# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S403
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MERCY
people, and provide Christ-centered compassion and ministerial
supportive care to those in need; and be it finally
Resolved, That our seminaries and schools of higher learning,
including recognized service organizations (e.g., DOXOLOGY), be
encouraged to more adequately provide sufficient training to those
studying to be pastors and church leaders, including other staff, to
the end result that pastoral care is provided to the mentally
challenged; that those in training come to understand the symptoms,
nature of, and needs of the mentally challenged and are able to
advocate for professional assistance that leads to diagnosis and
treatment that follows to overcoming the illness/disorder or the
ability to manage it successfully; to the end that the pastor and his
congregation will effectively minister to the spiritual needs of those
suffering from a mental illness and mental disorder, and especially
proclaim that Jesus is our brother and defender even in the depths
of life—to comfort them with the promise that God is love and He
rescues and restores those who call upon Him.
Life in Christ
Grand Marais, MN
Ov. 3-05

To Provide Ministry Assistance to Our Pastors and
Congregations in the Areas of Clinical Depression,
Mental Illnesses and Disorders
WHEREAS, Our Lord commands us to love our neighbor as
ourselves (Mark 12:31); and
WHEREAS, Paul, the Apostle, reminds us, “If one part suffers,
every part with suffers it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices
with it.” (1 Cor. 12:26 NIV); and
WHEREAS, The Psalmist declared, “Oh, taste and see that the
LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! For
those who fear Him have no lack!” (Ps. 34:8, 9b); and
WHEREAS, Jesus, in fulfilling the Scripture, quoted Isaiah saying:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
proclaim good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim liberty to
the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
(Luke 4:18–19); and
WHEREAS, According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness
(NAMI), an estimated 22.1 percent of Americans, ages 18 and
older—about 1 out of 5 adults—suffer from an array of diagnosable
mental disorders in a given year or that one of our churches with a
membership of 100 has an estimated 20 persons with a mental
illness; that 10 percent of children aged 5–16 have a clinically
diagnosable mental health problem and 70 percent have not had
appropriate interventions to treat them (National Mental Health
Foundation); that diagnosable mental disorders range from
traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, bi-polar disorder,
depression, ADHD, and schizophrenia and, include addictions and
eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia, with other disorders on
the increase that include autism and Alzheimer’s Disease (NAMI
homepage,
nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-theNumbers); and
WHEREAS, Mental illness and a mental disorder has a downward
spiral effect in families and among people that may include
behavioral malfunctions, addictions, marital problems leading to
divorce, loss of job, incarceration, and suicide; that it’s estimated
that 90 percent of people committing suicide suffer from a

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diagnosable mental illness (American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention); and
WHEREAS, There is a stigma among the mentally ill to
understand their illness and a fear of being identified with a mental
illness/disorder; that because mental illness carries with it an
undesirable regard, there is indecision among the mentally ill to get
help; that mental illness is different from a physical illness in the
way it is treated and understood; that due to reasons such as stigma
and lack of access to the mental health system, the average delay
between experiencing symptoms and seeking help is ten years (the
executive director of NAMI, Mary Giliberti); that mental illnesses
and mental disorders present both challenges and problems for
pastors and congregations because of the stigma connected with the
illness and/or disorder from the ones afflicted to the ones
ministering to them and attempting to provide care and compassion
to their members; and
WHEREAS, In general, our pastors and congregations may be illequipped to provide ministry and compassionate care to those
suffering from a mental illness/disorder and may need additional
resources to help them more fully understand the plight of human
need regarding those suffering from mental illness and to draw from
Scripture that which is needed to provide them with compassionate,
caring, knowledgeable, effective ministry; therefore be it
Resolved, That we advocate for the mentally ill in our Synod’s
congregations to the end that they receive pastoral care and Christcentered ministry that brings peace to the troubled mind; and be it
further
Resolved, That our pastors and churches actively advocate for
mental health and wellness today in their churches, among their
people, and provide Christ-centered compassion and ministerial
supportive care to those in need; and be it further
Resolved, That our seminaries, schools of higher learning, and
the recognized service organization Doxology more adequately
provide sufficient training to those studying to be pastors and
church leaders, including other staff, to the end result that pastoral
care is provided to the mentally afflicted; that those in training come
to understand the symptoms, nature of, and needs of the mentally
afflicted and are able to advocate for professional assistance that
leads to diagnosis and treatment that follows to overcoming the
illness/disorder or the ability to manage it successfully; to the end
that the pastor and his congregation will effectively minister to the
spiritual needs of those suffering from a mental illness/disorder, and
especially proclaim that Jesus is our brother and defender even in
the depths of life and to comfort them with the promise that God is
love and He rescues and restores those who call upon Him.; and be
it finally
Resolved, That the Minnesota North District memorialize this to
the Synod.
Minnesota North District
Ov. 3-06

To Direct the CTCR to Prepare an Addendum to
the Study, Immigrants Among Us
WHEREAS, In November 2012 the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations (CTCR) approved a report on immigration,
requested by President Kieschnick, entitled Immigrants Among Us:
A Lutheran Framework for Considering Immigration Issues; and

2019 Convention Workbook