“We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (). In the same letter Paul says, “If Christ be not risen then our preaching is worthless and so is your faith” (). The risen Christ, having borne the sins of the world in His body unto death, and having justified the world by His resurrection (), forever remains the crucified one we preach so that this crucified and risen Christ be believed for eternal life. Luther describes this life wondrously: For Christ crucifies the devil, kills death, damns sin, and binds the Law. As one who believes this, I am liberated from the Law, etc. Therefore the Law is deaf, bound, dead and crucified to me; and I, in turn, am deaf, bound, dead and crucified to it. Thus I live by this very death and crucifixion, that is, by this grace or liberty. (LW 26:165) God’s wisdom is not found in pomp and circumstance, worldly splendor, passing vainglory, great demonstrations of lawful progress or human glory, political decisions, huge numbers or popular entertainment. God’s ways, God’s wisdom, God’s heart, God’s love, God’s purpose, God’s salvation is demonstrated in an offensive and hidden way in the crucifixion and death of the Lord of Glory. “He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God” (). This truth scandalizes the human mind because it precludes any human morality, any alleged human goodness, any human ability, any human choice from playing a role in salvation. There is no human path to God. There is only Christ’s path to us. The scandal is that Christ “became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God.” Therefore, until the Day of Christ’s return, as long as He blesses us with this church body, “we preach Christ crucified.” In times comfortable or challenging, in prosperity or persecution, come what may, we preach Christ crucified.
The COVID-19 Crisis
At the beginning of the pandemic, none of us could have anticipated how long it would last or what trials we would have to endure. Everyone was flying blind. Despite the First Amendment, established constitutional law gives government broad powers to act in times of pandemic. While our congregations were coping with various laws and jurisdictions, often making different decisions based upon local context, we in St. Louis assisted districts and congregations with legal consultation and connection with legal advocates so that they could push back against government overreach. I, for one, in retrospect, believe the government has no business forcing its way into the sanctuary, much less dictating the sacramental life of the Church. We must reserve the right to say no to the government, no matter the law. “We must obey God rather than men” ().
Online Communion
The Council of Presidents (COP) met twice a month by Zoom during the pandemic and worked through the difficult issue of “online” Communion, as well as other important matters and needs of our people and congregations. Regarding online Communion, I also sought opinions from our seminaries and the Commission on Theology and Church Relations. The COP agreed with those opin-
ions and unanimously rejected the practice of online Communion. We’ll discuss this at the convention.
Soldiers of the Cross
The LCMS was able to assist over 1,000 church workers—including both professional church workers and many others on staff in congregations—with grants during the pandemic. We’ve also been able to provide some 45 DOXOLOGY retreats for many more pastors and commissioned workers.
Concordia Universities
The Resolution 7-03 Task Force proposals to revamp the governance of the universities continue to change in light of conversations with the presidents of our treasured schools. I’m hopeful that something agreeable to the major parties involved—which provides the schools the flexibility they need and the congregations of the Synod the accountability they need—will be ready prior to convention time and brought to the convention floor. I am delighted with the final outcome of the presidential search at Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor (CUWAA). CUWAA is a great school with a great future. See my visitation report below (Report R63). Visitation of Concordia University Texas (Austin, TX, CTX), and its board of regents’ attempted removal of the university from the Synod’s governance, confirmed concerns about a number of issues (Report R64). The Synod Board of Directors (BOD) sent a team to meet with the CTX regents and leadership. Conversations remain hopeful for a return of the school to Synod governance. The closures of Concordia University, Portland and Concordia College—New York (Bronx ville) by their regents were sad. The students and dollars simply were not sufficient for the schools to remain open. Millions loaned and granted by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) and the Synod allowed them to operate far longer than would have otherwise been possible. New presidents this triennium include Dr. Russell Dawn at Concordia University Chicago; Dr. Michael Thomas at Concordia University, Irvine; Dr. Bernard Bull at Concordia University, Nebraska, (Seward); the Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich at Concordia University, St. Paul; and Dr. Erik Ankerberg at CUWAA. We have the strongest group of Concordia presidents in a long time. My staff are working with President Dawn in Chicago on a biblical approach or alternative to secular Diversity-Equity-Inclusion philosophy, since such philosophy is, at a number of points, antithetical to the Scriptures.
