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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 85

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
“One is the kingdom of this world. Into it we are born;
in it we sustain our bodies and do our work. The other is
the Christian Church, in which we have become members by
faith. In it we do our spiritual tasks; in it we pray, serve the
Church, and do mission-work. This is the purpose for which
we have been placed on earth.”—Dr. Theodore Graebner,
1937 Synod in convention
This void is now filled by the growing voice of the LCRL for
the betterment of the country and in opposition to any movements,
views, or legislation that would harm the right to religious freedom
in the public square.
The LCRL office offers advantages, specifically that it:
•

creates a direct presence of the LCMS and like-minded Lutherans in the nation’s capital;

•

enables the LCMS to monitor and communicate impending
legislation as well as infringement on religious liberty and
other matters of concern to LCMS members, congregations,
recognized service organizations, and other LCMS institutions;

•

provides a venue and a process to engage, encourage, and
equip Lutherans of all ages to exercise their vocations as part
of God’s preserving work through government or political
engagement; and

•

offers proximity to a growing list of partner organizations
and offices to help build coalitions, thus strengthening our
First Amendment voice in Washington, DC.

The LCRL’s Four Primary Tasks
1. Advocacy and Encouragement on Capitol Hill
a. With an active presence on the Hill in various advocacy
meetings, visits to members of Congress and the executive branch, and the expanding radio voice of the LCRL
Washington, D.C. radio program, The Liberty Action Alert
with Greg Seltz, LCRL is ensuring that the needs of LCMS
churches, schools, and universities are heard by those who
represent us. LCRL is also supporting and encouraging the
work of those who defend LCRL on the Hill.
2. Education and Assistance
a. The LCRL, through our growing body of resources, seeks
to educate laity on major issues facing the country, the Lutheran doctrine of vocation (in particular Christian citizenship), and two-kingdom theology. It also prepares them for
cultural engagement in service to the protection and mission of Christ’s Church.
b. The LCRL, through our partners, also connects Christians
with legal defense when they suffer persecution (e.g., arrest, lawsuits, and so on) for public-square speech and
actions that agree with Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions but conflict with the culture and government.
LCRL’s partnerships with Alliance Defending Freedom,
First Liberty, and the Becket Fund allow us to connect
churches with the information and the support they need.
3. Advocacy, Advocacy Training, and Support across the
Synod
a. LCRL’s Champions for Liberty Network of churches, with
our various levels of training and coaching, continues to
grow to meet the needs of LCMS churches, schools, and

universities, empowering laity for service in God’s lefthand kingdom.
4. Publication and Communication
a. We partner with other voices on the Hill to present LCMS
views to governing bodies and policymakers regarding the
orthodox Lutheran, two-kingdom view on cultural issues.

Alignment with LCMS Priorities
1. Sustain and revitalize Lutheran churches: This office exists
to protect the public voice and the religious liberty of LCMS
churches, missions, schools, and universities for the sake of
mission.
2. Theological education: As mentioned above, the LCRL is
building a network of churches trained to deal with issues
in culture and politics for the sake of the mission of the
Church. This training program, network of influence, and
leadership may continue to grow into an academic program,
training the next generation of leadership for the LCMS.
3. Collaborate to enhance mission effectiveness: The LCRL effort, in all its teachings and literature, emphasizes why and
how two-kingdom cultural engagement is vital to effective
missional outreach.

Great Opportunities Seized from 2019–2023
1. Established a growing LCMS two-kingdom citizenship voice
in Washington, D.C.
a. LCRL engaged in regular member participation with various advocacy groups, such as the Values Action Team of
the House and Senate, the National Right to Life, the
March for Life, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Liberty
Radio Network, the Religious Freedom Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the Weyrich luncheon. These groups
are all seeking to undergird religious liberty, the sanctity
of life, traditional marriage, and educational freedom.
b. Advocacy visits on the Hill included conversations and interviews with representatives and thought leaders in government.
c. In response to the COVID-19 shutdown of the Capitol, the
LCRL established and grew the radio program The Liberty
Action Alert with Greg Seltz, which both advocates for our
positions with leaders in the country as well as informs
LCMS congregations about issues, advocacy, and action
in interviews with thought leaders on the Hill.
d. Partnership with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in
various efforts offered both LCRL’s two-kingdom voice/
training and ADF’s legal support to the issues that beset
our churches and schools today.
o

Challenge: While the LCRL’s presence has been established in Washington, DC, the next phase of development
needs to further launch our unique voice regarding the
cultural/political issues of the day. The challenges of the
next steps in advocacy are to expand LCRL’s role on committees and our radio voice as well as become a go-to resource for two-kingdom answers to the issues surrounding
religious liberty, life, marriage, and education.
2023 Convention Workbook