LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 42

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

42 MISSIONS, EVANGELISM, AND SOCIAL MINISTRY

sion in American ghettos and barrios, and in the rest of the
world as evidenced by the brutal use of power in places such as
Nicaragua, E] Salvador, Poland, Northern Ireland, Namibia,
and Zimbabwe; therefore be it

Resolved, That the CNH District petition the LCMS to
create, develop, and maintain a human rights commission in
order to educate and involve members of the LCMS and to
address violations of human rights throughout the Creator's
world.

California-Nevada-Hawaii District
Sergei S. Koberg, Secretary

To Distribute Statement
on Pastoral Counseling

WHEREAS, Distress among people in families, communities,
and parishes continues in our age as in all previous generations
since the Fall; and

WHEREAS, Among the ministers of the Gospel today there
are trained clergy presenting special gifts to the church for
counseling, healing, reconciliation, and presenting the Law-
Gospel message to the distresses in and around the church; and

WHEREAS, “A Statement on the Relationship of the Ordained
Ministry to Pastoral Counseling” has been prepared through
the cooperation of LCUSA (1978), with our synodical President
giving significant input to it; therefore be it

Resolved, That this statement be given wide distribution in
the Synod as its own statement so pastors and people may be
encouraged in their life under God in this world and work
together to find ways to strengthen community, congrega-
tional, and family ties as the people of God, by making use of
certified pastoral counselors.

St. Andrew Lutheran Church
Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Louis H. Launhardt, Pastor
David Hahs, President

1-52
To Thank the Wheat Ridge Foundation

WHEREAS, The Wheat Ridge Foundation continues to touch
the lives of people around the world through innovative
programs and projects, based on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’
ministry: and

WHEREAS, Through its congregational workshops on health
and healing the Wheat Ridge Foundation helps sensitize
congregations to the concept that congregations are “healing
communities”; and

WHEREAS, The president of the Wheat Ridge Foundation
serves as a member of the Commission on Health and Healing.
lending his vision and expertise to the commission as it carries
out its health and healing functions; therefore be it

Resolved:

1. That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod thank and
commend the Wheat Ridge Foundation: its president, Mr.
Robert J. L. Zimmer: and its staff for their leadership in
carrying out Christ's mission of health and healing around the
world;

2. That congregations be encouraged to participate in the
workshop program of the Wheat Ridge Foundation:

3. That we ask the benediction of our gracious God and
Father on the Wheat Ridge Foundation and its people-oriented
ministry.

Commission on Health and Healing
Howard Mueller, Acting Chairman
Florenz Montz, Staff Administrator

1-53
To Expand Role
of Commission on Black Ministry

WHEREAS, Efforts to effect and stabilize racial integration in
the Synod over the last 25 years has met with only minimum
success: and

WHEREAS, There are more segregated Black congregations
in the Synod than ever before and the number of them is still
increasing from vear to vear; and

WHEREAS, Integration in the church and in American
society generally represents the transitional period from the
time that the first Black moves in until the time when the last
white moves out; and

WHEREAS, Although the task of the Commission on Black
Ministry is to “plan, coordinate, and expand Black ministry in
the Synod,” its role has been advisory only to the judicatories
in the Synod; administrative decisions remain basically with
the Districts in which the work is located; and

WHEREAS, Few if any Districts have an agressive program
for Black ministry expansion in their area. (The decisions for
or against Black ministry is usually one for the local congrega-
tion, which usually becomes involved only as a matter of
economic necessity): and

WHEREAS, Recent political development in the country
would lead one to believe that racial integration is for a long
period of “benign neglect”: and

WHEREAS, Our Synod's policy of establishing indigenous
churches in foreign fields ignores the fact that the racial
policies of the U.S. has created among Black people in this
country a nation within a nation and that this phenomenon is
nowhere more pronounced than in the various church bodies:
and

WHEREAS, A major factor contributing to the strength of the
indigenous church is its sense of ownership and control of its
own destiny; and

WHEREAS, The racial identity of the LCMS, its historical
relationship with Black ministry, and the racial identity of
administrators often frustrates the efforts of Blacks to sustain
asense of ownership of the ministry or a modicum of control of
its destiny; and

WHEREAS, In religious denominations of America, Blacks
have traditionally broken away from white denominations in
order to secure that sense of ownership and control; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Black Ministry of The
Lutheran Chureh—Missouri Synod be given a greatly ex-
panded role in the administration of Black work in the Synod:
and be it further

Resolved, That funds be made available for an additional
staff person to coordinate Black ministry with the Districts
whose job it will also be to foster and administer specially
funded programs in Black ministry and to bean administrative
assistant to the executive secretary of the Commission on
Black Ministry: and be it finally

Resolved, That the Commission on Black Ministry petition
the Synod in convention to direct all Districts with a challenge
of Black ministry to create a Black ministry coordinating unit,
granting it sufficient authority and funding to plan. co-
ordinate, and expand Black ministry on the District level: thus
giving assurance of ownership by Blacks of their ministry.

Commission on Black Ministry
Richard Dickinson, Executive Secretary

1-54
To Foster French Language Missions
in Quebec

WHEREAS, French-speaking Quebec with its six million
souls constitutes a North American mission field long neg-
lected by our church: and