# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S148
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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148 RESOLUTIONS

every capital expenditure in the light of the total need
God sets before them;

4. That the Synod and its congregations not ignore
the charge of “institutionalism” which many of our youth
lay against us, but recognize the constant temptation, and
the sin of which we in our natural blindness are no
doubt far more guilty than we know, to equate the in-
stitutional structure of the church with the church itself,
for this constitutes the subtile idolatry of making an
instrument an end in itself and a ground of false pride
and false security; that we lay this sin before the cross
of Christ, find forgiveness in Him alone, and plead with
Him in the Spirit to deliver and preserve us from its
curse and power.

Action: Adopted as given above (15).

(The committee agreed to substitute “held in tension
with” for “balanced by” in Point 2 of the second whereas.
The committee also stated that the “Note” attached to the
resolution should not be included in the permanent record.

An amendment to strike Point 2 of the second whereas
failed.)

To Affirm Legitimacy of Black Power
RESOLUTION 9-22 (Recommitted 9-08)

Overture 9-12 (CW, p. 393)

Wuereas, Black and white Christians together con-
stitute one body in Christ and share the dignity of son-
ship and forgiveness, which no accusation of devils or
men can take from them, and thus live in a bond of
unity which works continually to break down all divi-
sions; and

Wuereas, God in His mercy knows also the need and
hunger of every man for that secular dignity, honor, and
capacity for self-respect which Luther lists as belonging
to “daily bread”; and

Wuereas, The church recognizes that the black people
in America need to overcome economic, social, and edu-
cational disadvantages, not only for the sake of securing
more adequate food and housing but as a means of
asserting a quality of dignity and self-respect which will
enable them to face the challenges of life with the con-
fidence of free men; and

Wuereas, Our black brothers recognize also that sec-
ular dignity, unlike the dignity that is ours in the Gospel

of Christ, cannot be conferred as a gift or by mere legal
action but must finally be achieved by the black com-
munity for itself, and in that goal and endeavor see the
legitimacy of this concept of black power; and

Wuereas, Our black brothers alone, immersed as they
are in the community of black men, can and ought to
determine the form their ministry must take and to
a considerable extent also the direction in which the
church needs to move in relation to them; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage and bless its
black members, so minded, to return freely to that world
in which they have so unique an opportunity of service
and to use all wisdom and energy in love to work to-
gether with the black man in America, regardless of
creed, toward fulfilling his hunger for dignity, identity,
self-respect, and the respect of his fellowman, which is
so vital to his life; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod, white and black members
together, as well as all others, affirm that such a mission
of its black members to their own communities in no
way divides the church but only recognizes and uses
the variety of the gifts with which Christ has blessed the
whole body in its many members; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod arrange for its black mem-
bers to continue to share their special gift and insight for
the benefit of the whole church and ask them to bring
to the church any special need toward which the church
may make a contribution without upsetting the principle
of black power as defined herein; and continue at
every opportunity to offer to black men also that unique
dignity of eternal sonship which comes to them alone
by the mercy of God in Christ and gives them power to
overcome the world.

Action: Adopted as given above (16).

(The committee accepted two suggestions: to change
“the concept” to “this concept” in the fourth whereas and
to change “as they define it” to “as defined herein” in the
final resolved.)

10. CHURCH LITERATURE AND
PUBLICATIONS; PUBLIC RELATIONS
AND COMMUNICATIONS

To Receive Report of Commission
on Church Literature
RESOLUTION 10-01
Report 10-01 (CW, pp. 401—403)

Resolved, That the Synod receive the report of the
Commission on Church Literature and acknowledge the
work of the commission with thanks.

Action: Adopted (2).

To Accept Report of Concordia
Publishing House
RESOLUTION 10-02
Report 10-02 (CW, pp. 403—412)
Wuereas, Concordia Publishing House continues to