Lutheran Witness: November 2016

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From the President: Great Truths

From the editor

This month, as with each November, you’ll see a smattering of numbers and statistics regarding the people and work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

While the numbers are by no means exhaustive, we’ve compiled at least a few you may find interesting, like what it costs to put a missionary on the field, the amount of charitable giving extended to the LCMS, and a handful of highlights from the work of the Offices of International and National Mission in the past year.

You’ll also see how many new Lutheran schools opened, the number of church workers by category in the LCMS, the chief cause of the Synod’s numerical decline, and the new, seventh mission priority for the Synod’s work.

If you’re interested in the enrollments for the Concordia University System and the two seminaries, where the LCMS has been in the news, the Synod’s revenue and expenses, and our public square work through Free to be Faithful and the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty, you’ll find it here as well.

Some numbers may dishearten or discourage you. Other information may surprise and gladden you. But the Church isn’t about numbers or tables, graphs or charts. It is ever and only about Christ, the one who preserves His Church in His never-ending goodness and mercy. And that’s the biggest fact worth reporting!

Adriane Heins, Managing Editor
The Lutheran Witness