Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2026 · 69th Convention, Phoenix › Page 360
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 360

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

360

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

heterodox church-bodies, Matt. 7:15, to have church-fellowship
only with orthodox church-bodies, and, in case they have strayed
into heterodox church-bodies, to leave them, Rom. 16:17. We
repudiate unionism, that is, church-fellowship with the adherents
of false doctrine, as disobedience to God’s command, as causing
divisions in the Church, Rom. 16:17; 2 John 9, 10, and involving
the constant danger of losing the Word of God entirely, 2 Tim.
2:17–21.
and
WHEREAS, “Religious unionism consists in joint worship and
work of those not united in doctrine. Its essence is an agreement to
disagree. In effect, it denies the doctrine of the clearness of
Scripture” (L. Fuerbringer, Th. Engelder, and P. E. Kretzmann, eds.,
The Concordia Cyclopedia [Concordia Publishing House, 1927],
774); and
WHEREAS, It is clear that an entity that purports to form pastors
of mixed confessions with a faculty and students of mixed
confessions is a heterodox tract and mission society within the
meaning of Const. Art. VI 2; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod declare the Center for Missional and
Pastoral Leadership, which operates in partnership with the ILT and
its CST, to be a heterodox tract and mission society.
St. Paul
Brookfield, IL
Ov. 5-40

To Address Release and Use of Luther’s Large
Catechism with Annotations
and Contemporary Applications
WHEREAS, 2013 Resolution 3-13A, “To Update the Synod’s
Catechetical Materials,” asked the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations (CTCR), in collaboration with the Office of the
President and Concordia Publishing House (CPH), to produce a
catechetical compendium that would be “more comprehensive and
apologetic in scope”; and
WHEREAS, 2016 Res. 5-12, “To Commend and Encourage Use
of Luther’s Catechisms,” requested that the CTCR, in collaboration
with the Office of the President and the faculties of Concordia
Seminary and Concordia Theological Seminary, “explore the
creation of an annotated and expanded edition of the Large
Catechism for widespread use and study in the church”; and
WHEREAS, The volume underwent review by the CTCR and was
certified by the Synod doctrinal review process; and
WHEREAS, The text of the Large Catechism to which we
subscribe remains entirely unchanged in this volume while the
essays attempt to engage contemporary questions concerning
challenging and complex issues; and
WHEREAS, This volume is a significant and important project for
one of the treasures of the Church and those who worked with
faithfulness to produce it are to be commended; and
WHEREAS, President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, the author
of the foreword to this volume, acknowledged in writing on
February 2, 2023, that portions of the publication, which has caused
controversy due to some of its authorship and content, “might have
been expressed more clearly” (Matthew Harrison, “Update from
President Harrison on Large Catechism,” Reporter Online, Feb. 2,

2026 Convention Workbook

2023, reporter.lcms.org/2023/update-from-president-harrison-onlarge-catechism); and
WHEREAS, On February 25, 2023, President Harrison spoke at a
circuit forum in Hamel, Ill., to the volume’s address of pedophilia
and hidden sins of the flesh through the lens of Matthew 7:3–5 (John
T. Pless and Larry M. Vogel, eds., Luther’s Large Catechism with
Annotations and Contemporary Applications [Concordia
Publishing House, 2022], 242) required a careful reading, which
was “unclear” and “could have been worded better,” and then went
on to say “there were numerous ones of those cases”; and
WHEREAS, Currently active theologians from heterodox church
bodies who have not unconditionally subscribed to the Lutheran
Confessions contributed to the volume; and
WHEREAS, Bringing clarity to this matter will do much for the
sake of unity amid significant discord surrounding this volume;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention be memorialized to
instruct CPH to cease distribution of the volume Luther’s Large
Catechism with Annotations and Contemporary Applications; and
be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct CPH to divide
Luther’s Large Catechism with Annotations and Contemporary
Applications into two volumes: the first volume to contain Luther’s
Large Catechism with Annotations and the second volume to
contain the Essays on Contemporary Applications; and to include
with the second volume a statement to indicate the Synod or church
body affiliation of each author and that not all authors are in
doctrinal agreement with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod;
and be it finally
Resolved, That pastors be encouraged to use the first volume
containing Luther’s Large Catechism with Annotations for study
and discussion; and pastors be encouraged to use the second volume
containing Essays on Contemporary Applications as they see fit for
study and discussion.
North Dakota District
Ov. 5-41

To Conclude Created Male and Female Task Force
and Receive Its Recommendations
WHEREAS, Holy Scripture teaches the following truths
concerning humanity: God created humanity to be male and female
(Gen 1:27, Matt. 19:4); God instituted marriage between one man
and one woman as a lifelong union for companionship and
procreation (Gen 1:28; Gen. 2:18–24); and God commands chastity
for those who are married and those who are single (Ex. 20:14;
Deut. 5:18; Num. 5:11–31; Matt. 5:27–30); and
WHEREAS, Holy Scripture prohibits adultery, fornication,
homosexuality, and other forms of sexual immorality as sin and as
deviations from this created order (Ex. 20:15; Deut. 5:18; Num.
5:11–31; Rom. 1:18–32; Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:9–11); and
WHEREAS, Cultural attitudes in recent decades have increasingly
advocated for views of sexual orientation and gender identity that
are at odds with Scriptural truth; and
WHEREAS, In fulfillment of 2019 Resolution 11-03A, “To
Encourage Synod to Develop Resources to Aid Congregations and
Schools regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues,”
the Office of National Mission (ONM) created the ad hoc “Created