Lutheran Identity

Concordia has invested significant resources over the last 15 years to understand and reinvigorate its identity as a Lutheran university and is more intentional about its Lutheran identity than ever before.

The history of higher education in America, specifically church-related higher education, is complex and should not be reduced to a simple phrase or single trajectory. Christian institutions across America have very different relationships with their church bodies, and many are thriving in their vocations as Christian colleges and universities. Hillsdale College, which many (even in our Synod) point to as the gold standard of Christian higher education, has no formal relationship with a church body and is purely self-governing, yet is seen by many as unwavering in its Christian liberal arts missions. Similarly, Luther Classical College, currently being developed in the Wyoming District of the LCMS, will have no formal governance affiliation with the LCMS.

Concordia remains committed to doing the same, continuing what we have done since our founding in 1926 – providing Christ-centered higher education that is faithful to our Lutheran history, theology, and practice

The CTX Board has developed a set of guiding principles known as “Demonstrations of Lutheran Identity,” which serve as the University’s version of the current Lutheran Identity Standards of the Concordia University System. It provides accountability towards Lutheran doctrine and practice and will be shared annually with the President of the Texas District and other interested parties and remain available to the public. These Demonstrations of Lutheran Identity transparently share how Concordia interprets and lives out its identity as a Lutheran institution of higher education.

Concordia University Texas continues to dialogue about what a future relationship with the LCMS will entail. CTX is committed to continuing the preparation of students for church work in the LCMS and beyond. We understand that we may not be able to certify church workers in the future. We are exploring other pathways for our church work students to receive their certification before their first call. These certification opportunities include other training programs, colloquy, or partnerships with other schools or universities.

We hope that we will be able to reach an agreement with the LCMS for our current and future church work students.

Participation by CTX in any of the LCMS support agencies in the future will be determined by LCMS Policy, with the final determination being given by the LCMS Board of Directors. CTX currently participates in the retirement and insurance programs offered through Concordia Plan Services; it has a banking relationship with Lutheran Church Extension Fund; and the LCMS Foundation currently holds several of the school’s endowments.

The governance relationship between the LCMS and its institutions of higher education goes back for decades (for more than 96 years, specifically for Concordia Texas) and has evolved many times over the years as the needs of both the institution and the Synod have changed.  This has been seen in various entities like the Board of Higher Education, the Board for University Services,  the current Concordia University System, and the potential Commission for University Education (see below).

The evolution of this relationship to meet the current needs of both the Synod and the institution has been a regular part of the history of the Concordias. Many agree that a new evolution is necessary at this time, and the Synod has been working on a new proposal to be brought to the LCMS Convention in 2023, known as 703B,  which changes the governance structure yet again and creates a new entity called the Commission for University Education.

It was this discussion around 703B that first led the Board of Regents of Concordia Texas to begin to consider the governance question in April of 2021. The Board concurred that a change was needed - one that would ensure that the missions of both CTX and the LCMS flourish long into the future.  However, in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility to CTX, the CTX Board did not believe that the relationship proposed by 703B was the right governance model for either CTX or LCMS in the current context.  Therefore, the CTX Board has developed a new form of governance, by which Concordia University Texas will be solely governed by its Board of Regents while remaining in alignment with the doctrine and theology of the LCMS.

Our prayerful hope is that this new form of governance will benefit both Concordia and the church.  This governance will allow for local control while ensuring that the University continues to be in alignment with the mission and ministry of the LCMS.

