# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S148 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 148 CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES WHEREAS, Many non-LCMS publishers claim to have a supe- rior process or product for Christian education and market heavily to convince LCMS congregations to use their materials; and Wuereas., Only curriculum materials published by Concordia Publishing House are certified by our Synod’s doctrinal review process to be “in agreement with the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions”; and WHEREAS, Congregations that purchase curriculum materials from other publishers not only ignore the Synod’s Bylaws but also diminish the ability of our publishing house to invest financial re- sources necessary to continue providing the best possible materi- als; therefore be it Resolved, That the congregations of our Synod be strongly urged to continue “walking together” by using the resources pro- vided by the Synod’s publishing arm, Concordia Publishing House, rather than resources from other uncertified sources; and be it fur- ther Resolved, That Concordia Publishing House be cncouraged to continue to produce the highest quality curriculum material possi- ble by listening to the needs of our congregations, by responding to the challenges of communicating the Gospel to people of the 21st century, and by working with congregations to find ways to use CPH materials successfully in various settings and programs. Immanuel Powell, WY 2-45 To Encourage CPH to Enter Broader Book Market WHEREAS, Concordia Publishing House has been a blessing to The Lutheran Church-—Missouri Synod throughout its history and has served the Synod well; and WHEREAS, The synodical Bylaws charge Concordia Publishing House with the task of “developing, producing, marketing, and dis- tributing products for use by members of the Synod, other Chris- tians, and the public in general” (Bylaw 3.301, emphasis added); and WHEREAS, At present, the only way customers can buy books from Concordia Publishing House is by ordering directly or through select Christian (usually Lutheran) bookstores; and WHEREAS, Large chains of super bookstores, such as Borders Books and Barnes and Noble, have proliferated in the last twenty years, offering customers a multitude of books on various subjects, including religion; and WuerEAS, A wide range of theological opinion, from funda- mentalist to extreme modernist. from Roman Catholicism to Pen- tecostalism. is represented by the books in these stores: and WHEREAS, These stores contain no book from Concordia Pub- lishing House, with the result that no customer would ever surmise the existence of the 2.6 million(!) member Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod by examining the books available on the shelf; and Wuereas, Much smaller denominations are represented quite well at these stores; and WHEREAS, Books from Augsburg Fortress, which support the “Jesus Seminar” and other attacks on historic Christianity, are abundant at these stores, giving readers a false impression of what Lutherans believe; and WHEREAS, Concordia Publishing House has published a num- ber of books (such as Harold Senkbeil’s Dying to Live and Gene Veith’s The Spirituality of the Cross) that would appeal to the gen- cral reader browsing in the religion section; and Wuereas, Most of the books in the Concordia Scholarship Today series, as well as classics such as C. F. W. Walther’s Law and Gospel, would also appeal to a broad audience; and WHEREAS, Expanding the distribution of sound Lutheran books may serve both as a means of outreach to the unchurched and as a means of influencing the broader Christian culture; and 2001 Convention Workbook WHEREAS, Concordia Publishing House is a synodwide corpo- rate entity, and therefore “accountable to the Synod in convention for the discharge of its assigned duties” (Bylaw 3.195 e) and is to reply to the suggestions of the Synod’s Board of Directors (Bylaw 3.195 d); therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con- vention direct the Board of Directors of Concordia Publishing House to make expansion into the super bookstore market a top priority during the 2001-2004 triennium; and be it further Resolved, That the Board of Directors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod periodically review the progress of Con- cordia Publishing House in this task and make appropriate sugges- tions to the Board of Directors of Concordia Publishing House. First Bethlehem Chicago. [L 2-46 To Direct CPH to Publish Special Edition of Small Catechism WHEREAS, Luther’s Small Catechism is a doctrinal and devo- tional treasure of the Lutheran church; and WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther encouraged regular prayer and meditation on the catechism; and WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has reaffirmed Lutheran catechetical instruction (1995 Res. 2-09A); and WHEREAS, Current editions of the Small Catechism are avail- able only in paperbound copies and in a textbook-style edition; therefore be it Resolved, That Concordia Publishing House be directed to pub- lish a pocket-sized, hardcover, gift edition of Luther's Small Cate- chism to serve as a prayer book in the Lutheran church; and be it further Resolved, That this edition include the 1986 translation of Luther’s Small Catechism, Luther’s catechetical hymns, Luther's Simple Instructions for Prayer (to Peter the Barber at Wittenberg), and other materials deemed suitable for a pocket-sized prayer book of this nature. Faith, Spooner, WI; Salem, Barron, WI 2-47 To Urge CPH to Publish Revised Lutheran Cyclopedia WHEREAS, CPH has commendably published the CD-ROM The Concordia Electronic Library, containing a variety of basic Lutheran sources: and WHEREAS, The Lutheran Cyclopedia (entitled Christian Cyclo- pedia on the disc) is the only title in the CEL which has been newly revised and updated for the project; and WHEREAS, The last printed edition of the Lutheran Cyclopedia dates from 1975; and WHEREAS, The Lutheran Cyclopedia has long provided fugitive information, difficult to find in other sources, e.g., biographical sketches of significant Lutheran authors and servants of the church; and WHEREAS, There is a ready market for a handy printed resource of both historic and current Lutheran information, therefore be it Resolved, That Concordia Publishing House print a new edition, including the revisions and updates available on the CD-ROM ver- sion, of the Lutheran (Christian) Cyclopedia as a one- or two-vol- ume set in an economical binding; and be it further Resolved, That CPH establish a procedure to continue to gather information and update entries, making such revisions available at a Web site. Concordia Seminary St. Louis, MO