To Appoint Task Force to Refocus Concordia University System for Education of Professional Church Workers Consistent with Lutheran Confessions

WHEREAS, The Concordia University System (CUS) is comprised of six universities in the United States which are affiliated with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS); and

WHEREAS, The initial purpose of these universities was to prepare men and women for full-time service in the church; and

WHEREAS, The majority of students at CUS institutions are not preparing for full-time church work; and

WHEREAS, From 2004 to 2018 enrollment for pre-seminary (undergraduate) students declined by 59 percent; for Lutheran school teachers, by 61 percent; and at the seminaries, by 55 percent (Set Apart to Serve research). Furthermore, 44 percent of active ordained men are over 55 years of age; and

WHEREAS, A number of the faculty at CUS institutions are not roster ed members of Synod nor members of LCMS congregations; and

WHEREAS, The encroachment of false teachings from the secular culture onto CUS campuses threatens the confession of our faith; and

WHEREAS, A refocused CUS would enhance the ability of the Synod to attend to the integrity of our confession; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Montana District in convention memorialize the Synod atits2023 convention to direct the President of the Synod to appoint a blue-ribbon task force to perform the following: Establish a plan for restoring and retaining an LCMS identity on CUS campuses. Prioritize the training of roster ed church workers of Synod with our confession of faith. Develop a plan to increase the percentage of LCMS roster ed faculty, with a goal of 100%. Prepare a report on these tasks for the 2026 Synod convention.