LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 13

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MISSIONS, EVANGELISM. AND SOCIAL MINISTRY 13
Dentist ................... 1 3. Nigeria Teacher Candidate For Literacy
Nurses Sts r ete res ee eee ne 2) 4. Hong Kong Teacher DCE lhrector of Christian Ed
Lay Workers ............. 14 Experienced
Vicars 2.0.00. 3 Lay Missionaries
Vol Youth
° unteer out lL. Nigena MD Director of Rural Health Program
Ministry ............... 32 2. Hong Kong «Macao: MSW Social Ministry
‘5 153 missionary units 5. Papua New Guinea MD Immanuel Medical Director
. “106 wives . Animportant aspect of recruiting and sending missionaries

193 children (on field)
_15 dependents (U:S. schools)

467 persons

The board assists missionaries with furlough arrange-
ments. This includes personnel-related matters like travel.
housing, family health examinations, debriefing interviews,
and sometimes special study programs. The board also pro-
vides for reentry into this country for those missionaries who
have completed their short-term and or special assignments or
Who. for one reason or another, find it necessary to return

ome.

During the period between the board meetings of June 198]
and January 1983, the board granted releases to 49 mis-
sionaries in all categories of regular and short-term service: 14
ordained, 11 teachers, 1 nurse, 11 lay workers and 12 volunteer
youth ministry persons. During this same period, 60 persons
accepted new appointments in all categories of regular and
short-term service: 14 ordained, 9 teachers, 1 medical doctor. 15
lay workers, 22 volunteer youth ministry persons. At the time
of this writing, decisions are awaited from recipients of
appointments issued in January 1983: 1 teacher, 3 ordained
pastors, | social worker, and 1 director of christian education.

-— Committed to the Great Commission of our Lord and

determined to proclaim Christ to the unreached, the board has
resolved in these end times before our Lord's return to respond
to the requests of our partner churches and mission fields for
more missionaries. On the basis of these requests, the board
has resolved to ask for 13 theological candidates. 12 ordained
pastors, 5 vicars, 4 teachers DCE'’s, and 3 lay missionaries.
Each category is numbered in order of priority. The total list of
missonary personnel requirements for the calendar year of
1983 is for 37 positions as follows:

PRIORITIZED
>. MISSIONARY PERSONNEL
i. REQUIREMENTS
, 1/6/83
Theological Candidates
Country Type Missionary Type Work

1. Papua New Guinea Evangelistic Regional Advisor

2. Ghana Evangelistic New Work

3. Guatemala Evangelistic Spanish Replacement
4. Liberia Evangelistic Kisi Expansion

5. Philippines Evangelistic Kalangan New

6. Venezuela Evangelistic New

7. Venezuela Evangelistic New

&. Nigeria Evangelistic Ijaw Bible Translation
9. Korea Evangelistic Expansion

10. Panama Evangelistic New
1}. Gbana Evangelistic Konkomha New

12. Papua New Guinea Evangelistic Regional Advisor
13. Ghana Evangelistic Kumasi New
Experienced Pastors

1. Sri Lanka Evangelistic New

2. Sierra Leone Evangelistic Advance Man

3. Guatemala Evangelistic New

4. Botswana Evangelistic Leadership Training
5. Hong Kong Evangelistic Seminary

6. Japan Evangelistic Campus Missionary
7. Nigena Evangelistic Seminary

&. Philippines Evangelistic Oromoc Replacement
9. Philippines Evangelistic English Intl. Ministry
10. India Evangelistic Kodai House Parents
11. Ghana Evangelistic Tema Expansion

12. India Evangelistic Spiritua] Advisor
Vicars

1. Guatemala Puerto Barrios

2. Guatemala Guatemala City

3. Panama Balboa «Wetzstein)

4+. Venezuela San Felix

5. Mexico Mexico City, Good Shepherd

DCE and Teachers

1. Togo Experienced Teacher
2. Papua New Guinea Teacher DCE

Moba Expansion
Pausa Dtp. Headmaster

is their preparation or training for service in a cross-cultural
setting. The subject of missionary training is receiving in-
tensive study in an effort to provide the very best in terms of
professional skills, in-depth understanding, and knowledge of
the areas and peoples to be served by the missionaries. At the
present time the facilities and program of Link Care Center in
Fresno, Calif. are being used. Professionally qualified Chris-
tians, knowledgeable in anthropology. cross-cultural commu-
nication, and interpersonal relationships, provide intensive
orientation during a part of the summer. When necessary, new
missionary people are also sent to specialized linguistic and
language study programs for acquiring skills in language
analysis, reducing a language to writing, developing literacy.
and doing Scripture translation. All new missionary personnel
also attend a retreat in St. Louis for specific information and
orientation necessary for going out as missionary representa-
tives of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

With an eye to the future, the board is also giving serious
attention to the need for a professor of missions at the two
seminaries of the Synod. This matter is still in the planning
and discussion stage between the executive secretary and
representatives from the two seminaries on the basis of a
position description for’ Directors of Missions” at the St. Louis
and Fort Wayne seminaries. It is envisioned the professors of
missions would not only develop a greater awareness on the
campus of mission urgency at home and abroad, but would also
arrange to provide for special courses for students who in their
early seminary days are committed to prepare for a missionary
call at the time of graduation. The Fort Wayne seminary
already has a full-time professor of missions.
™.

At the 1981 convention of the Synod. it was resolved to
launch a new program known as Personalized Missionary
Support (PMS).From a small beginning in December 1981.
PMS is gradually growing as more congregations desire to
have a personal relationship with a missionary family and to
be committed toward that missionary's support. Congrega-
tions are reminded that their participation in this exciting
program is to be over and above their annual commitment to
the needs of their respective district and the church at large
(the Synod).

As of February 1983, 84 congregations scattered throughout
27 districts of the Synod are in the PMS program for commit-
ments toward the support of 46 missionaries. Their pledges
total $251,083 per year for three years. A system of quarterly
billings reminds each congregations when a portion of their
commitment is to be paid.

In the course of a biennium, a board such as the Board for
Mission Services has a wide range of concerns brought to its
attention. What makes the board’s work so difficult is the task
of evaluating and steering its various programs of activity
toward achievement of its goals and objectives in the contextof
limited resources at a time in history when challenges for
mission outreach have never been greater.

A graphic picture of the board’s wide span of activity and
the funding needed becomes sharp and clear from the extra-
lean budget projections for the 1983, 1984 fiscal year. At the
time of this writing, there is the prospect of having to cut back

Personalized Missionary Support

1

ood

still more. That could cause a very serious cutback in mission _

outreach. The figures speak for themselves.
«

Allocation of Resources ~<

The Board for Mission Services is very much aware of its
responsibility to the Synod in establishing policy and imple
menting existing policies of the Synod in fulfilling its func-
tions. This is especially important in exercising a wise
stewardship of limited resources in the face of overwhelming
challenges and needs.