To Aid Small Congregations and Multi-Congregation Pastors and Parishes

WHEREAS, The Office of the Public Ministry is indispensable for the church as an office God instituted in order to provide theologically apt preaching and teaching, the proper administration of the Sacrament of the Altar, and regular pastoral care for the faithful (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23; 20:28; 1 Tim. 2:24; 2 Tim. 2:2); and

WHEREAS, Many congregations in The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod (LCMS) are facing declining membership to the point that they are no longer financially able to support the cost of compensating a full-time pastor, especially considering healthcare costs and the rising cost of living; and

WHEREAS, Many congregations face these issues more acutely and are in danger of closing, leaving major urban centers and rural areas devoid of an LCMS presence; and

WHEREAS, There is a shortage of ordained pastors in the LCMS and as of April 2023 there were over 500 calling congregations; and

WHEREAS, In recent years individual congregations, circuits, and districts have been forced to deal with this problem through multi-congregation parish relationships; and

WHEREAS, There are resources that already exist to aid small congregations, multi-congregation parishes, and their pastors, such as The Partnership Project (Kansas District, www.kslcms.org), re:Vitality guided self-assessment (LCMS), and MissionInsite reports (Lutheran Church Extension Fund), Rural and Small Town Mission resources (LCMS); and

WHEREAS, In an opinion dated April 2023, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) addresses the practice of laymen reading sermons and conducting worship services in churches unable to support a pastor and recommends “more formal discussions in the next triennium to address the larger issue of Lutheran theological foundations for mission and ministry, especially as those foundations are being challenged in a post-Christian culture, where religious participation is on the decline and where demographics are also rapidly changing” (LCMS CTCR, President of Synod Request for Opinion on Lay Reading of Sermons and Conduct of Worship in the Absence of a Pastor [adopted April 13, 2023], 7); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the Office of National Mission (ONM) to work through districts to gather and share any applicable resources that aid small congregations and multi-congregation parishes and identify best practices in arranging and conducting such ministry; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention commend The Partnership Project resources and direct ONM to make them available on the Synod website and be further developed; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the CTCR expeditiously to prepare a document on Lutheran theological principles for mission and ministry that would address the theological and practical issues faced by small congregations and multi-congregation parishes; and be it finally

Resolved, That these principles be disseminated to the Office of the President, the Council of Presidents, and the Pastoral Formation Committee as a basis for considering how the Synod might provide for the ongoing pastoral needs of small congregations and multi-congregation parishes