We believe that the best system of governance is one that is held by those closest to the institution while also being aligned theologically with the Church, as is the case for the governance of LCMS congregations.
More specific benefits to this change include:

• Matching authority with responsibility in the proper governing entity.  The current system of shared governance creates ambiguity, creating risk for both the school and the church.
• Providing the CTX Board with the capacity to articulate the mission and vision appropriate to the university's specific context.
• Empowering the CTX Board to shape itself and its membership in a way that is appropriate to the university's specific context.
• Placing the authority to select the president in the proper entity.
• Relieving the LCMS of responsibility for any possible legal liability, which can potentially occur with numerous potential incidents (as evidenced by legal complications with the recent closings of Concordia College Alabama, Concordia University Portland, and Concordia College New York). 
• Relieving the university of the effects of the ambiguities and vacillations in policy by changes at the LCMS conventions

We want and value a relationship with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

The decision to change the form of governance simply reframes the nature of that relationship so that governance will be solely directed by the Board of Regents rather than shared with the Synod.

This is not about theology or doctrine;  nor is the relationship with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod broken. Concordia University Texas is not cutting ties or seeking to become an independent or secular institution of higher education.

This is about governance. It will allow the university to have the appropriate local control while planning for our future. 

We are deeply thankful for our Lutheran theology, history, and practice, and we will continue to live out the mission of the church by remaining faithful to scripture and the confessions; engaging with the broader culture and being a light to the world; continuing to train workers for the church; sharing the gospel with students; and, partnering with LCMS entities to help them live out their mission.

Concordia University Texas will:

• Remain Christ-centered and committed to sharing the Gospel with students;
• Continue to serve churches and schools, including preparing Church workers; 
• Continue to be faithful to the centrality and authority of the scriptures;
• Be faithful to the Lutheran Confessions.
• Ensure that key administrative positions and Board members are active members of LCMS churches; 
• Create a set of governing documents that ensure the institution will remain aligned with the LCMS long into the future.
  

From a governance perspective, this change simply means that the CTX Board of Regents will be responsible for all of its own governance decisions without being subject to the bylaws of the LCMS.  Most directly, this will be seen in the selection of Board members and the President, which will now be done primarily by the CTX Board of Regents.

Other practical decisions which will have to be considered are how/if Concordia Texas will continue to participate in Synodical systems such as the Call process.  Concordia has asked the CUS and LCMS leadership to engage in conversation with us about these kinds of decisions and we are awaiting the next steps. We are committed to finding a solution in this new governance structure that serves the LCMS, its churches, and Concordia students, faculty, and staff.

The CTX Board of Regents has developed a series of governing documents that will ensure that Concordia remains aligned with the theology and doctrine of the LCMS.  These documents consider and address issues such as:

• Ensuring the membership of the Board and critical administrative and faculty positions are filled by members of the LCMS
• Establishing a system of theological review every three years, done by a team of external reviewers who report back to the Board
• Establishing a system of Demonstrations of Lutheran Identity, which will be measured and reported to the Board annually
• Ensuring that the mission, website, and all handbooks identify CTX as a Lutheran institution, aligned with the LCMS, and ascribing to Article 2 of the LCMS Constitution
• Forming and continuing partnerships with the churches of the Texas District and beyond to ensure our partnership in ministry declares the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world
  
• Ensuring that the Board and the faculty/staff receive regular training in Lutheran identity and support in living out their callings at a Lutheran/Christian institution
• Ensuring that we continue to address cultural questions - such as our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - in a manner that is reflective of Lutheran theology and practice

Review this webpage for updates.

We understand that our new governance model means we may no longer have access to certain benefits enjoyed as a member of the Concordia University System. We continue to explore how the new governance structure will affect called workers at Concordia. The University has developed plans to navigate any disruptions that might occur, and we remain open to further discussion with the LCMS about these matters.

On April 20-22, 2022, a team of 9 visitors, including LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, visited CTX as part of an official visit by the Office of the President of the LCMS.  The agreed-upon purposes of this visit were:

• To understand the Board of Regents' action in seeking a new model of governance
• To strengthen Concordia University Texas' alignment with the Synod's doctrine and practice
• To gain a greater understanding of how Concordia is serving the interest of the Synod and its congregations
• The visiting team met with sixty campus community members, including faculty, staff, and students.
• Concordia Texas received a report from the visit in January 2023.