Official Workbook PDF page source text

2026 Convention Workbook

332 LIFE TOGETHER

WHEREAS, Charlie Kirk encouraged young people to lead a chaste and decent life ( SC I, Sixth Commandment), to get married and have children according to God’s holy will (Gen. 1:28; 2:24;

9:1; Psalm 127:3; Matt. 19:5; Eph. 5:31), and to raise children to be Christians (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:1–4); and

WHEREAS, Charlie Kirk, in faithfulness to God’s Word spoke truthfully in defense of the unborn against the murder of abortion, against transgender ideology as an affront to God’s Word and Truth, and defended biblical marriage as the lifelong union between one man and one woman; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Kirk set a Christian example of defending the reason for the hope that is in him with gentleness and respect, confessing Jesus as our risen Lord who grants salvation to all who believe in Him (1 Peter 3:15b); and

WHEREAS, Charlie Kirk was murdered publicly before the world because of his Christian witness; and

WHEREAS, The murder of Charlie Kirk resulted in his defense of the Christian faith being shared in numerous videos across the internet, resulting in many being encouraged to seek out a Bible - believing church; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Kirk’s widow, in her Sept. 12, 2025, address to the nation, used her platform to confess Jesus Christ as the Savior of sinners, and urged everyone who was moved by Charlie’s death to join a Bible-believing church; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), while not in full doctrinal agreement with Charlie Kirk, nonetheless is a Bible-believing church body; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS receives and embraces “the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the pure, clear fountain of Israel ,” which is “the only true standard or norm by which all teachers and doctrines are to be judged ” (FC SD, Comprehensive Summary, 3); and

WHEREAS, The term Christian martyr can refer narrowly to Christians who are put to death by governmental authority for their confession of Christ, for example, John the Baptist, St. Stephen, etc.; and

WHEREAS, The term Christian martyr can refer more broadly to any Christian who, like Charlie Kirk, is killed for his public profession of the Christian faith; and

WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church acknowledges Christian martyrs who were murdered for their confession of Christ;

therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention give thanks to God for Charlie Kirk’s public confession of Christ Jesus as the only Savior of sinners; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod commend its pastors and congregations when they confess that Charles James Kirk died a Christian martyr.

Pastors’ Conference Wyoming District

Ov. 4-56

To Celebrate Concordia Historical Institute Centenary and Renew the Synod’s Commitment to Treasure and Trumpet Its Redeemed History Rationale Concordia Historical Institute (CHI) will observe its centenary anniversary on April 28, 2027, under the theme: “Treasuring & Trumpeting Our Lutheran History—for All the Saints.” Though officially incorporated as a Missouri State nonprofit in 1927, the i nstitute’s origins reach back to the organizational documents drafted in 1839 by the Saxons under Martin Stephan before they immigrated to Missouri—plans that included provision for a church archivist. This same conviction regarding the importance of preserving historical materials found expression in the founding C onstitution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) in 1847, when the office of Synod “Chronicler” was established.

After the death of the first generation of Synod leaders and the subsequent scattering and loss of important historical materials related to the Synod’s early years, a renewed commitment to preserving and proclaiming the redeeming work of Christ in the Synod’s history took shape. Various local efforts to safeguard historical materials continued until 343 charter members signed the

constitution of the Concordia Historical Society (Die KonkordiaHistorische Gesellschaft), crafted by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

(CSL), professor and administrator Ludwig Fuerbringer on Nov. 4, 1910. This society became the institutional model for CHI , which the Synod in convention recognized and commended in 1929 and later designated as the official LCMS “Department of Archives and History” at the 1965 Synod convention (Res. 14-11, Proceedings, 188).

Over the past 99 years, CHI has actively curated and published “Ebenezers” (i.e., memorials, 1 Sam. 7:12) of its history through its journal, the Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly , the longest - running Lutheran historical journal in North America, first published in April 1928 and comprehensively revised and expanded in 2014.

Since the construction of the CHI building on the campus of CSL in 1952, books, manuscripts, photographs, paintings, artifacts, and commemorative coins and medals have been displayed to commemorate Christ’s gracious work among the people and congregations of the Synod. Today, CHI manages a permanent museum exhibit chronicling the history of the Synod at the LCMS International Center in Kirkwood, M o. It also provides regularly rotating exhibits in the CHI Exhibition Hall on the CSL campus— and more recently, publishes printed exhibit catalogs and posts digital exhibits online.

The CHI staff responds daily to inquiries regarding the people, places, and events spanning the 179-year history of the Synod, providing the Synod with increased access to its archival materials and new publications that instill and deepen interest in Lutheran history.

The institute continues to serve as the “corporate memory” of the Synod, steadfastly reminding the Synod of its responsibility to learn with joy from the Lord’s redeeming hand in preserving and nurturing His people —especially in times of crisis — over these many years. CHI continues to offer archival services to districts, congregations, Synod entities, and leaders who bear fiduciary