LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 81

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PARISH. YOUTH. AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES 81

Christ Jesus; and they will be uncertain about telling others of
the authority of Christ Jesus and the Good News of His
victories: therefore be it

Resolved, That authors, doctrinal reviewers, editors,
teachers, and pastors, in honor of the 500th anniversary of the
man of God that exposed the Christ-centered Gospel of the
Holy Scriptures, begin as soon as possible to avoid the use of
translations that compromise the deity and authority of Christ
Jesus in our religious literature designed for corporate worship
and basic doctrinal instruction: and be it further

Resolved, That the chief ecumenical officer. our synodical
President, encourage and promote the use of translations that
have no unusable and shortened passages.

Nazareth Lutheran Church
Buffalo, N.Y.

Harold J. Doerr, President
Alexander P. Gelley, Secretary:

(Appendix referred to floor committee)

2-20
To Emphasize Child Evangelism

WHEREAS, Only 48") of the children that are baptized in our
congregations are confirmed and become communicant mem-
bers of the church: and

WHEREAS, There continue to be 70,000,000 unchurched
children in our country: and

WHEREAS, The Sunday school is an ideal means to keep
children with the church and to win the unchurched: and

WHEREAS, 30.6 percent of the enrollment in our Christian
day schools is from children of non-Lutheran churches and 9.1
percent have no church affiliation; therefore be it

Resolved. That the congregations of the Synod be urged to
develop accurate soul accounting systems which keep track of
each child from the time of Baptism and develop programs
which assist in keeping baptized children and their parents in
contact with the church, such as the Cradle Roll and the
Nursery Roll; and be it further

Resolved, That winning unchurched children continue to be
emphasized in all of the school literature developed by the
Board for Parish Services; and be it further

Resolved, That the Board for Evangelism Services in co-
operation with the Board for Parish Services develop materials
for programs of outreach which the local Sunday school can
use; and be it further

Resolved, That all the teachers of the Synod be encouraged
to attend Teacher Witness Workshops. as they are offered by
the Board for Evangelism Services and the Board for Parish
Services: and be it further

Resolved, That the leaders of our Christian dav schools seek
to win unchurched children and their parents through the
school: and be it finally

Resolved, That the next synodical Sunday School Con-
vention, July 25—27, 1986, emphasize evangelism and church
growth in its theme and offerings.

Board for Evangelism Services
Oswald A. Waech, Chairman
Erwin J. Kolb, Executive Secretary

2-21

To Have Synod Develop
a Day School Curriculum

WHEREAS, Secular humanism, evolutionism, and other phi-
losophies that are incompatible with a Biblical and Lutheran
philosophy of education and our doctrinal position occur in
many secular curricula; and

WHEREAS, A-Beka Book Publications of Penscola, Fla..isa
nondenominational organization, with a fundamentalist and
reformed orientation, producing and selling textbooks and
curriculum materials to Christian schools throughout the
United States; and

WHEREAS, A-Beka materials, although having a Christian
basis, nevertheless contain both subtle and open deviations
from an evangelical Lutheran approach. both in their teach-
ings and philosophy, including synergism, revivalism. and
unhistorical and unrealistic glamorizing of our American
Founding Fathers as men of uncompromised Christian faith.
as well as a legalistic philosophy such as demonstrated in this
statement from Perspective. an A-Beka publication entitled
“Character Training in the Christian School”: ‘The final aim
of Christian education is the production of individuals who will
habitually choose to do right because it is right to do right”:
and

WHEREAS, Uncritical use of these materials, with all of their
false teachings which occur both overtly and in subtle allusions.
may unknowingly contribute to these schools becoming un-
faithful to their avowed purpose of teaching God's Word in all
its truth and purity; and

WHEREAS, Lutheran schools must be conscious of and
vigorously uphold and defend their unique I.utheran identity
and guard against the danger of becoming classified among or
associated with the growing number of fundamentalist-spon-
sored “Christian schools”: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
study the A-Beka and similar fundamentalistic curricula: and
be it further

Resolved, That the Synod warn its congregations and
schools of the false doctrines contained within such materials
and to avoid the uncritical use of the same: and be it finally

Resolved. That the Synod develop and market its own
curriculum materials for use in Lutheran elementary schools
which maintain academic excellence and incorporate a dis-
tinctively Lutheran philosophy and an evangelical style while
promoting a creationist approach to ongins.

Salem Lutheran Church
Gretna, La.

G. Robert Murphy, President
Dan L. Kottman, Principal
Curtis A. Peterson, Pastor

2-224
To Publish Christian Textbooks

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod contin-
ues to operate the largest system of Christian day schools
among Protestant churches in America: and

WHEREAS, Our Christian day schools are dependent upon
secular sources for their textbooks, except in religious instruc-
tion; and

WHEREAS, These textbooks for the most part are permeated
with anti-Christian secular humanism, evolution, and other
destructive philosophies; and

WHEREAS, It is unrealistic to expect either the teachers or the
students in our schools to sift out all the destructive influences
embodied in such textbooks: and

WHEREAS, The 1981 convention of the LCMS apparently did
not have opportunity to consider all of the ramifications and
needs for providing for the publication of Christian textbooks
for our schools, as requested by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church,
Fairmont. Minn. (see Memorial 7-15): therefore be it

Resolved, That the 1983 convention of the LCMS reconsider
the necessity of instructing the Synod’s Board for Parish
Services and or other appropriate agencies to initiate a
program in cooperation with Concordia Publishing House to
prepare and publish at the earliest possible date a series of
Christian textbooks on all levels for our Christian day schools
or to make arrangements with other textbook companies to
publish special editions of their textbooks which are acceptable
for use in Lutheran and other Christian schools.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Fairmont, Minn.

LaVern Schulz, Chairman
Douglas K. Janetzke, Pastor
Vernon H. Harley, Pastor