LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 286

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is to result in qualitative mission program-
ming; (3) The increasing need for cost contain-
ment, cost reduction, and even cost avoidance
in mission expansion.

The Synod, in the challenging years
ahead, will need to continue to train mission
personnel even more thoroughly as knowledge
becomes quickly obsolete (methodology).
Closely related is the care of mission staff.
their mental health (since mission work is
taxing and rigorous), and their families.

Roland Miller

It has been well said that the church exists
by mission as fire by burning; if there is no
burning, there is no fire, and if there is no
mission, there is no church. Mission is not
therefore the expression of the well-being of
the church or the fullness of the church, but it
is at the very heart of the existence of the
church.

It is necessary for our church to recognize
this reality and to express it through sendings
in and to every place in the world where the
Spirit leads. The need to do this aggressively
now is clear from the population explosion.
The number of Muslims in the world, alone.
will be 1,054,000,000 by 18 years from now.
There is no choice, for the mission is in the first
place God's not ours, and He has sent us:
“Even as the Father sent Me,” says Jesus, “so
send I you.” In word and deed we are His
representatives,

The expression of the mission must be
sensitive. understanding. and knowledgeably
related to the realities of our global village.

Vernon Schindler

We, as pastors and congregations, must
remain faithful to God's Word and continue to
act on Christ’s command to “Go.” We should
continue to foster Great Commission convoca-
tions, both on a national and District level.
May the Holy Spirit continue to empower each
one of us to spread that saving Word “that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”

Alan J. Meyer

Our faith in our Lord and His calling must
be the keystone of our church’s mission work.
We are His servants and play an important
role in spreading the Good News He has
shared with us. Our Synod must continue to
support and sustain its foreign missions. They
are the cutting edge of our calling. Here we
grow in faith. In particular I feel that special
emphasis should be given to our evangelistic
work among young people. Our goal should
always be to work ourselves out of our job. We
must continually strive to enable our foreign
partners in the faith to grow in faith, outreach,
and service.

Albert B. Wingfield

God continues to shower our Synod with
great blessings. As we move forward during
this next decade, our top priorities must be
planting churches and opening new mission
fields where the doors are opened. We must
work with our partner churches to provide
sound theological training for their teachers
and clergy. We are living in an exciting timein
the history of His church, and we must move
forward with joy and enthusiasm, knowing
that it is He which worketh in us, both to will
and to do of His own good pleasure.

Benjamin G. Dennis

I am greatly concerned with world mis-
sions work, particularly in Africa. Africais the
second-largest continent in the world. It has no
world religion as does the continent of Asia.
But vet our effort in Africa as compared to Asia
is negligibly small. I would like to see the
Synod increase its efforts in bringing the

NOMINATIONS

Gospel to Africans in the absence of a major
world religion at this time; and when expenses
are at a minimum as compared with Asia, the
time is ripe. Let us do what our Lord did in
Matt. 28:19.

Robert J. Greenwalt

After living in an “out of the way” part of
Mexico for more than two years, the need for
bringing the true Gospel is very apparent.
While the Synod maintains churches in some
ofthe larger cities, particularly in the northern
part of Mexico, there is no opportunity for
worship in this area except in the many Cath-
olic churches. These are frightening in that
much more emphasis is placed on the worship
of Mary than on Christ and many pagan,
Indian customs are still a part of the religion.
The Synod has a real opportunity for mission
work here.

Ronald L. Gruenhagen

My desire is to have every person in every
city, state, and nation discover the peace and
joy of Jesus Christ.

In some ways, we the local congregations,
have not achieved “the Great Commission” in
our own neighborhoods and cities. I would like
to suggest that as Christians we do not com-
municate the charisma of Christ’s salvation.
Therefore, from my perspective, the Synod
needs to generate enthusiasm and growth of
domestic missions in our own backyards to
effectively project into the world of skeptics.

Dorothy Manshoit

Paul W. Purdy

The church should renew its commitment
to the Great Commission—our resources
should be directed to preaching and teaching
the Gospel to all of God's people throughout
the world. Priorities must be established so as
to maximize the resources of the church in
delivering the Gospel to a sinful world. Work
must be accelerated in mission fields that
show potential of bearing fruit. Africa. south
of the Sahara Desert, is ready to receive the
Gospel. Work in our urban areas must be
strengthened. Millions of miniorites now live
in our central cities. They will respond to the
Gospel if we have viable and responsive
ministries there.

