LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 137

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4. LIFE TOGETHER
WHEREAS, Our commitment as The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod congregations and workers is to walk together
with the Word of God as the only norm and guide for doctrine
and practice; and
WHEREAS, Bylaws 3.8.2.2 (BNM) and 3.8.3.2 (BIM) direct
the Synod’s mission boards “to gather pertinent and sufficient
information from the Synod’s members that will facilitate the
boards’ assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of the
Synod’s triennial mission and ministry emphases, and shall
develop accordingly a joint overture to the national
convention for beneficial amendments thereto”; and
WHEREAS, Invaluable feedback was gathered from the
Synod’s two mission boards’ meetings with the Synod’s 35
district presidents along with members of their respective
staffs, which demonstrated a spirit of cooperation,
coordination, and collaboration; and
WHEREAS, Synod district presidents, along with members
of their respective staffs, had a mixed reaction to the Synod’s
current mission priorities. Many recognized them as a selfevident description of the Bible’s theology and practice of
mission and ministry. Others indicated that, while faithful to
the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, the priorities did
not play a significant role in giving direction to their work at
the district level; and
WHEREAS, The Synod’s Constitution states that we shall
“1. Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3–
6; 1 Cor. 1:10) …; 6. Aid congregations by providing a variety of
resources and opportunities for recognizing, promoting,
expressing, conserving, and defending their confessional
unity in the true faith; 7. Encourage congregations to strive for
uniformity in church practice, but also to develop an
appreciation of a variety of responsible practices and customs
which are in harmony with our common profession of faith”
(Const. Art. III); and
WHEREAS, The Synod’s current mission priorities are
contemporary applications of the Synod’s Article III
objectives; and
WHEREAS, The Synod’s current mission priorities were
previously affirmed at two preceding Synod conventions
(2016 Resolution 4-02A; 2019 Res. 4-03A); and
WHEREAS, The Synod and the baptized faithful were
wearied and distracted by an exhausting worldwide
pandemic for over two years together with escalating threats
of war, internal domestic violence, ongoing disasters brought
by fire and flood, and a growing left-hand kingdom divide, all
of which combined to challenge our ability to further
promote, develop, and inculcate the Synod’s current mission
priorities; and
WHEREAS, The Synod’s current mission priorities clearly
uphold both the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ
(Matthew 28) to make disciples of all nations as well as the
Great Commands of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 22) to
love the Lord our God and our neighbors; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm the Synod’s current
seven mission priorities as they exemplify our fervor in being
faithful to the Lord and loving our neighbor, and also
encourage their use to affirm our unity as Synod as lived out
by congregations, national servant-leaders, district servantleaders, and circuit servant-leaders in accord with the Synod’s
current mission priorities:
• plant, sustain, and revitalize Lutheran churches;
• support and expand theological education;
• perform human care in close proximity to Word and
Sacrament ministries;
• collaborate with the Synod’s members and partners to
enhance mission effectiveness;
• promote and nurture the spiritual, emotional, financial,
and physical well-being of pastors and professional
church workers;
• enhance early childhood education, elementary and
secondary education, and youth ministry; and
• strengthen and support the Lutheran family in living
out God’s design;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod encourage servant-leaders of the
districts and national mission boards to commit to regular,
frequent, and fraternal meetings in keeping with our shared
koinonia at all levels of Synod, so that our walking together
consistently demonstrates our common confession, especially
as plans are carried out under the Synod’s mission priorities;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod’s mission boards and mission
offices serve, challenge, and inspire the Synod’s districts to
identify the best ways to implement the Synod’s mission
priorities in the cultural contexts, challenges, and
opportunities for the Gospel in each district for the best
possible provision of services and resources for congregations,
schools, and circuits; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the Synod’s
mission boards, after fraternal discussions with districts and
members of the Synod over the next triennium, to recommend
possible revisions to the mission priorities and possible bylaw
revisions that would articulate both the process for
developing mission priorities and how those priorities would
function in the mission and ministry of the Synod.
Action: Adopted (9)

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

Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to each district
president and staff who met with the BNM and BIM for such
collegial conversations; and be it further
Resolutions

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 137