Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 63

2026 Convention Workbook
28 
OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
men to preach and teach the Word of Christ as pastors and to form 
and recruit youth and adults to teach and share the Word of Christ 
as LCMS commissioned church worker vocations is because it is 
through the Word of Christ they teach that the Holy Spirit creates, 
nourishes, and sustains saving faith for their life and salvation.
A.1. Research and Measurables
Having something become part of the culture of the LCMS, 
with its magnitude and wonderful complexity, takes the commit -
ment and ownership of everyone across the Synod. The same is 
true for SAS. Ongoing research helps us measure our short-term 
impact and long-term trajectory. In our fourth annual youth survey, 
SAS learned conversations with church workers remains the most 
important trigger for youth who self-reported they are consider -
ing church work. Youth are also stating that the top obstacle for 
considering church work—real or perceived—is the cost of tuition 
and expected salary upon graduation. From this research, SAS is 
strengthening its communication with influential adults as they play 
a most significant role in the increase in church workers. SAS is also 
strengthening its communication about the many ways the church 
has made church work programs more affordable.
The 2025 annual influencer survey revealed SAS awareness has 
gone from zero to 91 percent in the last six years among ordained 
and commissioned workers and continues to rise among lay leaders 
to 58 percent. The survey also revealed a 10 percent increase in 
respondents reporting they are more prepared to talk about church 
work than the previous year. Also, ordained and commissioned 
workers reported that 74 percent of them are having one or more 
conversations with youth about considering church work, an in-
crease of over 25 percent since SAS began. Through pilots, focus 
groups, presentations, stakeholder engagements, and more, SAS is 
striving to move these increases even higher.
The 2025 annual congregation survey, focusing primarily on 
laypersons, revealed that the proportion of laypersons having at 
least one conversation with youth about church work has increased 
from 19 percent in 2023 to 30 percent in 2025. Yet, 15 percent of 
laypeople stated they are uncomfortable initiating church-work 
conversations but would be more comfortable with good resources 
and instruction. Therefore, SAS is working on improving current 
resources and developing new ones to meet this need.
A.2. Collaboration
Individuals and entities across the Synod are involved in mak-
ing church work formation and recruitment become a part of our 
Synod’s culture. Leaders from eight districts are helping develop 
ways and sharing best practices for all the districts to focus on 
church work recruitment. Circuit visitors from thirteen districts are 
helping develop turnkey tools for circuit visitors to promote church 
work formation and recruitment in winkels, circuit gatherings, and 
interactions with the congregations and schools they serve. Edu-
cation executives from six districts are partnering with SAS for a 
Facebook advertisement campaign targeted at public school edu-
cators, encouraging them to consider teaching at an LCMS school. 
The first phase, working with the Minnesota South and South Wis-
consin Districts, elicited nearly 400 responses from people who re-
quested more information. Also, a theology professor from each of 
the Concordia universities and seminaries met with the SAS team 
to discuss how professors are forming the next generation of influ-
ential adults who will form and recruit church ordained and com-
missioned church workers. These conversations will help develop a 
turnkey resource for all our theology faculty.
to more than 3,500 warriors, retirees, and V A patients around the 
globe, because man does not live by bread alone but by every word 
that comes from the mouth of God—and that Word made flesh has 
risen from the dead. Christ is risen, indeed!
Our LCMS Operation Barnabas project is the church saying, 
“We will not forget our veterans.” Over 18 million American vet-
erans walk among us; many sit silently in our pews or live in the 
shadow of our steeples, wounded in body and soul. Through 637 
(and soon, Lord willing, 1,000) Operation Barnabas congregations, 
we are training the Church to bind up the brokenhearted, to pro-
claim liberty to the captives, and to declare that the same Jesus 
who conquered death is mighty to save every veteran from despair, 
addiction, and the lingering echo of war.
Adopt-A-Chap links congregations directly to deployed or serv-
ing chaplains so that even in the loneliest outpost, a pastor knows 
his church back home is praying, writing, and standing with him as 
he proclaims the resurrection hope.
And through the Doctor of Ministry in Military Chaplaincy, we 
sharpen these shepherds so that they can feed the flock with deeper 
wisdom while never leaving the battlefield. This is the mission: that 
every warrior, every veteran, every military family would hear and 
know the shout that changed the world forever—Christ is risen, 
indeed!
And because He is risen, there is hope beyond the grave, healing 
beyond the wound, and a peace the world cannot give. Pray for our 
chaplains. Adopt a chaplain. Join or start an Operation Barnabas 
congregation. Send us the names of your sons, daughters, grand-
children, and neighbors in uniform. Because the tomb is empty, the 
mission is urgent, and the victory is already won.
Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
Cory J. Rajek, Executive Director
R1.2.3
Office of Pastoral Education
The office of Pastoral Education (PED), supervised by the Chief 
Mission Officer (CMO), assists the President in executing respon-
sibilities related to pastoral formation and care that are assigned 
to him: “The [CMO] shall, on behalf of the President, provide 
leadership, coordination, and oversight for pre-seminary education 
programs, seminary education, and post-seminary continuing edu-
cation, and by providing advocacy for pastoral education and health 
within the Synod” (Bylaw 3.4.3.8). The PED executive director is 
responsible for facilitating the prior-approval process for initial ap-
pointments to seminary faculties (Bylaw 3.10.5.7.3 [a]) and is a 
nonvoting advisory member of the Pastoral Formation Committee 
(Bylaw 3.10.4.6).
A. Set Apart to Serve
Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is a culture of forming, encourag-
ing, and recruiting our youth and adults—from infancy through 
adulthood—to consider a full-time church work vocation in every 
LCMS congregation, home, school, district, and entity. To sustain 
this culture until the Lord returns, it is vital that every pastor, com-
missioned church worker, parent, and layperson intentionally forms 
and encourages our youth and adults to consider full-time church 
work and walks with them through that journey.
The purpose of the church forming and recruiting boys and