# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S1082
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

RA cry td en mamets:

. . Because of the large number of

Proper Distribution of Manpower

» according to figures secured fr

St. Louis Springfield
1953 -—_.. 104 1953 ______ 39 1953 Sey
1954 ____" 12 1954 _ 4g 1954 18
1955 160 1955 45 1955 one
16 1956 4s 1956 oa
735

cause a larger number of pastors w.

MISSIONS 878

ation, grant a pastor because the congregation insists that
“its God-given right to have a resident pastor? Serious
ht ought to be given this problem, and some remedial sug-
ons should be offered.

Gal

Proper balance in the distribution of manpower and in the

ingthen the home base, it. will soon be impossible for us to take
are of the opportunities in foreign lands.

: Training a National Ministry

‘,.¢* The policy established by all mission boards operating in

f° foreign lands is to train a national ministry if this is at all possible.

~ ti keeping with this policy we established theological schools in

Argentina, in Brazil, in India, in China, and in Mexico. Plans are
under way to have a training center in the Philippine Islands.

The Lord’s abundant blessings were upon the efforts put forth
to train a national ministry as the reports from the various mission
departments will verify.

Building for the Future

It is important that we center our attention on the develop-
ment of an indigenous, self-governing Church wherever we plant
the standards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, on the development
of a Church which eventually will be self-supporting and take over
the further development and expansion of the work in the respec-
tive countries so that we, the Mother Church, being released from
the obligation to support and direct the affairs of their Church,
can advance to new fields, to new countries not as yet being served.

It is therefore important that with this goal in mind and in
due time we focus the attention of our missionaries and our fellow
Christians on the goal that it is their obligation to build and to
extend the borders. of the Lord’s kingdom. In order to help train
them to reach this goal, a greater measure of authority of self-
government, with corresponding responsibility, ought gradually be
granted the missionaries and fellow Christians.

Following this policy, at the suggestion of the Board for
Missions in North and South America, with a measure of success,
a Mission Council of pastors and of the laity was appointed in
Mexico to advise in arising problems, to advise in the fixing. of
salaries, of the budget of the parishes, of the Instituto at Monterrey,
and in the further developments of the mission-expansion program.

Extending the cords into foreign lands, let us ever strengthen
the home base and grasp the opportunities that are ours today be-