# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1977_S30
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

30 MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION

Wollenburg—455. As a result of the balloting Dr.
Merkens was declared Second Vice-President of the
Synod, with Dr. Maier being declared Third Vice-
President. The next ballot for the remaining vice-
presidential positions would include the names of
Bernthal, Mueller, Sauer, and Wollenburg.

Closing Devotion

Chaplain Paul Streufert closed the session with a
prayer for a delegate who had become ill during the
convention and then, referring the delegates to the
Communion service which would be held in the
evening, asked the delegates to join in the singing of
the hymn “Lord Jesus, Think on Me.”

Session 5
July 18, Morning

Opening

After President Preus had called the fifth session of
the convention to order, Chaplain Streufert led the
delegates in a devotion based on James 1:1-8 by asking
the question: “Is prayer essential?” After using a
number of examples of the power of prayer, he closed
his devotion with the same question with which it
began and led the delegates in prayer and in the
singing of the hymn “May We Thy Precepts, Lord,
Fulfill.”

Social Ministry

Chairman Albert Marcis of the Floor Committee on
Social Ministry began discussion of this area with the
introduction of Res. 801 (TB 145), directing the

Commission on Ministerial Health to further imple-
ment the Ministerial Health program. This resolution,
which was adopted by the delegates, asked for a review
of the entire Ministerial Health program for church
workers and encouraged the establishment and activity
of responsible District representatives in these areas.
Following a short presentation by Dr. Leslie Weber,
Executive Secretary of the Board of Social Ministry and
World Relief, and by Rev. Melvin Witt, Secretary of
World Relief, the convention adopted a resolution
calling for the support of World Relief/ World Hunger,
encouraging congregations to provide prayerful
offerings for this purpose, and urging the making and
redeeming of “Faith Promise” pledges for this purpose
(Res. 8-02, TB 145). After adding the words “alcoholics
and others” between the words “ministry to” and “drug
abusers” on line 38 (TB 146) and changing the word
“remain” to “remains” in line 15, discussion was begun
on Res. 8-03 (TB 146), a resolution encouraging more
effective ministry to alcoholics and other drug abusers.
After adopting an amendment substituting the word
“disease” for “problem” and “affects” for the word
“confronts” in line 9 (TB 146) and declining to add the
word “spiritual” before “disease” in the same line, the
resolution was adopted as amended. This resolution
encouraged church workers’ conferences to consider the
topic of ministry to alcoholics and other drug abusers
during the next biennium and endorsed the concept that
12 Districts during the next biennium conduct special
workshops in this area. It also asks the Board of Social
Ministry and World Relief to report to the next
convention in regard to the implementation of this
resolution. Resolution 8-04 (7B 147) was next con-
sidered, calling for the sponsorship of “Serve Your

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