Official Workbook PDF page source text

2026 Convention Workbook 2

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

Board for National Mission: This board and its office, the Office of National Mission (ONM), are charged with working together with the districts of the Synod to provide assistance and resources for the domestic life and mission of our congregations. Our connections with the 35 districts, district presidents, and mission executives have never been better. Our Church Planting initiative is humming. Discipleship and Family Ministry resources are ramping up. And this is an effort that is unapologetically Lutheran, committed to the “order” of the Divine Service and the use of the hymnal. Free evangelism resources under Every One His Witness are available at everyonehiswitness.org, as are free re:Vitality church revitalization tools, which are available by contacting ONM. New resources regarding incorporating members into the congregation will be available at no cost later this year. Also, watch for what’s happening in our new All Nations effort, which is pulling together and resourcing efforts among many and various nationalities here in the U.S.

LCMS Schools $1,700 Tax Credit: The federal tax bill passed last year provides a new tax credit (effective January 2027) that allows eligible taxpayers to donate up to $1,700 to covered scholarship-granting organizations. For this, the taxpayer receives a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. That means up to a $1,700 reduction of federal income tax for dollars donated to a Lutheran school. Details are still pending, but we’re on it. And increased dollars, along with the faithful efforts of our Lutheran schools, have meant that we’ve seen an increase in LCMS school planting efforts, as more and more we’re asked to do Genesis Project studies to help start Lutheran schools.

Pastor and Church Worker Health and Well-Being: If you’ve attended a DOXOLOGY retreat, it’s more than likely that we’ve funded a portion of it. We are also able to provide dollars for Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat Ministry. Both DOXOLOGY and Shepherd’s Canyon are LCMS recognized service organizations dedicated to the care and well-being of church workers and their spouses. Soldiers of the Cross also provides financial support to pastors and church workers facing particularly difficult circum - stances, often by matching funds provided by the district.

LCMS Life Ministry: The Synod is the most recognized non-Catholic pro-life church in America. We are glad to stand for life with others in the public square. Over the past triennium, we have offered several millions in matching dollars to the life efforts of local LCMS congregations and entities. At last count, we have assisted 640,000 mothers and children through this effort. Unbelievable.

Office of International Mission: Despite deep challenges, the Lord continues to bless. Our missionaries have consistently been funded over a year ahead of need. That has dipped slightly as of late, but only because so many new missionaries have been added to our fields. Our Mission Central, located in Iowa and a vital extension of the work and service of LCMS Mission Advancement, does a phenomenal job supporting our missionaries and international efforts, raising millions of dollars. One-third of LCMS congregations support missionaries directly! That happens because missionaries personally visit congregations. Through missionary visits, congregations feel they know “their” missionaries and families. This type of connection ensures support through all economic trends. We’ve had quite a few retiring missionaries. We thank God for each and every one, but we can also thank God for a record year for new international missionary recruitment.

New Churches in Rome and Tel Aviv: Hard to believe, but we’re there—and in many other places across Europe. And finally, there is a start in Israel. Thanks be to God. Since our necessary break with the Japanese church in 2023 over the ordination of women, several faithful house churches have been established in the country.

Books in Many Languages: There has been a renaissance, even a revolution, in the publication and distribution of faithful, biblical, Lutheran books and resources. The Lutheran Heritage Foundation is a key partner here. In addition to a new Spanish hymnal, there are dozens of serious theological resources now translated through our Latin America regional office. And the list continues to grow! The same is true for Europe. Many of these resources are being used to help our All Nations Ministry support congregations as they reach out to our neighbors here in the U.S. who speak other languages.

It’s a joy to hear about how we’re reaching out to our neighbors here and around the world.

Church Relations: This past triennium, we continued our recently established International Church Relations Conferences.

Last fall in Wittenberg, we hosted 100 individuals from around the globe to study and discuss church fellowship. I presented a paper on admission to the Lord’s Supper in the Lutheran Confessions. Per Synod resolution, we have been urging our LCMS partner churches to leave the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The LWF is an organization driven by ELCA-type priorities and has had a profoundly detrimental theological impact wherever it has exerted influence.

Our sister churches recognize the problem and are responding in ways that uphold the true Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its articles.

Some churches have left the LWF. Of nine LCMS sister churches still LWF-affiliated, three are in the process of leaving. The issue is compounded by the fact that, years ago, some LCMS leaders and missionaries encouraged membership in the LWF.

Issues Resolved: There have been long-standing issues between the Ontario, Canada, congregations of the LCMS English District and the East Region of Lutheran Church—Canada (LCC). I’m happy to say that, through a Koinonia effort, those issues have been resolved, and we are now embarking on a new, hopefully fruitful, relationship among the districts, the LCC, and the LCMS.

Ongoing Conversations: We continue to hold annual conver - sations with our former partners in the Synodical Conference, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), who broke fellowship with us in 1955 and 1963, respectively. These conversations are a joy and a great blessing. This past triennium, I spoke to both synods at their conventions. I am the first LCMS president welcomed to address these bodies in convention in over 63 years.

We have very broad doctrinal agreement, and previous carica - tures have been eliminated. Our separated brothers have a profound love for the sacred Scriptures. We have come to a much better understanding of the Office of the Ministry and, after many hours, have noted that we could probably accept the differences of emphases that were present well before fellowship was broken. The nature of fellowship remains a challenge, but we in the LCMS now recognize greater nuance in the ELS/WELS positions than we previously thought. The role of women also remains a difficult challenge, as we are all wrestling with how to be biblically faithful while honoring women as fellow spiritual priests. Overall, I think it’s fair to say that we have all been encouraged by the progress made.