# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S380 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 380 SOCIAL ACTION AND WELFARE volumes of materials for District Boards of Social Min- istry. Volume I, entitled “Policy Manual for District Social Ministry,” includes the policies under which the synodical and District Boards of Social Ministry carry out their tasks, as well as the approved polity and ac- creditation procedures for Lutheran health and welfare agencies. Volume II, entitled “Demonstration Kits for Boards of Social Ministry,” includes resource material of all phases of programs for which the board has been given responsibility by the Synod, including institutional chaplaincy services, agency and institution concerns, housing concerns, and parish programs. We are gratified that the District President in the majority of instances was a full participant at the con- sultations. The prestige of his office, as he voiced sup- port for social ministry programs, made it apparent that the church recognized social ministry as an integral part of its total ministry. We are pleased that on the suggestion of our department each District has as- signed a staff or administrative person to its Board of Social Ministry. This is indicative of fuller administra- tive support for all areas of social ministry. Workshops for circuit social ministry representa- tives, as well as for parish boards of social ministry, were held in a number of Districts with synodical staff in attendance. Significant presentations were made on such topics as “Racism,” “The Theology of Social Min- istry,” and “Friendly Visiting” on a parish and a com- munity basis. It is becoming apparent that social ministry is gain- ing more and more support from the pulpit and the pew. We are convinced that where a teaching-preaching- reaching ministry is centered in the redemptive act of Jesus with its tremendous range of blessings and chal- lenges, there the people of God motivated to accept this act of love are also constrained to demonstrate on a con- tinuing basis the fact that “faith works by love.” It is our sincere desire that the District Boards of Social Ministry be the instrument through which the energiz- ing Word equips the total teaching-preaching-reaching ministry of its constituency for a life of “faith that works by love.” (Gal. 5:6) The Word That Heals A steady growth in the number of institutional chap- lains in our church indicates recognition that the church is deeply involved in the healing ministry to thousands who are victims of illness, pain, and brokenness. During the past biennium we have observed an up- grading in quality as well as an outreach in quantity of pastoral services to institutionalized people. Twenty Districts have designated one of their chaplains to func- tion as executive chaplain or liaison between our office and the almost 150 chaplains throughout our land. Re- gional workshops have been conducted in six areas of our country so that our chaplains might sharpen their skills and experience the encouragement of each other's concern for deeply troubled people. Through the generosity of Wheat Ridge Foundation and Aid Association for Lutherans we have been able to award scholarships for clinical pastoral education to 22 persons who are chaplains or plan to enter this spe- cialized ministry; 17 others received scholarship help through our department. National standards make it mandatory that all chaplains be clinically trained. One year of such training in addition to seminary is a re- quirement for appointment to state and federal institu- tions. Joint evaluation procedures for all Lutheran chaplains by the Lutheran Council in the U.S. A. have been helpful in upgrading chaplaincy programs as well as providing a uniformity of competence among those who communicate the healing Word. We pay tribute to the hundreds of busy parish pas- tors, retired veterans of the ministry, and thousands of dedicated lay people who serve as an extension of the chaplains’ ministry by their part-time service in many of the 41,000 institutions in America. Thousands of burdened people would not have the benefit of hearing the “Word that heals” if it would not be for the service of these volunteer part-time conveyors of compassion. A filmstrip, “Eight Cases of Love,” which describes the frustrations, the functions, and the fulfillments of the chaplain's ministry, was produced by our depart- ment together with the Department of Missionary Edu- cation and Concordia Publishing House. We believe that through the use of this filmstrip our people will gain a greater understanding of the needs of people, and one of the ways that the church is seeking to meet the needs. The ministry of the institutional chaplain has changed considerably since the early days, when any dedicated clergyman was a welcome visitor within an institution. Today this is a specialized ministry in which the chaplain finds himself in the midst of four vital rela- tionships which are quite clearly defined: (1) He must have a call and be responsible to the church that places him in the field. (2) He must function as a professional among the professionals on the institution staff. (3) He must be able to competently minister to deeply troubled people. (4) He must relate on an administrative level to the superintendent of the institution which in an increasing number of cases pays his salary. These de- velopments in the chaplaincy field have affected the pattern of services in which a chaplain who formerly served very many institutions today works intensively in a single institution. This change makes clear the need for an increasing number of chaplains. The expanding number of nursing homes which have developed throughout our country must be the concern of our chaplains as well as other clergy in the commu- nities in which they are located. The number of these homes has increased to more than 25,000. The members of our congregations with some guidance by the parish pastor and the congregation committee on social min- istry should find these facilities a challenging opportu- nity to share the concern and love of Christ with those who travel down the sunset road of life.