Ad Crucem NewsLCMS 2026 ConventionFloor committee

Theology and Church Relations

44 overtures assigned to this committee for the 2026 convention. 15 appointed members.

Committee members

Voting Lay2

Matthew P. BraunMichigan District
David C. StrelowOhio District

Advisory Ordained5

Jon M. BraunersreutherDistrict President · Texas District
Roger B. GallupNorthern Illinois District
William A. (Bill) HarmonDistrict President · Southeastern District
John T. PlessIndiana District
Roland F. ZieglerIndiana District

Advisory Commissioned1

Melissa A. De GrootRocky Mountain District

Advisory Lay2

Thomas D. HonebrinkEnglish District
Bruce D. SchultzKansas District

Assigned overtures

Ov. 5-01

To Recognize Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Evangelical Lutheran Christian Church of Bolivia

Commission on Theology and Church Relations

Ov. 5-02

To Support and Encourage Recognition of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Lutheran Mission—Australia

Commission on Theology and Church Relations

Ov. 5-03

To Address Concerns with Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church

Zion Fort Wayne, IN

Ov. 5-04

To Admonish and Review Fellowship with Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church

Beautiful Savior, Spokane, WA; Grace, San Mateo, CA; Circuit 2 (St. Paul Metro), Minnesota South District; Circuit 9 (Decatur), Indiana District

Ov. 5-05

To Admonish and Converse with Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church

Elm Grove, Elm Grove, WI; Immanuel, Eagle, NE

Ov. 5-06

To Address Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya Membership in Lutheran World Federation

North Dakota District

Ov. 5-07

To Declare State of “Fellowship in Protest” with Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia

Good Shepherd Lincoln, NE

Ov. 5-08

To Recognize That the Synod Is Not in Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Selbständige Ev angelis ch-Luther is che Kirche

St. Paul Brookfield, IL

Ov. 5-09

To Reconsider Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with The American Association of Lutheran Churches

Circuit 13 (Indiana); English District

Ov. 5-10

To Encourage and Promote Biblical Teaching of Creation

South Wisconsin District

Ov. 5-11

To Restore Apostles’ Creed to Historical Form regarding Christ’s “Descent into Hell”

Christ Austin, TX

Ov. 5-12

To Review Practice of Divine Call in Synod Constitution and Bylaws

Crosslake, MN

Ov. 5-13

To Request Comprehensive Review When Call Is Terminated or Self-Terminated

English District

Ov. 5-14

To Study How to Amend Practice of Issuing “Divine Calls” to Positions Not in Direct Service of Proclamation of Gospel and Administration of Sacraments

Montana District

Ov. 5-15

To Encourage and Promote Sound Teaching on Eschatology or Last Things

Circuit 25 (Kenosha), South Wisconsin District; Circuit 26; (Racine), South Wisconsin District

Ov. 5-16

To Reaffirm and Encourage Teaching and Practice of Closed Communion

Minnesota North District

Ov. 5-17

To Reaffirm, Enforce, and Restore Faithful Eucharistic Practice and Synodical Discipline concerning Unionism and Open Communion

St. Thomas Magnolia, TX

Ov. 5-18

To Request Commission on Theology and Church Relations to Produce Study Document to Further Understanding and Conversations on Pastoral Exceptions to Closed Communion

Circuit 13 (Indiana); English District

Ov. 5-19

To Reaffirm Sanctity of Human Life in Regard to Practice of In Vitro Fertilization

Ohio District

Ov. 5-20

To Oppose Practice of In Vitro Fertilization

Circuit 25 (Kenosha), South Wisconsin District; Circuit 26 (Racine), South Wisconsin District

Ov. 5-21

To Address the Practice of In Vitro Fertilization

Wyoming District

Ov. 5-22

To Believe, Teach, and Confess Missio Dei

Christ the King Kingwood, TX

Ov. 5-23

To Rescind 1981 Resolution 8-05 and Request Commission on Theology and Church Relations Report on Human Organ Donation and Transplantation

Circuit 9 (Decatur); Indiana District

Ov. 5-24

To Urge Church of Christ to Stay and Do Her Duty

Wyoming District

Ov. 5-25

To Publicly Acknowledge Theological and Ecclesial Errors in Church’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Circuit 9 (Nashville); Mid-South District

Ov. 5-26

To Rejoice in Proclamation of God’s Word by His Called and Ordained Servants

St. Paul Brookfield, IL

Ov. 5-27

To Condemn Use of Women as Lectors

North Dakota District

Ov. 5-28

To Affirm That God Does Indeed Prohibit Females from Public Reading of Scriptures, for Reading Is Preaching/Heralding the Word

Trinity Tryon, NC

Ov. 5-29

To Correct Erroneous Practice of Women Lectors

Crosslake, MN

Ov. 5-30

To Reaffirm Doctrine of Men Serving in Office of Holy Ministry

Minnesota North District

Ov. 5-31

To Reconsider Issue of Woman Suffrage in the Church

Circuit 8 (Horicon); South Wisconsin District

Ov. 5-32

To Reconsider Issue of Woman Suffrage in the Church

Immanuel Mayville, WI

Ov. 5-33

To Reconsider Issue of Woman Suffrage in the Church

Trinity Clinton, MA

Ov. 5-34

To Direct that the Synod and Its Commission on Theology and Church Relations Study and Reexamine Woman Suffrage in Light of Synod’s Historic Practice and Holy Scripture, so as to Address and Resolve Confusion and Disunity

