# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S153
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Missions 1B

sting Gospel. We have with us Christ, who bids us follow Him -
1 greach the Gospel: to every creature... And lifting high this
‘banner; He. reminds. us that “this. Gospel: of the Kingdom shall be
preached: in all the world for a witness unto all: nations and then |
‘shall the end come,” Matt. 24:14.

~ “Into all the world we shall go. For the ‘moment we know not.
whither we can go. We know not which lands might be open
unto us’ when. the present conflict is ended. And if and when’
‘the. doors to given countries are opened, we know not under
‘what conditions we can enter. Prudence, however, demands that
aes ‘we put our house in order, be ready. to heed the summons if it ©
‘comes. And there are many things we can do to be ready and
“prepared, even now as the conflict rages. To be ready we ought

--. To strengthen the Home Church and the fields already oc-

cupied., Only if the Home Church is sturdy and strong, will it be
ready to enter upon an aggressive and intensive postwar mission
‘expansion program at home and abroad. To strengthen the
Church, it will be necessary to rally the forces to greater mission-
ary zeal in every church, in every home, in every member. We
must with the help of God enkindle a missionary spirit. We need
this missionary spirit not only at home, but also in every field
already occupied, We must rally the forces to greater missionary
-- zeal in Foreign Missions, in South American Missions, in Deaf
‘and Blind Missions, in European Missions, in Negro Missions, and
in African Missions. It will further be necessary

To restudy the entire work of every mission, of every congre-
gation at home, of every mission station abroad, and this with a
‘view of a possible consolidation, co-ordination, relocation, or
elimination in the interest of economy and of conservation of
manpower; and

To evaluate the present-day manpower, to consider the fitness
‘or unfitness of the workers, the advisability to transfer men from
_ less. important or barren fields to fields of greater possibilities or
to fields where workers can make better use of the God-given
abilities; and

To restudy the missionary methods and missionary practices,
to adjust all work that it meet. the needs of the hour and more
fully build for a national Church in the respective country in
thought, in language, in custom, in manner of approach, in: the
presentation of the Gospel in church and in school. -
' Be it therefore suggested to urge every District: Home Mission
‘Board and every synodical Mission Board to strengthen the ‘work
already begun;

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