To Affirm and Continue Mission Priorities for 2023–26 Triennium

Preamble The Board for National Mission (BNM) and the Board for International Mission (BIM) give thanks to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the blessing of mutual conversation, encouragement, and insight shared between representatives of the BNM, the BIM, and the Synod’s 35 district presidents along with members of their respective staffs over this past quadrennium. This expression of walking together was a powerful reminder that the Synod must always continue to foster and strengthen its unity through face-to-face meetings, flowing out of a salutary commitment to “conserve and promote the unity of the true faith” (Constitution Article III 1). One of the main goals of these meetings was to discuss and evaluate the current mission and ministry priorities of the Synod. From these and other considerations, the BNM and BIM recommend affirming and continuing the Synod’s current seven mission priorities for continued development and implementation into the Synod’s coming triennium (2023–2026).

WHEREAS, Our commitment as The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregations and workers is to walk together with the Word of God as the only norm and guide for doctrine and practice; and

WHEREAS, Bylaws 3.8.2.2 (BNM) and 3.8.3.2 (BIM) direct the Synod’s mission boards “to gather pertinent and sufficient information from the Synod’s members that will facilitate the boards’ assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of the Synod’s triennial mission and ministry emphases, and shall develop accordingly ajointoverturetothenational convention for beneficial amendments there to”; and

WHEREAS, Invaluable feedback was gathered from the Synod’s two mission boards’ meetings with the Synod’s 35 district presidents along with members of their respective staffs, which demonstrated a spirit of cooperation, coordination, and collaboration; and

WHEREAS, Synod district presidents, along with members of their respective staffs, had a mixed reaction to the Synod’s current mission priorities. Many recognized them as a self-evident description of the Bible’s theology and practice of mission and ministry. Others indicated that, while faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, the priorities did not play a significant role in giving direction to their work at the district level; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s Constitution states that we shall “1. Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3–6; 1 Cor. 1:10) …; 6. Aid congregations by providing a variety of resources and opportunities for recognizing, promoting, expressing, conserving, and defending their confessional unity in the true faith; practice, but also to develop an appreciation of a variety of responsible practices and customs which are in harmony with our common profession of faith” (Const. Art. III); and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s current mission priorities are contemporary applications of the Synod’s Article III objectives; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s current mission priorities were previously affirmed at two preceding Synod conventions (2016 Resolution 4-02A; 2019 Res. 4-03A); and

WHEREAS, The Synod and the baptized faithful were wearied and distracted by an exhausting worldwide pandemic for over two years together with escalating threats of war, internal domestic violence, ongoing disasters brought by fire and flood, and agrowing left-hand kingdom divide, all of which combined to challenge our ability to further promote, develop, and inculcate the Synod’scurrent mission priorities; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s current mission priorities clearly uphold both the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28) to make disciples of all nations as well as the Great Commands of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 22) to love the Lord our God and our neighbors; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to each district president and staff who met with the BNM and BIM for such collegial conversations; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm the Synod’s current seven mission priorities as they exemplify our fervor in being faithful to the Lord and loving our neighbor, and also encourage their use to affirm our unity as Synod as lived out by congregations, national servant-leaders, district servant-leaders, and circuit servant-leaders in accord with the Synod’s current mission priorities:

• plant, sustain, and revitalize Lutheran churches;

• support and expand theological education;

• perform human care in close proximity to Word and Sacrament ministries;

• collaborate with the Synod’s members and partners to enhance mission effectiveness;

• promote and nurture the spiritual, emotional, financial, and physical well-being of pastors and professional church workers;

• enhance early childhood education, elementary and secondary education, and youth ministry; and

• strengthen and support the Lutheran family in living out God’s design;

and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod encourage servant-leaders of the districts and national mission boards to commit to regular, frequent, and fraternal meetings in keeping with our shared koinonia at all levels of Synod, so that our walking together consistently demonstrates our common confession, especially as plans are carried out under the Synod’s mission priorities; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod’s mission boards and mission offices serve, challenge and inspire the Synod’sdistricts to identify the best ways to implement the Synod’s mission priorities in the cultural contexts, challenges, and opportunities for the Gospel in each district for the best possible provision of services and resources for congregations, schools, and circuits.