Uniting Lutherans for Faithful Family Formation

Who We Are

Our mission

Our mission at In Concord is to strengthen the communities that help Lutherans form faithful families.

By bringing together existing networks of Lutherans, cultivating lay resources, and offering strategic guidance for church resilience, we create opportunities for our laity to meet and foster a culture where families can form and prosper within the church.

Our history

In Concord grew out of a group of Lutherans who noticed their friends fail to find their place in the church across major life transitions.

We saw:

College freshmen arrive on campus without a church home and join non-Lutheran churches or stop attending church altogether
Young men and women in rural congregations without any prospects for marriage in their local churches turn online or outside of the faith when they wanted to start a family
Families leave to join non-Lutheran churches when their congregation no longer had parents and children in their stage of life
Converts to Christianity reading about Lutheranism online but lacking a personal connection to invite them to church
Duplication of effort as motivated volunteers started from scratch to address problems they saw facing their local congregations
Isolation of Lutherans in all stages of life amidst worldwide trends of declining demographics and increasing opposition in the culture

Each of these problems has its own causes. However, each of them involves a lack of fellowship among Lutherans and a weakening of our communities despite the faithful Word and Sacrament ministry of our church.

Following a year of in-depth interviews with pastors, laity, and experts across our synod and informed by feedback solicited at three national conferences this past summer—including the 2023 LCMS National Convention—In Concord is now beginning to work on drawing together our community, starting with young adults.

Our beliefs

In Concord accepts the Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

We subscribe unconditionally to all the symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God.

you can learn more about our beliefs here

non-profit status

In Concord is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to In Concord are tax-deductible

In Concord has applied as a Registered Service Organization within the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors provides strategic oversight, ensures financial accountability, and upholds In Concord’s mission and faithfulness.

Rev. Shawn Barnett

President

Rev. Shawn Barnett is Associate Pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, and a teacher at Redeemer Classical School. Previously, he has worked as a research assistant for Concordia Historical Institute and a teacher at Immanuel Lutheran School in Alexandria, VA. His writing and translation work are published by the Ancient Language Institute, CiRCE Institute, and Concordia Publishing House, and he has presented frequently for the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education. He lives in Indiana with his wife and three children.

Elizabeth lewis

Treasurer

Elizabeth Lewis is an experienced lay leader and longtime advocate for Lutheran institutions, including her home church where she participated in the creation of a Lutheran classical school. Her varied career includes 12 years with the chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the US House of Representatives. She is currently the Executive Director for a private foundation that promotes historical preservation. She resides in Alexandria, VA along with her husband and four children. She has degrees in economics and philosophy from Wheaton College, IL.

Rev. Scott Benjamin

Secretary

Rev. Scott Benjamin is a pastor emeritus of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. After working as a Lutheran school teacher, he served as one of the first Lutheran missionaries to return to Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union, moving to St. Petersburg for several years along with his wife and young triplets. He remains active in the Synod, supporting church revitalization, campus ministry, and international mission work when not playing with his grandchildren.