregations. Ministry en-
tities are given the opportunity to request time-limited grants that 
are designed to help them start something new in their scope of in-
fluence.
C. All Peoples Commission
The district recognizes that the Gospel is for all nations, tribes, 
peoples, and languages whom we will one day join with as redeemed 
believers in Jesus from all over the world around the throne of God 
(Rev. 7:9). We also realize, as 2023 Res. 11-03A, “To Love and Dis-
ciple Peoples of All Ethnicities, Languages, and Skin Colors,” well 
noted, that our nation is increasingly home to people from all regions 
of the world, giving us a unique opportunity to engage the mission 
of the Church right here. We view this as an opportunity to learn 
from and invest in leaders from a variety of ethnic backgrounds who 
share our confession of Jesus Christ as LCMS Lutheran Christians. 
Our district’s All Peoples Commission is encouraging ministries to 
engage in Gospel-focused ministry to partner with, to invest in, and