Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2026 · 69th Convention, Phoenix › Page 111

LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 111

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
couraged and strengthened in their life and ministry through Grace
Place Wellness Retreats, DOXOLOGY, Pastoral Leadership Institute, and seminary workshops. We are blessed to support worker
wellness through Lutheran Counseling Services, Post-Seminary
Applied Learning and Support, pastors’ wives’ retreats and breakouts at our conferences, and working with Synod partner ministries.
We are working to further develop our worker and family wellness
plans.
During this triennium, our educator conferences, pastors’ conferences, circuit convocations, and the President’s Equip Conference have all given priority to equipping God’s people for outreach
and leadership. Attendance at these events has increased, with more
than 800 at our pastor and educator conferences and over 1,000 at
the President’s Equip Conference in 2023. We have seen new ministries start, our schools grow, and an openness to helping “Every
Congregation Be a Church Planting Congregation—Start Something New” that will be a bridge to reach new people and connect
them to Jesus.
Youth ministry and children’s ministry in many of our congregations have reflected much of the change across Synod. However,
we remain blessed with great directors of Christian education, deaconesses, and other youth and children’s ministry leaders who are
working to reach out into their communities. Even with the challenges, we continue to offer excellent district youth gatherings for
middle and high school students with more than 500 in attendance,
along with annual servant events. Our 59 early learning centers and
schools are growing. This growth is a result of the excellence in
our programs, parental choice, and a growing population. We have
seen two new schools open and others are under consideration. Yet
not only do we provide exceptional education, but places where the
seeds of faith are planted and nurtured in both students and parents.
Over the past three years, we have seen more than 400 baptisms
through our school ministries!
Our district convention theme in 2025 was Compelled, based
upon 2 Cor. 5:14–15:
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that
one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all,
that those who live should no longer live for themselves but
for him who died for them and was raised again. (NIV)
The population of Florida and Georgia continues to grow rapidly (two percent or more a year), now totaling more than 34 million
residents. With that growth comes many opportunities and challenges in reaching the diverse, large-growing ethnic population.
This includes few bilingual pastors, but also leaders and congregations that will answer the call to send workers into the harvest. We
are indeed blessed to have a number of ethnic ministries including
Hispanic, Haitian, Korean, and Ethiopian. But there is more to do
as we respond to what is before us and the Synod’s call to increase
mission efforts to immigrants and various cultural groups. One response to these opportunities is our Rev7:9 Project involving 22
congregations in reaching diverse ethnic groups. This project is being supported through a partnership with Mission Nation Publishing and a grant from the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. In
addition, we have given more attention to new ethnic church plants
and raising individuals to be trained through our seminaries. During
this triennium, we have closed two congregations and planted three
new congregations.
Today, the Synod and our district are facing an ever-growing
and critical need for workers. There are more than 600 congrega-

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tions calling for pastors and fewer than 28 percent of our educators
across the Synod are rostered. This reality cries out for our daily
prayers. The Lord says, “Pray that the Lord would send out workers
into the harvest.” In our district we urge everyone to daily pray at
10:02 (Luke) for workers to be raised up and Christ’s Church to
grow.
In response to this need and the incredible opportunities before
us, in January the district launched Compelled … A Mission Advancement Initiative to perpetually support three critical practices
to the life and mission of the Church: (1) Plant new churches, (2)
start new outreach ministries outside the doors of our congregations, and (3) raise up new church workers by providing additional
financial aid.
Raising and endowing $10 million is the goal to provide the
resources needed to accomplish these critical objectives now and
in the future.
We continue to face approximately a 12 percent pastoral vacancy rate. This number is significantly less than it would be, due to the
blessing of the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP), Center for Hispanic
Studies, and Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology routes through
the seminaries. SMP alone accounts for a little over 10 percent of
our pastoral coverage. In addition, we are phenomenally blessed
by retired pastors and workers who serve vacant congregations and
classrooms faithfully. Yet, the availability of such workers is diminishing. We are doing what we can and working with Set Apart
to Serve to address the need for existing congregations and church
plants going forward. Yet more can be done to address needs as
Christ’s Body together.
My fervent prayer is that we will continue to be bold in living
as Christ’s witnesses, proclaiming, “Christ is risen indeed!” Therefore, may we take to heart these words of the psalmist:
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known
among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing
praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his
holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
(Psalm 105:1–3, NIV)
James H. Rockey, President
R27

Indiana District
The Indiana District comprises some 212 congregations, along
with their pastors, schools, teachers, and commissioned workers in
Indiana and northern Kentucky. By God’s grace we are a strong
and healthy district with many blessings received with thanksgiving and being used to the glory of His name and for the good of
His Church.
Following a period of significant transition within the district
office, the past few years have been a time of increasing stability
and of growing equilibrium in our week-to-week operations. As the
undersigned has settled into his office and role as district president,
to which he was reelected in June of 2025, it has become easier to
clarify our collective goals, to lay the groundwork for future plans,
and to make concerted efforts to advance the faithful and consistent
catechesis and confession of our Savior Christ Jesus and His Word.
A persistent focus has been maintained on the following five key
priorities, identified by the undersigned in 2022:
2026 Convention Workbook