# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2023_S414
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

414

CHURCH AND CULTURE

Resolved, That we see this day of repentance and prayer as a
long-overdue confession of sins of commission and omission
against people of color, for which we truly repent, and seek God's
forgiveness and great mercy in Christ, that sets all of us free to be
reconciled with all people regardless of race or color; and be it
finally
Resolved, That we become known as a church body that eagerly
welcomes people across all racial and ethnic groups into fellowship
with us through our Lord and Savior.
Southeastern District
Ov. 11-13

To Support Racial Equality and Great Commission
WHEREAS, As the sin of racism is an obstacle to the Great
Commission, it would be irresponsible of us not to examine our
human failings with respect both to the Great Commandment of
love and the Great Commission to make disciples of all tribes,
languages, and nations through the Gospel and drawing them into
the body of Christ (2 Cor. 19:7; Rom. 2:4; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:9; Col.
3:25; 1 Peter 1:17; Matt. 28:19–20; Mark 16:15–16; Luke 24:47;
Acts 1:8); and
WHEREAS, Martin Luther taught, and we confess, that the Fifth
Commandment, “You shall not murder,” means we should fear and
love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbors, but help and
defend them in every physical need, which many have shamefully
failed to do especially regarding our fellow Americans who are
Black and people of other ethnic minority groups (Luke 10:25–37;
Prov. 24:1–2; Eph. 4: 31–32; Matt. 5:22; 25:42–43; 1 John 4:19–
21, Prov. 31:8–9); and
WHEREAS, Many Synod convention resolutions on the issue of
race have asserted the clear biblical teaching that all humans,
whatever the color of their skin, have been created in the image of
God and redeemed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus;
yet we continue to lag in mission outreach that crosses racial lines,
and in addressing racial injustices—offenses that put us in need of
God’s mercy and call us to action (Matthew E. Borrasso,
“Repentance and Hope: A Missional Appreciation and Appraisal of
LCMS Educational Institutions for the Training Black Church
Workers,”
Lutheran
Mission
Matters
[Nov.
2020],
lsfm.global/uploads/Nov%202020/LMM%2011-20__Borrasso.pdf;
Matthew E. Borrasso, “Concordia Selma Closes: Putting the
Demise of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Educational
Institutions for Black Ministry in Historical Perspective,” Journal
of the Lutheran Historical Conference [2019]: 214–30.); and
WHEREAS, The report of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
(LCMS) Commission on Theology and Church Relations
(Commission on Theology and Church Relations, Racism and the
Church [St. Louis: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 1994])
documents a disturbing pattern in the LCMS of following the path
of our surrounding culture regarding slavery and other racial
injustices, thus conforming to the world rather than being
transformed in Christ (Rom. 12:2); and
WHEREAS, We give thanks to God for courageous leaders among
us who over the years have overcome racial barriers and do so even
today, we still have much to learn about how to be racially inclusive;
for all of which we seek the grace of God to find more faithful ways
of reflecting God’s love and our unity in Christ; and

2023 Convention Workbook

WHEREAS, To reach deeply into the life of our congregations, a
church-wide campaign that is truly filled with the love and joy of
the Holy Spirit cries out for our response; and
WHEREAS, A Day of Repentance and Prayer for Racial Equality
could be enhanced with simple but starkly honest background
material, highlighting sins of racism in our nation’s history, and
even in its Christian churches, including our own Synod; and
WHEREAS, Such an event should be held synodwide urging all
LCMS pastors, congregations, and other affiliates of Synod to
participate on the Sunday in conjunction with Juneteenth
celebrations; and
WHEREAS, This event should be a joyous, Spirit-filled day that
can deepen our faith in Christ, empower us to seek justice, and help
us eagerly to welcome people across all racial and ethnic groups
into fellowship with us through our Lord and Savior; therefore be it
Resolved, That we respectfully ask the 2023 Synod convention
to issue an encouraging call to repent of all sins against the equal
value of life created in God’s image, including, but not limited to,
all sins devaluing people due to their tribe, language, skin color, or
people group, urging all LCMS pastors and congregations and other
affiliates of Synod to participate; and be it further
Resolved, That we set this Day of Repentance and Prayer for
Racial Healing as a long-overdue confession of sins of commission
and omission against people of color, for which we truly repent, and
seek God’s forgiveness and great mercy in Christ, that sets all of us
free to be reconciled with all people regardless of race or color; and
be it finally
Resolved, That we become known as a church body that eagerly
welcomes people across all racial and ethnic groups into fellowship
with us through our Lord and Savior.
Circuit 15 (Mecklenburg)
Southeastern District
Ov. 11-14

To Build Diverse Synod United in Christ
WHEREAS, The Scriptures teach that all Christians are brothers
and sisters in Christ, no matter how different we might be, for
example:
• Isaiah 11:10 (NIV), “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand
as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and
his place of rest will be glorious”;
• Galatians 3:26–29 (NIV), “You are all sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither
Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female for you are
all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are
Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”; and
• Revelation 7:9 (NIV), “After this I looked and there before
me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every
nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne
and in front of the Lamb”;
and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), our
districts, our congregations, and other partner ministries have
embraced this unity in Christ by reaching out to new neighbors,
people of many ethnicities and races, children, youth, expectant
mothers, those with physical and developmental challenges, those