Synod Seminaries
The Rev. Dr. Thomas Egger was appointed president at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, over a year ago. What a great choice! Our seminaries are working together at the vital task of educating our future pastors. We must remain flexible in providing options for seminary education (and we provide many), while not diminishing residential education but growing it. Many people have no idea how vital residential education is, not only for the LCMS but for the world. Without our strong faculties, confessional Lutheranism would be horribly crippled globally. Hundreds of students come to our seminaries and return to their home countries making vital contributions to their churches in doctrine and life. Our faculty travel the globe, bringing the solid biblical teaching of the LCMS and strengthening the mission of the Gospel exponentially. The Synod has been able to provide over $4 million per year to our two seminaries, to continue to assist them in remaining financially solid.
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International Church Partners
The LCMS continues to work globally through LCMS Church Relations and the LCMS Office of International Mission. Our plate is full. It’s impossible to respond to all the needs and requests for church fellowship. See the Church Relations Report (Report R1.1). Read especially the section on Ukraine.
World Leaders We look forward to hosting many leaders from our international partner churches at the convention. During the convention, the Synod will enter into and/or confirm church fellowship with several church bodies. It will be a joyous occasion! We will also host our friends from Finland who have stood against woke-ism and the attacks (prosecution!) of the Finnish government just for publishing a tract confessing and advocating the biblical teaching on marriage.
Spanish Lutheran Hymnal
The new Spanish Hymnal is an amazing accomplishment of our mission staff, partner churches, and the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. This hymnal is larger than our LSB and has more Luther hymns! Work is underway for a mobile version available in a phone app.
Office of International Mission (OIM) Though Covid caused some attrition and recruiting difficulties, we’ve still got over 100 missionaries (about 50/50 lay/clergy), plus 20 alliance missionaries in the field. The Synod staff of 12 continues to care for some 300 missionaries and families. Our missionaries are funded nearly a year in advance, thanks to generous contributions from individuals and the 1,700 congregations who specifically fund a missionary. The support is amazing. The Livonian Project trains pastors for Europe and Eurasia. Concordia the Reformer Seminary in the Dominican Republic continues to have a huge impact on all of Central and South America. We are working to launch a seminary in Chiayi, Taiwan. The LCMS helped rebuild the seminary for our partner church, the India Evangelical Lutheran Church, after a typhoon destroyed much of it. We support some 15 Lutheran seminaries in Africa in one way or another!
Office of National Mission (ONM) By the time you read this, the Rev. Dan Galchutt will have just begun as the new executive director of ONM. Galchutt previously served as the mission executive for the Kansas District. The Church Planting Initiative is moving forward. We’ve taken a hard look at what makes for successful church planting. Large grants don’t do it; a top-down approach does not yield long-term vitality. Successful church plants usually come from local support, a mother/daughter congregation relationship, and a local team of committed people. Over 20,000 people in the Synod have been trained in “Every One His Witness,” the Synod’s new outreach effort available through CPH. Rural and Small Town Mission continues to provide useful resources, as do our other ministry departments for many other areas of concern and interest.
Council of Presidents (COP) Missouri District President Rev. R. Lee Hagan now serves as chairman of the COP. During COP meetings, we pray together; we counsel one another; we wrestle with the many challenges our congregations face. We study God’s Word and the Lutheran Confessions, and we support one another in the myriad tasks of tending to the serious needs of our dear people, pastors, teachers, and workers. Currently we are studying issues regarding the Office of the Holy
Ministry and the spiritual priesthood of all believers, the Church’s mission, and the current challenges of sexuality and culture.
