LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 104

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104

SYNOD REPORTS

work of LCMS World Relief and Human Care that remains after
the restructuring into Domestic Mission and International Mission
advance the global work of mercy of the Church? therefore be it
Resolved, That LCMS World Relief and Human Care would
encourage you to prayerfully consider these questions as you deliberate upon Recommendation #18: Realign the National Synod
Ministries around Two Mission Commissions.
Respectfully Submitted BHCM, February 2010
BHCM Overture Regarding Funding and Investment of
Donor Gifts
To Allocate Investment Earnings Back to Human Care
Whereas, The Synod consolidates all available cash for investment purposes, and does not allocate investment earnings back to the
departments where the funding originated; and
Whereas, Currently all investment earnings are retained for general operations of Synod; and
Whereas, The Board for Human Care Ministries (LCMS World
Relief and Human Care) receives significant funding from donors that
in some cases is expended over a period of years; and
Whereas, The Board for Human Care Ministries believes that
the donors’ gifts should receive an allocation of investment earning
until such time as the gifts are expended for the designated purpose;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention require investment earnings be allocated back to the Board for Human Care Ministries donor
designated gifts; and be it further
Resolved, That the provision of the previous resolved applies specifically to bequest dollars and disaster relief funds on a pro rata basis,
from which the investments originated, until the funds are expended
for their designated purpose.
Respectfully submitted, BHCM, February 2010
Health Ministries
Christ’s humble compassion for humanity typically finds His
Gospel words of Good News closely accompanied by caring for the
physical needs of individuals. LCMS Health Ministries seeks to complement the outreach of the church by serving others in the same
fashion through our international and domestic outreach goals. We
promote Christ-centered health and wellness of body, mind, and spirit
through LCMS congregational health ministries programs, parish
nursing coordination, and international medical service opportunities.
Past Triennium Major Accomplishments:
• Since 2006, our Mercy Medical Team (MMT) program has
served the international health needs of more than 17,000 clients
in faraway countries such as western Kenya, Haiti, Guatemala,
Indonesia, and Madagascar by recruiting, training, and accompanying volunteer medical professionals, LCMS pastors, and lay
workers to offer free high-quality health care to some of the world’s
most vulnerable people suffering with HIV/AIDS, malnutrition,
parasites, dysentery, serious wounds, infections, malaria and other
tropical diseases, and illnesses associated with unhealthy drinking
water and sanitation.

• Our new Emergency Mercy Medical Team program responded
immediately to the earthquake crisis in Haiti by mobilizing, outfitting, and accompanying four back-to-back teams of 38 highly
skilled physicians, surgeons, trauma nurses, and other medical professionals from all over the U.S. onto the field in Haiti to provide
field clinics for free medical care to those affected by the tragedy.
More than 2,200 patients were seen in the field.
• With the help of our generous donors, our MMT program is able
to purchase and bring along huge amounts of medical supplies and
our own full-service pharmacy of medications for our physicians to
dispense at no charge. To date, we have donated and administered
more than $1 million (retail value) of prescriptions and over-thecounter medications to our overseas partners at the substantially
reduced rate of only 3 percent of that cost to us since the program
began in 2006.
• Health Ministries also carries out this model of Gospel-centered
health outreach through our coordination of the LCMS parish nursing program for service to local congregations. In each of our 35
districts, we organize, train, and encourage the ongoing education
of theologically trained registered nurses serving our local congregations and institutions.
• Through our initiative and board representation, we also serve on
the newly formed Lutheran Parish Nursing International cooperative. Through this organization, we seek to encourage the vocation
of Lutheran parish nursing among our international Lutheran
church partners.
• Since 2007, we have donated four international shipping containers through our recycled medical goods shipping program. These
commercial shipping containers are packed full of hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of donated, recycled medical and surgical equipment to be used by our overseas partners in Kenya and
Sudan. Currently we have additional containers being packed and
loaded for Madagascar and Kenya. Through our partnership with
Orphan Grain Train, we are able to relocate these goods in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
• Health Ministries publishes health resources and printed materials on a number of health-related topics such as ministry to people
with disabilities and mental health topics for local congregations
and individuals as well as mental health resources specific to clergy,
such as the free booklet I Trust When Dark My Road: A Lutheran
View of Depression, published in 2009.
Next Triennium Major Goals
• Intentionally advocate for the rights and inclusion of people with
disabilities and chronic mental illness and the underserved in
LCMS congregations and their communities.
• Continue to expand medical volunteer opportunities to reach out
in mercy through districts, partner churches, and missionaries to
people in need, including serving those whose lives have been
touched by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, poor nutrition, and inadequate sanitation.
• Continue to support health ministry, especially parish nursing, at
the congregational, district, national, and international levels and
through expanded outreach to communities.
• Continue to develop resources and programs to assist congregations in the supportive and healthy care of church workers.

2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 104

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