Res. 6-11 — To Embed Church Work Formation and Recruitment in the Culture of the LCMS

WHEREAS, St. Paul writes, “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures … and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:3–4, 14); and

WHEREAS, God our Savior desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth through the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:3–6), and who sends pastors to preach the good news as He works saving faith in those who hear and believe the word of Christ (Rom. 10:13–23 17); and

WHEREAS, Jesus saw the crowds and had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, and said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:36– 38); and

WHEREAS, In a world of sin and death, where the devil is relentless in seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), and where millions of people are without Christ, therefore Christ’s command for laborers continues until He comes again (Matt. 9:35–38); and

WHEREAS, The Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions testify that the Office of the Holy Ministry has been instituted by Christ Himself as a gift to His Church to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to administer the Sacraments publicly in the stead of Christ and by His command (John 20:19–23; Eph. 4:11–16; AC V); and

WHEREAS, In love for Christ and His Church, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod established auxiliary offices (designated as ministers of religion —commissioned) to support the Office of the Holy Ministry and to assist the faithful in their God-given vocations (and in addition, for Lutheran school teachers, to assist and strengthen Christian fathers and mothers in their God-given responsibility to bring up their children in the nurture and instruction of the Lord [LSB Agenda, 203, 210]); and

WHEREAS, Synod conventions since 1847 have repeatedly urged sustained, synodwide church work formation and recruitment in response to ongoing need ( files.lcms.org/file/preview/building-a-culture-of-church-work-formation-and-40 recruitment); and

WHEREAS, The 2019 Synod convention established a comprehensive, synodwide, collaborative, long-term initiative to form and recruit ordained and commissioned church workers, which became a culture of church work formation and recruitment known as Set Apart to Serve (Res. 6-01, “To Support and Participate in the Comprehensive Church Worker Recruitment Initiative”); and

WHEREAS, Every major entity and sector in the Synod is fully partnering and collaborating with Set Apart to Serve on every level, including our two seminaries (and their Christ Academy and Vocatio recruitment programs), all of our Concordia universities, all 35 districts, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, Concordia Publishing House (CPH), Lutheran Church Extension Fund, Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry, KFUO Radio, LCMS Youth Ministry, LCMS School Ministry, LCMS Family Ministry, LCMS Worker Wellness, LCMS Communications, LCMS Mission Advancement, Higher Things, the National Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Association, National Association of Directors of Christian Education, the Lutheran Education Association, and many more; and

WHEREAS, Set Apart to Serve is becoming integral in the culture of the Synod when every congregation, family, school, circuit, district, and entity earnestly embeds and implements church work formation and recruitment in its mission, ministry, life, and work; and

WHEREAS, Church work formation and recruitment are strengthened when every pastor, commissioned worker, parent, and layperson invests time in the intentional formation, encouragement, and recruitment of youth (from conception through high school) and adults to prayerfully consider and pursue a church work vocation; and

WHEREAS, Set Apart to Serve has developed excellent, tested church work formation and recruitment strategies and resources for pastors, commissioned workers, parents, laypersons, districts, and second -career audiences (resources.lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve); and

WHEREAS, Set Apart to Serve and collaborating partners have worked to address obstacles that hinder church work formation and recruitment (e.g., education costs, worker wellness, information, resources); and

WHEREAS, The Synod is experiencing rich fruit of our labors through our collective Set Apart to Serve focus and efforts (files.lcms.org/f/sas-annual-report-2025), such as:

• Awareness of Set Apart to Serve and its purpose has increased from 54 percent in 2021 to 91 percent in 2025 among clergy, from 39 percent to 91 percent among commissioned workers, from 26 percent to 58 percent among laity;

• Intentional conversations with youth about considering church work have increased from 74 percent in 2023 to 83 percent in 2025 among clergy, from 59 percent to 74 percent among commissioned workers, and from 19 percent to 30 percent among laity;

• 16 of the 35 districts adopted a specific Set Apart to Serve resolution in their 2025 conventions, while all 35 districts are participating in pilot projects, focus groups, and social media ad campaigns;

• Church work enrollments at our Concordia universities increased from 699 students in 2024 to 768 students in 2025. Deaconess enrollment at Concordia University Chicago and our two seminaries increased from 93 to 101. Enrollment in all pastoral formation programs in our two seminaries increased from 566 to 586. This is an overall increase in church work students in our Concordia universities and seminaries of 97 students from 2024 to 2025; and

WHEREAS, Set Apart to Serve is not an end in and of itself but serves to rally and unite the entire Synod around forming and recruiting church workers from conception through adulthood, so that even if Set Apart to Serve is no longer a known name or brand, forming and recruiting church workers would be deeply embedded in the culture of the Synod until the Lord returns; and

WHEREAS, If congregations, schools, districts, and entities prayerfully desire that our Synod be richly supplied with faithful pastors and commissioned workers for future generations, then every pastor, commissioned worker, parent, and layperson must continue the blessed hard work of forming and recruiting church workers; therefore be it

Resolved, That every congregation and school of the Synod (conception–high school) be encouraged to implement a church work formation and recruitment plan in their mission and ministry plan within the 2026– 29 triennium (see files.lcms.org/file/preview/forming-congregation-sas-focus-team); and be it further

Resolved, That every pastor, commissioned worker, parent, and layperson of the Synod be encouraged to intentionally encourage youth and adults in their ministry setting and families to prayerfully consider a full -time Synod church work vocation; and be it further

Resolved, That all 35 district presidents, education executives, staff, and board of directors be encouraged to implement a church work formation and recruitment plan in their district mission and ministry plan within the 2026–2029 triennium (files.lcms.org/file/preview/forming-district-sas-focus-team); and be it further

Resolved, That all circuit visitors be encouraged to include church work formation and recruitment as a standing item in their w inkel agendas and circuit responsibilities, utilizing the quarterly Set Apart to Serve circuit visitor newsletter lcms.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c5b5a2837db31893114eebbb8&id=2fc11ae9e6&e=e92e2543eb; and be it further

Resolved, That all Synod schools (early childhood–high school) be encouraged to implement the Set Apart to Serve church work vocation curriculum published by C PH each year to supplement their religion curriculum (resources.lcms.org/initiatives/set-apart-to-serve-curriculum); and be it further

Resolved, That district and congregation leaders and committees be encouraged to enhance their financial support of individuals who are enrolled in church work programs at our Concordia universities and seminaries; and be it finally

Resolved, That district and congregation leaders be encouraged to intentionally address the compensation and overall wellness, love, and appreciation of all ordained and commissioned church workers in district congregations, school s, and entities.