# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S110
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

110

RESOLUTIONS
and come to a common decision about these external
matters, so that there will be one uniform practice
throughout your district instead of disorder (Luther’s
Works, 53, 47).

Action: Adopted as amended (4)
(By amendment the eighth resolve was added. An effort to
substitute Ov. 2-09 for the resolution was declined. An amendment calling for a change of title as well as substituting in our
doctrine as clearly revealed by the Holy Scriptures and in the historic practices of the church in our divine services for building
consensus in our doctrine and practice of worship in the seventh
resolve was also defeated.)

To Commend Hymnal Supplement 98
RESOLUTION 2-11A
Report R2-02 (CW, pp. 28–29)
WHEREAS, The Synod in convention (1995, Res. 2-07) encouraged the Commission on Worship to prepare a supplement of hymns; and
WHEREAS, Over the past two years appropriate materials
have been gathered and doctrinally reviewed for such a
supplement; and
WHEREAS, Hymnal Supplement 98 has been produced
and is being released and used at this convention; therefore
be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention give thanks to
God for Hymnal Supplement 98; and be it further
Resolved, That Hymnal Supplement 98 be commended
for use throughout the Synod in its congregations, schools,
and homes.
Action: Adopted (4)

To Support Annual Urban Institute
RESOLUTION 2-13A
Overture 2-40 (CW, pp. 137–38)
WHEREAS, The apostle Paul’s first mission strategy was
very much an urban strategy of planting and strengthening churches in the cities of the Roman Empire (Rom.
15:22–24); and
WHEREAS, The United States continues the trend of becoming a more and more urban nation; and
WHEREAS, Urban ministry is a unique challenge and opportunity because of the many cultures that are found in
urban areas; and
WHEREAS, Many of our urban congregations see the need
for assistance in serving the changing populations of their
neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, Our whole Synod and all Districts are challenged to identify, train, and encourage urban church workers and congregations; therefore be it
Resolved, That the congregations and District and national staffs of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod be
encouraged to support the development of an annual Urban
Institute conducted to train and support present and
emerging urban workers; and be it further
Resolved, That the congregations and District and national staffs of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod seek
to begin new ministry in at least one urban area in each
District. Examples of this new ministry might be a new
church plant or the development of new mission work by
an existing congregation.
Action: Adopted (10)

To Encourage Work to Begin
on New Hymnal

To Encourage District Rural/Small Town
Ministry Committees

RESOLUTION 2-12

RESOLUTION 2-14

Report R2-02 (CW, pp. 28–29); Overtures 2-18–19, 227 (CW, pp. 132, 134)
WHEREAS, The Commission on Worship has proposed a
timetable for preparing a new hymnal (CW, p. 29); and
WHEREAS, Synodical Bylaw 3.929 a specifies the procedure for preparing and approving official hymnals of the
Synod; and
WHEREAS, The Commission on Worship desires sufficient
time to test and receive reaction to its work; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod assembled in convention encourage the Commission on Worship to begin the task of
developing and testing materials, inclusive of all hymns
found acceptable in the list of songs submitted for the
African-American hymnal, for a new hymnal; and be it further
Resolved, That the Commission on Worship report to the
2001 synodical convention on its progress.
Action: Adopted as amended (6)
(By common consent the words inclusive of all hymns found
acceptable in the list of songs submitted for the African-American
hymnal were added between materials and for in the first resolve.)

Report R2-01 (CW, pp. 20–28); Overture 2-41 (CW, p.
138)
WHEREAS, The national Rural/Small Town Ministry
Committee during the last three years has discovered that
District Presidents along with lay leaders and pastors from
rural/small town settings are seeking assistance with mission and ministry issues of rural/small town congregations;
and
WHEREAS, The 2,100 (33 percent) rural/small town congregations spread throughout all the Districts have a
unique cultural makeup and outlook very different from
suburban settings; and
WHEREAS, The 653,000 baptized members (25 percent of
the Synod’s membership) live in geographic areas where
agriculture, leisure/tourism, and the extraction industries
of mining, fishing, or forestry are dominant means of making a living; and
WHEREAS, The congregations need to recognize the mission fields God has placed around them or the LCMS could
lose 20–25 percent of rural/small town congregations in the
foreseeable future; and
WHEREAS, The Board for Congregational Services has
recognized the importance of the ministry to rural/small