As an active LCMS member, Scoutmaster, Eagle Scout and father of 2 Life Scouts (one of which is in process on his Eagle project with our LCMS charter), I find the actions of both BSA and the LCMS very troubling. BSA's actions in compromising their values and giving into pressure from groups who only care about their own agenda even if it means destroying Scouting are a sad and poor decision. The LGBT agenda found the soft spot of many organizations - money - and got most of what they wanted EXCEPT that the religious charter organizations choose their scout leaders. As long as this is in place, the religious charter organization has the ability and authority to align their scout units according to their beliefs. The decision here from LCMS appears mainly focused on potential legal liabilities and disgust with BSA, not the theological. The LCMS has raised alarm bells and punted to the individual LCMS congregations without providing a path forward for the youth we serve (both LCMS members and non). The LCMS is correct in that our troop is 20% LCMS boys (35% LCMS adult leaders) and ~50% of our Church's LCMS scout youth go to other troops chartered by other churches. Is this an appropriate reason to send a troop away from the LCMS to another chartered organization that does not have the same beliefs? What message does that send to our scouts and their families be they LCMS members or not? This is a tremendous opportunity to connect non-Churched youth and their families to Jesus. I have seen many boys attend our troop and then start attending our Church with their families. Our troop of 50 boys would not be as successful if it was not for the support of our LCMS charter. Does the LCMS intend to retrench and hide in the hopes that the walls we surround ourself in will hold instead of professing our faith to those that come to us in the form of our scout families? I pray that the LCMS will remain engaged and our charter LCMS Church decides to continue supporting our Scout units.