District Visitations
In one way or another, I have visited every district of the Synod. Since becoming president in 2010, I’ve been to over 100 district conventions. Since 2013, my staff and I have been visiting with each district’s president, board of directors, circuit visitors, and others. Over the last triennium, despite Covid cancellations and reschedulings, we held district visitations—some in person and some via Zoom—with 31 of 35 districts (with more scheduled before the 2023 Synod convention!), 18 of which I was personally able to do. These visits provide vital opportunities to clarify issues, ask questions, inform others, be informed, and strengthen relationships. These visits require lots of time and work, but each visit has borne benefits aplenty.
Million Dollar Life Match
The network of volunteers working with LCMS Life Ministry continues to grow. Due to the success of the first match, we are making plans for a second Million Dollar Life Match for our congregations and agencies as they care for the unborn, newborn, and mothers in need. In the wake of the horrid pro-abortion legislation sweeping many states, we continue to put our money where our mouth is and care for people—from before birth until death—in need.
Youth Gathering More than 18,000 youth and adults attended the LCMS Youth Gathering in Houston. While other church bodies canceled their youth conventions due to lingering Covid concerns and waning interest, our young people gathered in Houston for worship, Bible study, prayer, and fun. The great event was a joy for thousands. We are receptive to concerns received about the Youth Gathering and are committed to making the 2025 event even stronger.
Child Protection Program LCMS Schools Ministry has worked with Ministry Safe to assist our congregations and ministries to ensure the safety of the children in our care.
Set Apart to Serve (SAS)—Church Work Recruitment Initiative SAS seeks to encourage synodwide conversations with young people to encourage them to consider church work vocations. SAS has gained traction in all 35 districts, with a pilot school or congregation from each district. Many of our parochial schools are booming in the wake of Covid and the craziness of “woke” culture taking over so many of our public schools. We need LCMS teachers and other church workers.
Finances I am thankful to report that the Synod is in good financial shape—in fact, the best in many decades. Our strong position results from a combination of fiscal conservatism by the LCMS BOD and our LCMS staff, generosity by God’s people, some outstanding investment returns, and a determined effort to eliminate unproductive debt. Your voluntary giving to the LCMS was such that our costs to receive and administer donations temporarily fell to (around) 8 cents for every dollar given. While this cost ratio fluctuates and is unlikely to be sustained over a long term, it isa sure sign of confidence and joy among the generous people in the Synod. The amount of money spent on operations (the things the Synod tells us to do, like missions, congregational and district services, individual ministry areas, etc.) was 75 to 78 percent of all spending (a very respectable number). We continue to be thankful for our districts—our single largest “donor”—who together provide around $13 million annually in vitally important unrestricted funding. These are the dollars coming from the gifts you put into the offering plate during worship each weekend, some of which your congregation gives to your district.
Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) The CTCR has produced significant documents in recent years, and they have assisted me on several occasions in matters of doctrine and practice. I’ve requested their assistance with the issue of “lay readers,” that is, laymen who lead a service, read a sermon written by a pastor, and do not administer the Lord’s Supper. With their help, we hope the COP will provide guidance and a theologically acceptable way to provide for congregations which simply cannot get a pastor regularly.
Conclusion Thank you for consenting to serve the Synod at this 2023 convention. There is, of course, much more about your church’s work in the U.S. and around the world I could report, but I thought I’d make this report as short as possible and easier for you to read. These and many other issues will come before us in Milwaukee. I’ll mention more of them in Part II to be delivered at Floor Committee Weekend in June. We face tremendous challenges. The devil, the world, and our sinful flesh would seduce us to veer this way or that, as Luther says, “Like a drunk riding a donkey who swings to this side and now the other.” But I’m confident, even in the face of strong headwinds faced by so many of our blessed congregations, in spite of a world that hates us, our sin which besets us, and the devil who relentlessly attacks us precisely because the LCMS confesses the Gospel throughout the world, that the LORD will provide exactly what we need to be His people at this moment. What we need most will always come in a cruciform package. The Lord blesses under crosses and grants us the joyful hope of the resurrection in Christ. “Have no fear, little flock. The Father has chosen to give you His kingdom.” “We preach Christ crucified.”