Lutheran Social Service System.

The Lutheran Council in the USA (LCUSA) was founded in 1967 as an inter-Lutheran agency of The American Lutheran Church (TALC), the Lutheran Church in America (LCA), the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (SELC)(which became an LCMS nongeographic district in 1970), and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC) joined LCUSA in 1978 and the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America became a member in 1982. LCUSA coordinated the work of the participating church bodies in mission planning; ministry to students, immigrants, and other groups; theological education, dialogues, and studies; service to military personnel; public relations; and government liaison activities. In 1973, the LCUSA's Division of Mission Services and Division of Welfare Services merged to.

Become the Division of Mission and Ministry (DMM). DMM conducted regional mission planning consultations, clinical pastoral education work, social ministry programs, and cooperative work with LCUSA related agencies regarding domestic disasters, housing, ministry with veterans, and social services. LS/3 was established in 1975 by LCUSA church bodies to bring together the consultative services of the churches into a single administrative unit which would simplify and unify procedures affecting the relationship between the agencies, homes and the church units to which they related. (Prior to this time (1967-1974), consultations to Lutheran agencies had been handled by the Division of Welfare Services (1967-1973) and the Division of Mission and Ministry (1973-1974).

LS/3 was discontinued in 1986 with the anticipated establishment of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The LCUSA was terminated in 1987 at the founding of the ELCA. The ELCA assumed LS/3 responsibilities at this time.