Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2026 · 69th Convention, Phoenix › Page 96

LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 96

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

materials from Concordia College Alabama; Concordia University,
Portland; and Concordia College—New York, as well as the completion of a two-year project organizing the extensive files of Synod
missionary and church planter Robert Gussick. These materials are
now fully accessible to researchers.
In addition, CHI has launched an initiative to conduct oral history interviews with church leaders and missionaries on the Synod,
district, and congregational level, preserving firsthand testimony of
our Lutheran faith and life for future generations.

B.3. Expanded Guidebooks with a Stronger Focus
on Digitally Accessible Historical Resources
In the wake of COVID-era research restrictions, demand for
digital access to historical resources has grown significantly. This
shift aligns with the increasing volume of historically valuable materials that are now “born digital.” In response, CHI has developed
three new and updated handbooks to help congregations, districts,
and Synod entities responsibly steward their historical records.
Revised in 2025, these handbooks—Collection Policies and
Procedures, District Archivist Handbook, and Record and Archive
Management Program (RAMP) Handbook—provide clear, practical guidance for managing historical materials in both physical and
digital formats. All are freely available on the CHI website and may
be shared and printed at no cost, extending their impact across the
Synod.

B.4. Over 20,000 Historical Photographs Digitally
Processed and Available
CHI is home to a collection of over 200,000 photographs, many
documenting LCMS mission work around the world. Beyond digitization alone, CHI carefully embeds detailed descriptive information into each digital image, making it easier to discover specific
people, places, times, and events within LCMS history.

directly impacted CHI’s ability to preserve and proclaim our shared
history.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of Synod leadership,
districts, congregations, and individuals whose generosity has
strengthened CHI’s capacity to preserve, protect, and share Lutheran history for decades to come.

B.7. 2023 Res. 6-09, “To Recognize and Honor the
Pastor’s Wife”
At the 2023 Synod convention, CHI was charged with considering the commissioning of a commemorative medal that could be
used by LCMS districts, institutions, congregations, and individuals.
CHI has now struck a large copper-nickel medal highlighting
Katharina von Bora as “loving wife, devoted mother, and a faithful
servant of Christ and His Church.” These attractive memorials are
now available for use in recognizing and honoring the faithfulness
of women in the Church, especially the faithfulness of the pastor’s
wife.

C. Strategic Priorities for the Next Triennium
By the grace of God and with the prayers and financial support
from Synod and CHI members, over the next three years, CHI is
positioned to
•

strengthen long-term financial sustainability amid rising
operational costs, ensuring stable staffing and adequate resources;

•

process and make discoverable 50 historically significant
collections (over 1,100 linear feet) that are currently unorganized and not adequately discoverable;

•

produce resources marking upcoming anniversaries, including

As a result of this work, more than 16,200 photographs from India are now accessible online, along with 2,400 images documenting mission efforts in Japan and 1,400 from Brazil. These growing
digital collections allow global audiences to engage more deeply
with the story of Lutheran mission and ministry.

the 150th anniversary of Black Lutheran Ministry
(July 2027),

B.5. Strengthened Global Partnerships That
Inform and Inspire

the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession
and the 450th anniversary of the Book of Concord
(June 25, 2030), and

the 100th anniversary of CHI (April 28, 2027);

CHI continues to cultivate meaningful partnerships with Lutheran church bodies and archival institutions worldwide to advance
the shared work of preserving and proclaiming Lutheran history.
Memorandums of Understanding have been established with Book
of Concord Lutheran church bodies in Brazil, South Korea, and
India, as well as with historic archives in Neuendettelsau, Halle,
and Gotha, Germany.
These collaborations enrich research, expand access, and
strengthen global connections. Additional partnerships are anticipated in the coming months.

B.6. Completed Renovations and Upgrades to
More Efficiently Preserve and Proclaim Our Treasured History
CHI gives thanks to the Lord of the Church for the successful
2024–25 capital campaign, For All the Saints. Through the generosity of CHI members and Synod entities, $1.6 million was raised
to address critical building improvements and aging equipment that
2026 Convention Workbook

•

implement innovative methods to capture and preserve Lutheran historical materials that may otherwise be lost within
the next three to five years;

•

develop new and engaging approaches—especially for youth
and young adults—to rediscover Synod history within the
broader context of Martin Luther and Book of Concord Lutheranism; and

•

begin phase 1 of installing a fire suppression system to better
protect archival areas within the CHI building.

D. Summary
As we look ahead to this coming triennium in light of the charge
entrusted to CHI by the Synod, we do so with gratitude for God’s
abundant blessings. By God’s grace,
•

our financial position continues to strengthen;

•

the CHI collection continues to deepen;

•

the population we provide with services and resources continues to widen; and