Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 367

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 
W
HEREAS, 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 
W
HEREAS, 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 
W
HEREAS, 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 
W
HEREAS, 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 Konkordia-
Historische 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