Working under Bylaws 3.4.3–3.4.3.8, the Chief Mission Officer (CMO) is responsible to the President for all mission, ministry, programmatic, and coordinative functions, implementing Board for National Mission (BNM) and Board for International Mission (BIM) policies. He supervises the Office of National Mission (ONM), Office of International Mission (OIM), Office of Pastoral Education (PED), and the Synod’s Mission Advancement (MADV) and Communications (COMMS) units, ensuring appropriate resources, planning, and coordination within and across these teams. The CMO serves on the Operations and Administrative Teams, chairs the Pastoral Formation Committee (PFC), represents the Synod and/or its President on several LCMS established or affiliated entity boards (including the Concordia University System and others by appointment) and regularly interacts with various agency and auxiliary heads and church partners of the Synod to further LCMS mission objectives. For the sake of our common unity and mission in the Gospel, the CMO and units reporting to the CMO strive to serve the Synod’s members in full accord with and fulfillment of the direction provided by our congregations and church workers (i.e., as occurs at the Synod’s national and district conventions), such service and fulfillment often functionally accomplished through district offices and staffs (Bylaw 4.1.1: “The Synod is not merely an advisory body … but establishes districts in order more effectively to achieve its objectives and carry on its activities”). Over the past triennium, units reporting to the CMO have worked to advance the Synod’s current mission and ministry emphasis, adopted under 2023 Resolution 4-02: Making Disciples for Life (Proceedings, 135–36). For a summary of accomplishments within the ONM, OIM, PED, MADV, and COMMS units, see Reports R1.2.1–5 immediately following in this convention workbook. Significant items specific to the CMO’s office over the past few years include: • Rev. Kevin Robson faithfully served as CMO for the first two years of the triennium (through August 2025), just as he had served in this role for the past decade. We give thanks to God for Rev. Robson and his commitment to and diligent work on behalf of the LCMS and in our Lord’s mission.
- Rev. Daniel Galchutt began working as interim CMO in September 2025.
- The office created a new strategic planning process and for-mat at the beginning of the triennium and annual strategic plans for mission units have since been developed in conjunction with the BIM and BNM. • •
The office gathered information and conducted numerous interviews with district presidents, pastors, and laypeople in preparation for PFC reports included in this workbook; see Reports R13.3–6. The office coordinated efforts to use funding from the 2023– 26 National Offering to expand available faithful Lutheran resources for Gospel witness and theological education nationally and internationally.
The most notable CMO objectives for the coming triennium fall under the following categories: • Expanding the Synod’s mission and ministry to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, especially with the development of 2026–29 National Offering theme: Tell the Next Generation (Psalm 78:4), including efforts to give partnership grants to congregations and schools.
- For ONM: Church and school planting in U.S. mission field, expansion of the Synod’s work among ethnic immigrant groups, improved support for Lutheran education and schools, increased efforts toward evangelism by providing additional resources, and enhanced collaboration with districts and other Synod entities and agencies.
- For OIM: Recruitment and deployment of LCMS and alliance missionaries and sustaining the Synod’s premier role in global Lutheran theological education, especially through overseas seminaries in all four of the Synod’s international regions.
- For PED: Set Apart to Serve church worker recruitment initiative.
- For MADV: Informing and fully engaging current and new contributors who find fulfillment, gratitude, and joy in their participation in the Synod’s mission and ministry.
- For COMMS: Increased reach and engagement of stake holder audiences and a major transition into a new and improved digital platform.
- Through PED, PFC, and other Synod agencies, facilitate ongoing study, analysis, and conversations regarding the Synod’s pastoral formation programs and routes to ordination, church worker recruitment, and continuing education.
- Address evolving challenges and opportunities among the Synod’s international schools in Asia pertaining to Lutheran identity and strategic alignment with LCMS mission emphases and priorities. Daniel M. Galchutt, Interim Chief Mission Officer