# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S303 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) PARISH SERVICES AND YOUTH 303 and to report to the next convention.” Through a process involving a special committee of the council and the Board of Youth Ministry the Walther League produced a self defi- nition of its role and relationship to the Synod. After study and approval by the Board of Youth Ministry and the special study committee the Council of Administrators gave its ap- proval to the document after listing examples merely by topic in a parenthetical statement after the second para- graph of Section A. The Council therefore submits the following report to the convention defining the role and relationship of the Walther League to the Synod. The Role and Relationship of the Walther League to the Synod A. The Role of the League Within the Synod Historically, the role of the Walther League has been to initiate new programs within the youth ministry of the Synod for the benefit not only of youth but for the entire church. In his farewell address, following 12 years of ser- vice on the Board of Youth Ministry, former chairman Leonard Ramming cited no fewer than 18 areas pioneered by the Walther League in previous decades. The role of the league as an initiator of new programs and ideas within the Synod continues. Indeed, one of the planned benefits of the transfer of responsibility for overall youth ministry from Walther League io the BYM was to free the League from organizational burdens. thereby allow- ing it greater opportunity to experiment in the area of “youth-led, issue-oriented ministry” (e.g... the employment of young people themselves as full-time field workers; hikes for the hungry: greater involvement by youth in official church decision making bodies). B. The Relationship of the League to the Synod The initiating role that the league has performed it has performed within, not outside of, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. The league hopes to continue in this mode, building on the following relationships to the church: 1. Relationship with the Synodical Youth Ministry Struc- ture. The league relates to the Board of Youth Ministry of Synod and various District and congregational youth com- mittees. By far the most stable relationship is with the BYM. Extending back decades, this relationship has been recog- nized numerous times by the Synod in convention and is formalized in the synodical Handbook (paragraph 7.73 e). The relationship is reciprocal in that the executive secretary of the BYM serves as an advisory member of the League's Board of Trustees. The formalization of this relationship is of real value to the league and the BYM., In addition to sanctioning a helpful sharing between the two staffs, it helps provide the league, which surrendered its district and local structure in 1968, with some access to the Districts of Synod. The relationship between league and the District and local youth committees of Synod is informal and depends for its usefulness almost entirely on the relationship be- tween the league youth staffer in the area and the par- ticular youth officials or workers involved. Hence, the ex- perience has varied from very close relationships in which the youth boards and congregations depended on league staffers to help them plan and implement youth ministry programs to situations in which contact has been slight. As a result of this uneven experience, the league is at- tempting to effect closer working relationships between its youth workers in the field and District and local structures. 2. Relationship with Board of Social Ministry and World Relief. “Hikes for the Hungry” have provided the league with an opportunity to support synodical programs finan- cially. Of the half-million dollars raised so far by Lutheran youth through this program, ten percent has been available to the Walther League Council for quarterly emergency grants. This has made it possible for the league to con- tribute to the Board of World Relief's appeals for aid to South Dakota. Biafra. South Vietnam, Jordan. Mozambique. and Bengladesh when disasters have hit these areas. In addition, the league has contributed over 37.000 in emergency grants to Missouri Synod congregations and Lutheran wel- fare agencies to aid them in their local social ministry en- deavors. Generally, the emergency grant program has en- abled the league to help in crisis situations with quick, small grants. 3. Relationship to Synodical Administration. Auxiliary status sometimes means accepting the decisions of the Synod and its President despite reservations. When the President recently exercised his discretionary right to compel doctrinal review of league materials, under new Bylaws adopted at the Milwaukee convention, the league cooperated fully. It did so despite some doubts about the wisdom of centralized compulsory doctrinal review, because the new provisions ob- viously represented the view of the majority of the Synod and, as such, had great validity. The league is also always represented at annual consulta- tion conferences called to coordinate the activities of aux- iliaries and official synodical boards. It would favor more frequent consultation with staff members of synodical boards in areas related to league's work with youth in personal and social concerns. ce CouNCIL OF ADMINISTRATORS Herbert Mueller, Secretary 7-05 To Support Inter-Parish Experiments and Efforts WHEREAS, Economic limitations of most congregations pro- hibit the calling of full-time education ministers or the op- eration of dav schools: and Wuereas. Lay boards of parish education often do not have the opportunity to develop skills of planning and de- veloping programs of Christian education: and Whereas, The Board of Parish Education's Coordinator of Christian Education Project is providing various models of inter-parish cooperation and sharing of resources in Chris- tian education: and Wuereas. The need for such inter-parish cooperation and sharing is clearly evident in many urban and rural areas; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod encourage the Board of Parish Education to continue to support inter-parish experiments in Christian education: and be it further Resolved. That congregations be encouraged to investi- gate potential cooperative educational efforts with sister con- gregations: and be it finally Resolved. That Synod extend its thanks to Aid Associa- tion for Lutherans for its financial support of the CCE Project. NORTHEASTERN INDIANA PASTOR-TEACHER CONFERENCE Luther G. Strasen, Chairman Annetta Stork, Secretary To Encourage Establishment of School Associations Wuereas. The need for full-time Christian education is apparent in our time: and Wuereas. It is our desire as children of God to bring up our children in the Lord: and Wuereas. It is often difficult practically and financially for every Lutheran congregation to operate a Christian day school, this being especially true of the newer congregations of our Synod: and Wuereas, We would heartily desire to be good stewards of both our human and financial resources; therefore be it Resolved. That the Board of Parish Education continue to offer every encouragement to the establishment of Lutheran School Associations for the purpose of establishing area Lu- theran primary schools serving a number of congregations; and be it further Resolved. That all District Directors of Christian Educa- tion also continue to offer every encouragement for similar endeavors: and be it finally