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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 279

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

NATIONAL WITNESS
choose to attend a public or private school outside of CUS to pursue
their academic and professional goals; and
WHEREAS, According to a recent Barna survey, 52 percent of
U.S. adults age 18–22 do not identify as Christian and/or do not
know who Jesus is (barna.com/research/teens-and-jesus/, accessed
Feb. 18, 2025); and
WHEREAS, College and university campuses are vast
international mission fields, with over 1.1 million students from
around the world attending during the 2023–24 academic year,
many of whom came from nations where Christians are in the
minority or outlawed entirely (opendoorsdata.org); therefore be it
Resolved, That the English District in convention give thanks to
God for the faithful work being carried out by the campus ministries
within the district; and be it further
Resolved, That every congregation in the district be encouraged
to connect their college-bound members with the appropriate
LCMS campus ministry or local congregation; and be it further
Resolved, That the district in convention commend the LCMS
Youth Ministry for their efforts to support the work of LCMS U
chapters and campus ministry workers; and be it further
Resolved, That the district in convention give thanks to God for
the work of LCMS recognized service organizations supporting
work on campuses, specifically the Lutheran Campus Mission
Association and International Student Ministry, Inc.; and be it
finally
Resolved, That the district in convention memorialize the 2026
Synod convention to reinstate a full-time director of Campus
Ministry within the Office of National Mission to coordinate,
support, and encourage outreach and discipleship on college and
university campuses.
English District
Ov. 1-05

To Encourage and Support Campus Ministry
in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Preamble
Southern Illinois District President the Rev. Heath Curtis has shared
(while serving as LCMS Stewardship Coordinator), “In a sea of
unbelief, LCMS campus ministry gives our kids an island of
community, support, and living faith. [I]n my work…I tell people:
the best bang for your mission buck today is campus ministry.
Hands down!” (“Ministry Readiness Study Report,”
cidlcms.org/resources/missioneducationtoolkit/CIDExecutiveSum
mary.pdf, accessed Jan. 1, 2026). Campus ministry presents a
tremendous mission opportunity for The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS). Every year, hundreds of thousands of
young adults—many of them not knowing the teachings of
Scripture at all, let alone the Gospel—enter college. While
attending, those who are Christian have their faith tested,
questioned, or neglected. Many are formed by a culture that is
hedonistic, materialistic, legalistic, and in some ways demonic.
Nevertheless, research shows that young people today are deeply
interested in spirituality, purpose, and truth. Many are open to a
serious Christianity rooted in conviction and authenticity.
For over a century, the Synod has provided faithful pastoral care,
spiritual nurture, and Gospel proclamation to students through its
campus ministries. These bring the Word and Sacraments of Christ

279

to students in critical years of faith formation, extend Christ’s
mission to the nations on campus, and serve as training grounds for
future faithful church members and leaders.
WHEREAS, Young men and women continue attending colleges
and universities throughout the nation in significant numbers, and
these campuses are to be regarded as mission fields for the
proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and
WHEREAS, Longitudinal research indicates that behavioral
aspects of religiosity (such as worship attendance and devotional
practices) tend to decline in the first semesters of university
attendance, even though the personal importance of faith often
remains stable (Carolyn Barry and Larry Nelson, “The Role of
Religion in the Transition to Adulthood for Young Emerging
Adults,” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 34, no. 3 [2005], 245–
255); and
WHEREAS, A national survey of U.S. college freshmen found that
the percentage reporting “no religious preference” increased from
about 10 percent in 1986 to about 31 percent in recent years, while
those identifying with a Christian denomination declined from
approximately 81 percent to 60 percent (Helen Gibson, “College
Freshmen Increasingly Drop Religion,” July 13, 2017,
research.lifeway.com/2017/07/13/college-freshmen-increasinglydrop-religion/), and a 2025 Pew Research report indicates that only
46 percent of adults aged 18–24 (the prime college age) identify as
Christian (Gregory Smith et al., “Decline of Christianity in the U.S.
Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off,” Feb. 26, 2025,
pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/decline-of-christianity-inthe-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off/); and
WHEREAS, Despite this trend toward disaffiliation, surveys also
reveal a growing openness among young adults to spiritual
questions, faith discussions, and “serious Christianity,” with over
70 percent of Generation Z responding they are “at least somewhat
motivated to keep learning about Jesus throughout their lives”
(Barna Group, The Open Generation, barna.com/research/barnatrends-2025-pt-1); and
WHEREAS, Even among students who identify as nonreligious, a
majority report interest in conversations about purpose, morality,
and transcendence—fertile ground for the seed of God’s Word on
college campuses (Springtide Research Institute, The State of
Religion and Young People 2023 [Minneapolis, 2023]); and
WHEREAS, Pew Research Center has reported that Christians
with higher education are as likely as—or even more likely than—
those with less education to demonstrate high levels of religious
commitment, such as regular worship, prayer, and the importance
of faith (Pew Research Center, “In America, Does More Education
Equal
Less
Religion?,”
April
26,
2017,
pewresearch.org/religion/2017/04/26/in-america-does-moreeducation-equal-less-religion/); and
WHEREAS, The Synod has a long and faithful tradition of campus
ministry through congregations, Lutheran Student Fellowship, and
LCMS U chapters, which connect college students and scholars
with Word and Sacrament ministry; and
WHEREAS, The Synod has long recognized the importance of
deliberately supporting, expanding, and funding campus ministries
that are directly connected to full-time Word and Sacrament
ministry; therefore be it
Resolved, That we give thanks to the one true God—Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit—for past and current Synod campus ministries and

2026 Convention Workbook