Circuit 5 (Mitchell); South Dakota District

Ov. 5-35

To Affirm Role of Women in the Church

South Lake League City, TX

Ov. 5-36

To Affirm Inspiration and Authority of Mark 16:9–20

St. Paul Brookfield, IL

Ov. 5-37

To Clarify Doctrine of Holy Trinity over against Eternal Functional Subordination of the Son

Christ the King Kingwood, TX

Ov. 5-38

To Declare Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership to be Heterodox Tract and Mission Society

Circuit 24 (Sedalia); Missouri District

Ov. 5-39

To Declare Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership to be 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

North Dakota District

Ov. 5-41

To Conclude Created Male and Female Task Force and Receive Its Recommendations

Board for National Mission

Ov. 5-42

To Amend Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2 (c) to Designate President’s Director of Church Relations as His Primary Representative for Ecclesiastical Relations with Other Church Bodies

Board of Directors, English District; Board of Directors, Iowa East District

Ov. 5-43

To Refer Some Assignments from Commission on Theology and Church Relations to Seminaries

Circuit 13 (SW 3); Ohio District

Ov. 5-44

To Give Thanks to God for 1700th Anniversary of First Council of Nicaea

Atlantic District

Theology and Church Relations

Committee members

Chairman1

Vice-Chairman1

Voting Ordained3

Voting Lay2

Advisory Ordained5

Advisory Commissioned1

Advisory Lay2

Assigned overtures

To Recognize Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Evangelical Lutheran Christian Church of Bolivia

To Support and Encourage Recognition of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Lutheran Mission—Australia

To Address Concerns with Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church

To Admonish and Review Fellowship with Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church

To Admonish and Converse with Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church

To Address Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya Membership in Lutheran World Federation

To Declare State of “Fellowship in Protest” with Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia

To Recognize That the Synod Is Not in Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Selbständige Ev angelis ch-Luther is che Kirche

To Reconsider Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with The American Association of Lutheran Churches

To Encourage and Promote Biblical Teaching of Creation

To Restore Apostles’ Creed to Historical Form regarding Christ’s “Descent into Hell”

To Review Practice of Divine Call in Synod Constitution and Bylaws

To Request Comprehensive Review When Call Is Terminated or Self-Terminated

To Study How to Amend Practice of Issuing “Divine Calls” to Positions Not in Direct Service of Proclamation of Gospel and Administration of Sacraments

To Encourage and Promote Sound Teaching on Eschatology or Last Things

To Reaffirm and Encourage Teaching and Practice of Closed Communion

To Reaffirm, Enforce, and Restore Faithful Eucharistic Practice and Synodical Discipline concerning Unionism and Open Communion

To Request Commission on Theology and Church Relations to Produce Study Document to Further Understanding and Conversations on Pastoral Exceptions to Closed Communion

To Reaffirm Sanctity of Human Life in Regard to Practice of In Vitro Fertilization

To Oppose Practice of In Vitro Fertilization

To Address the Practice of In Vitro Fertilization

To Believe, Teach, and Confess Missio Dei

To Rescind 1981 Resolution 8-05 and Request Commission on Theology and Church Relations Report on Human Organ Donation and Transplantation

To Urge Church of Christ to Stay and Do Her Duty

To Publicly Acknowledge Theological and Ecclesial Errors in Church’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

To Rejoice in Proclamation of God’s Word by His Called and Ordained Servants

To Condemn Use of Women as Lectors

To Affirm That God Does Indeed Prohibit Females from Public Reading of Scriptures, for Reading Is Preaching/Heralding the Word

To Correct Erroneous Practice of Women Lectors

To Reaffirm Doctrine of Men Serving in Office of Holy Ministry

To Reconsider Issue of Woman Suffrage in the Church

To Reconsider Issue of Woman Suffrage in the Church

To Reconsider Issue of Woman Suffrage in the Church

To Direct that the Synod and Its Commission on Theology and Church Relations Study and Reexamine Woman Suffrage in Light of Synod’s Historic Practice and Holy Scripture, so as to Address and Resolve Confusion and Disunity

To Affirm Role of Women in the Church

To Affirm Inspiration and Authority of Mark 16:9–20

To Clarify Doctrine of Holy Trinity over against Eternal Functional Subordination of the Son

To Declare Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership to be Heterodox Tract and Mission Society

To Declare Center for Missional and Pastoral Leadership to be Heterodox Tract and Mission Society

To Address Release and Use of Luther’s Large Catechism with Annotations and Contemporary Applications

To Conclude Created Male and Female Task Force and Receive Its Recommendations

To Amend Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2 (c) to Designate President’s Director of Church Relations as His Primary Representative for Ecclesiastical Relations with Other Church Bodies

To Refer Some Assignments from Commission on Theology and Church Relations to Seminaries

To Give Thanks to God for 1700th Anniversary of First Council of Nicaea