LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 106

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

106

RESOLUTIONS

Iraq suffer from severe depression and Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD); and
Whereas, Six out of ten of these hurting people will not
seek help because they are afraid; and
Whereas, LCMS congregations in various places are
served by pastors/chaplains who have served with their
reserve units in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
Whereas, Many returning veterans in distress are members of LCMS congregations or are friends or relatives of
members; and
Whereas, LCMS World Mission’s Ministry to the Armed
Forces has formed “Operation Barnabas” and has called
Chaplain Mike Moreno to serve full-time to train and equip
congregations and their members to minister to the needs of
Armed Forces personnel and their families, both during their
time of deployment and when they return from the field; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2010 LCMS convention express its
thanksgiving to God for the service of the very special men
and women in the Armed Forces who protect our country;
and be it further
Resolved, That the convention urge LCMS congregations
to be especially sensitive to the needs of all military personnel who return from combat, including those who are part of
our communities while not members of our congregations;
and be it further
Resolved, That the convention urge congregations and their
members to take part in Operation Barnabas and to establish
standing committees for military concerns, so that they can
be prepared to respond to the needs of deployed and returning servicemen and women and their families; and be it finally
Resolved, That LCMS congregations and their members be
urged to pray for the safety of military personnel and for God’s
guidance and direction for the Ministry to the Armed Forces
as it, together with LCMS congregations and their members,
endeavors to minister to all in need .
Action: Adopted (8)
(After brief discussion, during which nearly all delegates responded affirmatively to the question posed by the chair: “How
many delegates have family members or friends serving in Iraq
and Afghanistan?” Res . 1-06 was adopted as presented by a nearunanimous vote [Yes: 1,089; No: 1] .)

To Encourage Inter-District Dialogue in the
Establishment of New Church Starts, Satellite
Worship Sites, and Specialized Ministries
across Geographic District Lines
RESOLUTION 1-07A
Overture L1-15 (TB, pp. 30f.)
Whereas, Psalm 133:1 states, “How good and pleasant it
is when brothers live together in unity”; and
Whereas, In response to this word of encouragement,
the Council of Presidents, the Department of Rosters and
Statistics, LCMS World Mission, and the Secretary of the
2010 Convention Proceedings

Synod have agreed upon definitions for “new church starts,”
“satellite worship sites,” and “specialized ministries”; and
Whereas, Congregations today continue to expand the
kingdom of God through the establishment of new church
starts, satellite worship sites, and specialized ministries; and
Whereas, Congregations on occasion have established
such avenues for outreach across district lines without consulting with the geographical district or the local congregations
where they have begun the new work; and
Whereas, Failure to do so can cause strained relations and
impact work that is being planned for that area by local congregations or the geographical district; and
Whereas, The Synod places a high regard on geographical district boundaries, evidenced by Constitution Art . XII 1,
6, 7, & 12 and Bylaw 4 .1 .1 .4; therefore be it
Resolved, That congregations interested in expanding
their Gospel outreach into an area that crosses district lines be
encouraged to discuss their intent first with their own district
officials, followed by the appropriate district officials and the
local congregations impacted by such work; and be it further
Resolved, That any such expansion of Gospel outreach
across district lines shall require the concurrence of both the
president of the receiving geographical district and the board
or committee responsible for mission in that district; and be
it finally
Resolved, That the ecclesiastical supervision of a new
church start, satellite worship site, or any ministry established
by a congregation in another district shall be decided by the
affected district presidents .
Action: Adopted (11)
(After brief discussion and a friendly amendment replacing
“specialized” with “any” at the end of line 36, Res . 1-07A was
adopted as changed [Yes: 875; No: 169] .)

To Encourage the “Wittenberg Project”
as a Gospel Witness Opportunity
RESOLUTION 1-08
Report 1-8 (CW, p. 6)
Whereas, Dr . Martin Luther, through the study of Holy
Scripture and guided by the Holy Spirit, rediscovered the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaimed it with clarity; and
Whereas, In 2006 representatives of the Board for
Mission Services, the Board for Human Care Ministries, and
Concordia Publishing House (CPH), with The Independent
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (SELK), acquired
a historic building known as the altes Gymnasium (“old gymnasium,” or high school) in Wittenberg, Germany, with a gift
from the Central Illinois District Church Extension Fund; and
Whereas, Subsequently, the LCMS, CPH, and the SELK
established a not-for-profit German corporation called the
International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg (ILSW) to oversee the “Wittenberg Project”; and
Whereas, This project has potential to be developed into
an interactive multimedia museum and visitor center in the