Res. 1-11 — To Confess God’s Design for the Family

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church —Missouri Synod upholds the scriptural mandate for families and the church to nurture faith in the home: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road” (Deut. 6:6– 7 NIV); and

WHEREAS, Luther declares, “let everyone know that it is his duty, on peril of losing the divine favor, to bring up his children in the fear and knowledge of God above all things [Proverbs 1:7]” (LC I [Fourth Commandment] 174); and

WHEREAS, The Fourth Commandment, as explained in the Large Catechism, places all authority over a child on the parents of that child, so that we confess, “For all authority flows and is born from the authority of parents. Where a father is unable alone to educate his … child, he uses a school master to teach the child. … So all whom we call ‘masters’ are in a place of parents and must get their power and authority to govern from them” (LC I [Fourth Commandment] 141– 42); and

WHEREAS, The Office of National Mission (ONM) and organizations that support those seeking to live according to God’s design for the family, such as Concordia Center for the Family, are great blessings to this work in the c hurch; and

WHEREAS, Government in our society—at federal, state, and local levels —has attempted or may attempt to step between children and their parents (impeding the parents’ duty to raise their children in the faith and life of the Christian confession) in various ways, including but not limited to:

• laws that allow, recommend, or give children sex change operations or medical procedures for “transitioning” minors without parents’ approval;

• laws that permit minors to get an abortion without parents’ approval;

• laws that label parents who refuse their minor children sex change operations and procedures, or abortions, as engaging in child abuse;

• laws that remove children from the custody of parents who refuse their minor children sex change operations and procedures, or abortions;

• school policies that encourage children to “transition,” use gender-confusing language, or introduce sexual or gender identities that do not conform with the child’s birth sex without parents’ approval;

• school policies that promote various anti-scriptural social agendas without parents’ approval; Therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention plainly state our religious objection to government interference in Christian parents’ duty to raise their children in the faith and life of the Christian confession; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod encourage all Synod congregations, pastors, commissioned workers, and lay leaders to make use of training and resources (such as those from the Family Ministry Office and Concordia Center for the Family); and be it further

Resolved, That the ONM be prepared to inform congregations about public resources (such as the Alliance Defending Freedom) available to support their biblical convictions; and be it finally

Resolved, That we urge our congregations and schools boldly to confess and witness to the truth in the public square.