To Continue to Address Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues

Preamble Over the course of the 2019–2023 quadrennium, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Office of National Mission (ONM) staff reflected on how best to respond to the Synod’s ongoing desired goals, objectives, and possible beneficial actions pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity issues. ONM leadership especially considered 2019 Resolution 11-03A, “To Encourage Synod to Develop Resources to Aid Congregations and Schools regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues” (Proceedings, 216). ONM eventually determined to establish an ad hoc task force to undertake further study and to initiate feasible actions and the development of recommendations aimed at future Synod actions and initiatives to address sexual orientation and gender identity issues. ONM is grateful for the direct participation of the following individuals on the ad hoc task force, chaired by Rev. Christopher Esget (Immanuel Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Va.); Rev. Kevin Robson (Chief Mission Officer); Deac. Dr. Tiffany Manor (ONM); Dr. Mark Rockenbach (faculty member, Concordia Seminary); Ms. Nicole Chappell (ONM); Dr. Gifford Grobien (faculty member, Concordia Theological Seminary); Rev. Kevin Karner (Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bristol, Conn.); Rev. Jonathan Lange (St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kemmerer, Wyo. and Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Evanston, Wyo.); Rev. Brian Barlow (Resurrection Lutheran Church, Quartz Hill, Calif.); and Rev. Jared Melius (Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Denver, Colo.). The ad hoc task force sought to study, summarize, and articulate the current state of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity resources available to Synod’s people and institutions; determine the preferred means of elevating awareness and increasing the use of such resources in the mission and ministry of our congregations, schools, and families; identify and prioritize additional resource development according to current and future needs; and outline learnings, recommendations, and future planned work emerging from these outcomes. Pandemic constraints did not allow the task force to complete all of these objectives during the quadrennium. In view of the still-applicable whereas statements of 2019 Res. 11-03A (Proceedings, 215–16), which are entrusted to delegates of the 2023 Synod convention for additional reflection, and the ongoing criticality of the work described above, this ad hoc task force commended, through the LCMS Board for National Mission, the following resolution to the 2023 Synod convention. Proposed Action

WHEREAS, In the beginning God created man in His own image, “male and female, he created them” (Gen. 1:27); and

WHEREAS, As the Small Catechism (SC) teaches, “I believe that God has made me and all creatures. He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members” (SC II, First Article); and

WHEREAS, After humanity’s fall into sin, Jesus again affirmed God’s continuing work: that from the beginning He created them “male and female” (Matt. 19:4); and

WHEREAS, All sexual corruption and confusion result from humanity’s fall into sin and often lead to rebellious and sinful acts against God’s will (James 1:14–15); and

WHEREAS, All sexual acts outside of faithful, biblical marriage, which is between one man and one woman, are sinful and contrary to God’s will (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:9–11); and

WHEREAS, Being made male and being made female, a physical reality created by God, is now considered by many in our culture to be a social construct; and

WHEREAS, The federal government of the United States has ruled that marriage is no longer exclusively the lifelong union of one man and one woman; and

WHEREAS, The Body of Christ has been called to proclaim His saving Gospel to all the world, including those who are uncertain whether they are “truly” male or female (with regards to intersex individuals, see excursus in LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations [CTCR], Gender Identity Disorder or Gender Dysphoria in Christian Perspective), those who present themselves as members of the opposite sex in dress and physical appearance, and those who participate in hormonal and/or surgical procedures in an attempt to modify their anatomy from male to female or from female to male; and

WHEREAS, We are called to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins with clarity and compassion to all; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS parochial schools, congregations, seminaries, the Concordia University System (CUS), church workers, parents, children, and other individuals in our Synod are experiencing mounting pressure and intimidation to affirm viewpoints contrary to clear teaching in Holy Scripture as a result of media propaganda, cultural, and legal changes; and

WHEREAS, LCMS church workers and laity have asked for guidance in pastoral care for individuals and families struggling with matters of same-sex attraction and sexual identity issues; and

WHEREAS, The Church is called to support and proclaim the Gospel to all those who struggle with the corrupting power of concupiscence, including those with the propensity toward a myriad of sexual sins and identity confusion; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS has produced resources such as the following CTCR reports: Gender Identity Disorder or Gender Dysphoria in Christian Perspective (adopted September 2014); Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective (adopted September 1981); Response to Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust (adopted April 2012); The Creator’s Tapestry: Scriptural Perspectives on Man-Woman Relationships in Marriage and the Church (adopted December 2009); and A Chaste and Decent Life: An Update to Human Sexuality (1981) (adopted December 2022); as well as the treatment of these matters in Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House [CPH], 2017); and

WHEREAS, ONM has already established an ad hoc Created Male and Female task force in response to 2019 Res. 11-03A which has begun work on these and related issues; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod direct the continuance of said task force during the new triennium, consisting of the current ad hoc task force members (which include parish pastors, commissioned church workers, representation from the Council of Presidents, ONM, and the seminaries), and also add to the existing membership as necessary, to include but not be limited to one CTCR member or staff person and representation from LCMS Communications, CUS, and CPH;

and be it further

Resolved, That the task force conduct field research; and be it further

Resolved, That the task force recommend and advocate for strategies and structural approaches to serve the Church better and address the challenges posed by contemporary sexual ethics, recommend and coordinate implementation with Synod entities and organizations that will best deliver resources to the Church, and encourage congregations to raise awareness of media propaganda, cultural intimidation, and mounting pressures upon all people to affirm viewpoints contrary to clear teaching in Holy Scripture, responding to those influences by the study of Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions (particularly the Small Catechism) and further encouraging support for those persecuted for their faithful confession of human sexuality and marriage; and be it finally

Resolved, That the task force report to the next Synod convention its work and further recommendations