# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S36 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 36 SYNODICAL REPORTS R2-04 Board for Black Ministry Services Introduction The Lord God, the Almighty, has commissioned the preaching of the Gospel to all nations and has promised to be with messengers “always to the end of the age.” This report highlights the role of the Board for Black Ministry Services in sharing the Good News about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Convention has charged the Board for Black Ministry Services to * develop policies that will assist congregations in reaching out more effectively with the Gospel of Jesus Christ among African Americans; evaluate the effectiveness and administration of plans and pro- grams designed to coordinate and expand Black Ministry in the Synod in cooperation with the convocation of Black Lutheran congregations, appropriate boards, and the president of the Synod; represent the concerns of Black Ministry before the boards, com- missions, committees, and judicatories of the Synod. Working off the visions to be “strongly in the Word, people- sensitive and people-centered” and “reaching out boldly with the Gospel” the board has these specific goals: * Help Districts connect existing congregations that are interested and willing to begin new congregations to serve African Ameri- can communities Help Congregational Services make culturally specific resources available to African Americans and other ethnic groups Assist in responding to the needs of urban communities Assist in recruiting professional church workers and in support- ing Concordia College, Selma, Ala.: Increase the African American membership from 50,000 to 100,000 in the dawn of the new century Briefly define the audience and the needs the activities at- tempt to target. Atrican Americans: * 32 million in the United States * 53,642 in the LCMS ¢ 24.506 White members in congregations in Black Ministry * 16.262 students in Lutheran schools * 300 congregations in Black Ministry in 26 of the 35 Districts 300 congregations are served by 100 White pastors and 100 Black pastors * 20 students in the Concordia seminaries in St. Louis and Fort Wayne and Fort Wayne extension at Concordia, Selma $1 million dollars contributed through District and Synod annu- ally Describe, analyze, and evaluate any special research done that directly affects Black Ministry. Challenge in Black Ministry Focus Groups The Board for Black Ministry Services engaged the Vari Mar- ket Research & Training Services to conduct !1 focus groups with pastors and lay leaders about Black Ministry issues/congregations. Cities involved in the research were New York, New Orleans, De- troit. Charlotte, and Los Angeles. From the research, the board derived 6 implications for min- istry: - Reclaiming our heritage as Black Christians/abundant future . Integrated lay and pastor leadership development . Systems—improve communication/operations, and finance - Move from subsidy mindset to abundance mindset, financial security . Reclaim the story through worship and education wn tn 6. Networking with successful congregations which have an urban history This research empowered the board to partner with congrega- tions and Districts with cutting-edge grants for cutting-edge proj- ects. More than 60 congregations came forward with projects for ministering through outreach, music, educational trips, drama, sum- mer camp, historical experiences, telephone outreach, and many more. The grants awarded totaled $146,000. The response of the board can be summed up in one word: Amazement! African American Hymnal Supplement Research The board networked with the Commission on Worship to pro- duce an African American hymnal supplement. The involvement of Lutheran Brotherhood was a catalyst to broaden the research project to include African Americans in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The research project resulted in a proposed supplement consisting of the following: a single comprehensive re- source including front material, basic liturgical resources, liturgical resources for Christian life in community, supplemental liturgical texts, service music and psalms (approximately 60 selections), hymns and spiritual songs (approximately 300 selections) incorpo- rating prayers and other witness from the tradition, songs, and other resources for national and cultural celebrations, and indexes. Although the LCMS doctrinal review Process was an invalu- able service in the shaping of the hymnal and although LCMS par- ticipants desired and held out for a doctrinal review release, in the end the steering committee resolved to let Augsburg publish the hymnal supplement. It will be a 6 x 9 book, 512 pages, hardbound for endurance, at a cost between $9.50 and $12.50. The title is This Far by Faith. Lutheran Brotherhood contributed $100,000; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America contributed $60,000, and the LCMS contributed $60,000. The learning from this research project is that LCMS needs cul- tural panels to do doctrinal review for culture-specific materials. Non-Geographical Black Ministry District Study The 1996 LCMS New Orleans Black Ministry Family Convo- cation adopted Res. 1-03, to request the Board for Black Ministry Services to petition the LCMS to create a non-geographical Dis- trict so that African Americans can control their own destiny: Resolved, that African Americans in the LCMS take a new bold ini- tiative toward self-determination by creating a non-geographical dis- trict; be it further Resolved, that the President of the Synod be requested to gather the necessary resources, information, and personnel needed to do a needs assessment and feasibility study to determine the practical and spiritual impact of formulating a non-geographical Black Mission and Ministry District within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. This study would include such areas as finances, new Ministry opportunities for Black Ministry, the effect on the ministry of multi-racial and multi-cul- tural congregations, and the continual mission opportunities of the church-at-large and other areas needed; and be it finally Resolved, that as the information becomes available it be shared with the Board for Black Ministry Services, congregations in Black Ministry and the church-at-large, with a preliminary report to be given at the next convocation on Black Ministry, in order that the recommen- dations can be made to the 1998 synodical convention. The President of the Synod, Dr. A. L. Barry, after careful con- sideration of the resolution gathered the requirements for creating a District and assigned the feasibility study to the Board for Black Ministry Services. The board appointed a “panel of experts” to sup- port the research dimension of the project and a committee to do the feasibility study. After the core issues and financial viability were determined, the committee surveyed the 270 congregations in Black Ministry on the Non-Geographical Black Ministry District question. The re- sponse of congregations formed the basis for the recommendation of the study committee: That the Board for Black Ministry Services not pursue the Non- Geographical Black Ministry District at this time; and be it further resolved