To Define and Affirm Lutheran Identity

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod states in Article II of its Constitution: The Synod, and every member of the Synod, accepts without reservation: Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and of practice; a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God, to wit: the three Ecumenical Creeds (the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed), the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, the Large Catechism of Luther, the Small Catechism of Luther, and the Formula of Concord.

therefore be it

Resolved, That the term Lutheran identity be defined solely by the Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions; and be it further

Resolved, That the term Lutheran identity be defined first and foremost according to Article IV of the Augsburg Confession: “Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or words. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3 and 4 [3:21–26; 4:5]),” and not in a manner that adds moral, ethical, cultural, legal, or political requirements or preferences to the Evangelical Lutheran confession; and be it further

Resolved, That the term Lutheran identity be affirmed as adherence to the Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions alone, understanding that “the churches will not condemn one another because of differences in ceremonies when, in Christian liberty, one has less or more of them” (FC SD X 31), and rejoicing in the Evangelical Lutheran foundation of grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone, and Christ alone as the foundation of the Lutheran Confessions; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District in convention memorialize the Synod in convention to ensure the existing “Lutheran Identity and Mission Outcome Standards” (LIMOS) (cus.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LIMOS-Evaluation- Tool.pdf) used in the visitation of our Concordia Universities are in alignment with this definition of Lutheran identity.