We recently had the LCMS Stewardship Manager, Rev. Heath Curtis, spend some time with us in the Indiana District. He presented the Synod’s “Philippians Workshop” at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, for a couple dozen pastors and laity from various congregations, gathered for a very worthwhile evening. It is hoped that many (if not all) of our circuits will host similar workshops over time, and I am confident they will be of benefit to everyone who participates.
In the afternoon prior to his stewardship presentation, Rev. Curtis spoke to the Circuit Visitors at the District Office about the demographic challenges facing the Church at large across the nation – and about the Church’s response to those challenges in faith and love. I heard him give much the same talk at the Lutheran Concerns Association annual conference at the Seminary back in January, and I wanted him to share his insights and encouragement with our Circuit Visitors.
The reality is that all of the churches are facing the same or similar demographic challenges, some more drastically than others. The more liberal “mainline protestant” churches have been hit the hardest, simply because they have so little to offer in distinction to the world itself. But even the most steady and stalwart churches, including our own Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, have experienced persistent and accelerating numerical decline. These are demographic facts, which can be daunting and discouraging, but which we do well to face honestly.
Part of the encouragement that Rev. Curtis offers is that these demographic challenges are the consequences of larger, long-term factors, beginning before our time and beyond our control. Of course, we can always do more and do better in the work that our Lord has given us to do; none of us is perfect, neither individually nor collectively as pastors and congregations. But, humanly speaking, it’s not that we’ve been doing “badly” or “failing” as a Church, it’s that we’re living in a fallen and perishing world. Instead of beating ourselves up – or worse, browbeating the people of God – we are reminded to place our trust in the Lord and His Gospel, and simply to persevere in the preaching, teaching, hearing, learning, confessing, and praying of His holy Word. He will continue to obtain faith and bear fruit, where and when He pleases, in those who hear the Gospel.
The Word and promises of God are the foremost confidence and encouragement we cling to. But Rev. Curtis also offered some further encouragement, based upon objective data on the Missouri Synod. Albeit every particular situation is unique, and it remains the case that we can and should strive to do better; yet, it turns out that the LCMS actually has a relatively robust retention rate, strong family formation and support, and a significant track record in presenting and clarifying the Gospel to “weak, lapsed, worn out, and misled Christians,” to use Rev. Curtis’ terminology.
What Rev. Curtis urged us to consider, is that we ought to “lean into our strengths,” rather than bemoaning our shortcomings and weaknesses. He did not suggest that we should neglect other aspects of the Church’s life on earth, but only that we focus our finite resources on those things that we know and do best. He highlighted some of those strengths in his presentation – leaning into our Lutheran Identity, not only with respect to our liturgical heritage and rich hymnody, but such things as “Come, Lord Jesus” as our common table prayer, or Portals of Prayer, which so many of our laity value and use. Similarly, our long and deep history of Lutheran schools and Lutheran Education is a tremendous strength, one that we should “lean into” unapologetically, with theological distinction and integrity. In all respects, no matter how counterintuitive it might seem in contrast to the wisdom of the world, we ought to “lean into” the clarity and consistency of our catechesis and confession of Christ and His Word, in which alone is life for us and for all!