LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 117

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1. NATIONAL WITNESS
WHEREAS, The Bolick Foundation has granted $2 million
to the LCMS for the church planting initiative; and
WHEREAS, Successful plants involve a group of committed
laity as the sustaining core, sustained with the help of a
neighboring pastor; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to God for the Bolick
Foundation’s generous support for the church planting
initiative; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod direct ONM to work with
districts to develop and implement resources for the LCMS
church planting initiative, and encourage congregations to
make use of the resources; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod encourage pastors and lay
people to identify and initiate local opportunities for starting
new churches; and be it further
Resolved, That ONM, in partnership with the districts
(2019 Resolution 1-02, “To Encourage the Planting of
Churches”), provide training, support, and, as available,
funding for locally identified new church starts; and be it
finally
Resolved, That congregations be encouraged to support
new church starts locally, within their districts, and across the
Synod.
Action: Adopted (3)

Upon immediate closure of debate as suggested by the chair, the
resolution was adopted by hand and voice vote.

To Continue to Address Sexual Orientation
and Gender Identity Issues
RESOLUTION 1-04A
Overtures 1-06–07 (CW, 257–59)
Preamble
Over the course of the 2019–2023 quadrennium, The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Office of National Mission
(ONM) staff reflected on how best to respond to the Synod’s
ongoing desired goals, objectives, and possible beneficial
actions pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity
issues. ONM leadership especially considered 2019 Resolution
11-03A, “To Encourage Synod to Develop Resources to Aid
Congregations and Schools regarding Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity Issues” (Proceedings, 216).
ONM eventually determined to establish an ad hoc task force
to undertake further study and to initiate feasible actions and
the development of recommendations aimed at future Synod
actions and initiatives to address sexual orientation and
gender identity issues. ONM is grateful for the direct
participation of the following individuals on the ad hoc task
force, chaired by Rev. Christopher Esget (Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Alexandria, Va.); Rev. Kevin Robson (Chief Mission
Officer); Deac. Dr. Tiffany Manor (ONM); Dr. Mark
Resolutions

Rockenbach (faculty member, Concordia Seminary); Ms.
Nicole Chappell (ONM); Dr. Gifford Grobien (faculty member,
Concordia Theological Seminary); Rev. Kevin Karner
(Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bristol, Conn.); Rev. Jonathan
Lange (St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kemmerer, Wyo. and Our
Saviour Lutheran Church, Evanston, Wyo.); Rev. Brian Barlow
(Resurrection Lutheran Church, Quartz Hill, Calif.); and Rev.
Jared Melius (Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Denver, Colo.).
The ad hoc task force sought to study, summarize, and
articulate the current state of Sexual Orientation and Gender
Identity resources available to Synod’s people and
institutions; determine the preferred means of elevating
awareness and increasing the use of such resources in the
mission and ministry of our congregations, schools, and
families; identify and prioritize additional resource
development according to current and future needs; and
outline learnings, recommendations, and future planned
work emerging from these outcomes. Pandemic constraints
did not allow the task force to complete all of these objectives
during the quadrennium.
In view of the still-applicable whereas statements of 2019 Res.
11-03A (Proceedings, 215–16), which are entrusted to delegates
of the 2023 Synod convention for additional reflection, and
the ongoing criticality of the work described above, this ad hoc
task force commended, through the LCMS Board for National
Mission, the following resolution to the 2023 Synod
convention.
Proposed Action
WHEREAS, In the beginning God created man in His own
image, “male and female, he created them” (Gen. 1:27); and
WHEREAS, As the Small Catechism (SC) teaches, “I believe
that God has made me and all creatures. He has given me my
body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members” (SC II, First
Article); and
WHEREAS, After humanity’s fall into sin, Jesus again
affirmed God’s continuing work: that from the beginning He
created them “male and female” (Matt. 19:4); and
WHEREAS, All sexual corruption and confusion result from
humanity’s fall into sin and often lead to rebellious and sinful
acts against God’s will (James 1:14–15); and
WHEREAS, All sexual acts outside of faithful, biblical
marriage, which is between one man and one woman, are
sinful and contrary to God’s will (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:9–11); and
WHEREAS, Being made male and being made female, a
physical reality created by God, is now considered by many in
our culture to be a social construct; and
WHEREAS, The federal government of the United States
has ruled that marriage is no longer exclusively the lifelong
union of one man and one woman; and
WHEREAS, The Body of Christ has been called to proclaim
His saving Gospel to all the world, including those who are
uncertain whether they are “truly” male or female (with
regards to intersex individuals, see excursus in LCMS
Commission on Theology and Church Relations [CTCR],
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 117