Gary W. Thies

I would welcome this opportunity to serve
in this special way. From my past service and
contact with mission fields in nearly 40 coun-
tries throughout the world, I feel that there are
several areas of need that I would like to see
developed: (1) a more efficient and effective
channeling of funds directly to the mission
fields; (2) Improved communications between
field missionary needs and mission board
headquarters: (3) Streamlining administration
and hiring of additional emplovees to facilitate
prompt direction of needed mission funds: (4)
Development of mission church guidelines for
minimum requirements and specifications.

Serving in this capacity would certainly
be a wonderful opportunity to share my ideas
gained in years of “mission work interest.”

BOARD FOR
PARISH SERVICES

1 pastor, 2 teachers, 1 layperson to be
elected.

PASTORS

Duane Brunette, 50. Little Rock. AR:
Christ (MDS): pastor. S. Editorial of Adv.
Mag.: Synod. Bd. of Evang. 4: Cir. Cslr. 9. C.
Parish pastor 21.

Walter Volz, 46. Plantation, FL: Our
Savior (FG): pastor. D. Cir. Cslr. 15; Stewp. Bd.
4: Conv. Chm. 1.

291

TEACHERS

LeVerne W. Baacke, 57, Concordia, MO:
St. Paul (MO): professor. S. Floor Com. & Dele.
2. D. Floor Com. 1. C. Elder 2; Bd. of Ed. 3; V.P.
2; Teacher 12; SS Teacher & Supt. 25. O. BOD
Denver Luth. H.S.: Denver Luth. Council.

Dennis Hintz, 34, Topeka, KS: St. John
(KS), Dir. of Christ. Ed. S. Bd. for Par. Ed. 3;
Conv. presentor 1. D. Youth Min. Com. 7; DCE
Conf. Plan. Com. 1; Cir. Cslr. 6. C. DCE 10.

Gerhardt V. Meyer, 56, St. Paul. MN:
Peace, Robbinsdale (MNS); professor. S. Bd. of
Par. Ed.; Com. of Mission & Ministry; Writer:
Bd. of Par. Ed. 10. D. Ed. Com. 5. C. All major
offices held.

Charles F. Wildauer, 34, Bremen. IN: St.
Paul(IN): principal teacher. S. Bd. of Par. Ed.
4. D. Bd. of Social Ministry 2. C. Elder 5; SS
Supt. 2. O. Chm. Calumet Luth. Prin. Conf. 1.

LAY PERSONS

John H. McCants, Sr., 57, St. Louis, MO:
Good Shepherd, Gary (IN); maintenance fore-
man. S. Bd. for Par. Ser. 7. D. Bd. for Par. Ed. 3:
Bd. of Youth Min. 2. C. Elder 8; Pres. 4; SS
Supt. 30; Ed. Com. 30. O. Calumet Luth. Assoc.
17: Finance 25.

Dorothy Molyneaux, 57, San Francisco,
CA: Zion (CNH): professor. S. Fundraising
efforts 20. D. Par. Ed. Com. 4; Luth. Soc. Serv.
BOD 9. C. Par. Ed. Com. 7; Bible class 12:
many offices 30. O. Various committees in
Dist. functions 30.

Duane Brunette

The church is God's body here on this
earth. witnessing. loving, and longing for His
family. Guided by Christ, there are great things
Christ wants His servants to be doing as they
remain faithful to Him. We are all here to
“Hold High the Cross.”

Walter Volz

The opportunities before the Synod in
coming years are strong in the area of strength-
ening families of our churches. Crucial needs
are apparent in youth involvement in the
church, Christian education, both in parish
and parochial schools, ministry to single
adults and the elderly. The total Christian
family orientation to the life of the parish and
life within the parish to create a spirit of family
and community should be a top prionity.

The Synod itself must be aware of the
rapidly changing nuances in society and pre-
pared to offer resources and personne] to assist
churches in understanding the society in which
we serve and how best to providea WORD and
SACRAMENT ministry in the context of our
community.

LeVerne W. Baacke

Dennis Hintz

Having served on the Board for Parish
Services (formerly Board of Parish Education)
for the past three and one-half vears has given
me the opportunity to appreciate much more
the undergirding philosophy of “walking
together” as a Synod in the work which the
board has been given the privilege to direct on
behalf of the entire membership of the Synod.
With the Synod’s doctrinal and Scriptural
integrity intact. I continue to fee] that the Lord
of the church is calling us to challenge our
entire membership in areas of overall steward-
ship and responsible church membership so
that more congregations will realize the bene-
fits of beginning or strengthening Christian
day schools. Recruitment of more dedicated
and committed teachers and full-time church
workers is obviously a high priority for all of
the Synod. and it would seem that there needs
to be some deliberate way of challenging more
persons to this end.

And ultimately. we as a Synod need to
direct our energies and stewardship so that an
exciting and challenging sense of missions