LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1971, Page 109

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RESOLUTIONS 109

able to overseas mission fields, and encourage the board
to support and enlarge the program; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Board for Missions develop and
carry out a strategy for rapid and effective redeploy-
ment of expatriate missionaries who are recalled from
Overseas mission fields.

Action: Adopted (5).

To Maximize Use of Available Personnel
Resources for God’s Mission

RESOLUTION 1-08
Overture 1-27 (CW, p. 29)

Wuereas, The Board for Missions believes it to be
its mandate to be in mission to the world and to in-
crease the impact of Christian witness on the world;
and

Wuereas, This task cannot be the assignment solely
of the 375 expatriates and the 475 national pastors now
serving the church’s missions related to The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod beyond the boundaries of the
U.S. A. and Canada; and

Wuereas, All members of the church are agents of
God’s reconciliation in their daily vocation; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the Board for Missions develop ways
to make people aware of the opportunities available to
use their specialized skills and training to participate
in Christ’s mission while serving overseas in private or
government institutions and programs of service; and
be it also

Resolved, That the Board for Missions define the re-
lationships of such people to the church in such a way
that their service and witness are accepted and recog-
nized by themselves, by the sending church, and by the
receiving church, as an expression of the church’s com-
mitment to the whole mission of the church in the world,
even though they are not salaried or sent under church
auspice.

Action: Adopted (5).

To Approve Policy for Loaning
of Mission Personnel ( Seconding )

RESOLUTION 1-09
Report 1-01, Appendix A (CW, pp. 19—20)

Wuereas, There is a definite need to make mission
personnel available in special assignments not covered
under the present administrative structure; and

Wuereas, The New York and Denver conventions
have given encouragement to develop and provide
guidelines for the loaning of such personnel (New York
1-02, Denver 1-15A); and

Wuereas, The loaning program has been designed to
deal with unusual circumstances, unique opportunities,
and specialized ministries; and

Wuereas, The guidelines developed by the Board for
Missions contain clear and sufficient safeguards against
compromise of synodical confessional standards; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod in convention adopt as a synodical policy the
procedure for loaning of personnel as published in Ap-
pendix A of the report of the Board for Missions (CW
1-01, pp. 19—20).

Action: Adopted (8).
APPENDIX A

Procedures for Loaning of Missionary Personnel
I. BASIS FOR LOANING PERSONNEL
A. Definition:

Loaning of missionary personnel (sometimes referred to
as “seconding”) is making personnel available for special
assignment to an organization or agency not under the ad-
ministrative structure of the loaning organization.

B. Rationale:

The Board for Missions of The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod has on several occasions for the sake of mission
approved specific recommendations for loaning and receiving
of loaned personnel in accord with the following:

1. The Objectives of the Board for Missions
E.g., “2. e) sharing with other churches and individuals

the treasures God in His grace has entrusted to His peo-
ple.””—“BFM Manual,” May 3, ’68 Edition, p.1

2. The Policies of the Board for Missions
E. g., “Unity and Cooperation
5. To affirm that by virtue of our unity with other
Christians in the Body of Christ, the Board should work
together with others when it will edify Christ’s Body and
advance His Mission.” — “BFM Manual,” May 3, ’68 Edi-
tion, p.2

3. The Encouragement of the Synod

a. “Resolved, That the Board for Missions and its staff be
directed to pursue fully all opportunities for cooperative
endeavors that will magnify God’s name, glorify His
kingdom, conserve His manpower, and widely use His
resources without denial of God’s Word.” — Cf. Conven-
tion Proceedings, New York 1967, p. 81, Resolution 1-02

b. “Resolved, That the Board for Missions be authorized to
develop ways to enable our pastors, missionaries, and
laymen to be Christ’s people wherever they are, and to
encourage, instruct, and counsel pastors, missionaries,
congregations, districts, and sister churches as they en-
8age in cooperative ministry with other Christians in all
parts of the world, including also those not organiza-
tionally related to us... .”— (Cf. Convention Proceed-
ings, Denver 1969, p.80, Resolution 1-15a

4. The Mission Affirmations

The theological stance and thrust of the Mission Affirma-
tions adopted by the Synod at the Detroit convention in
1965.

“Resolved, That we affirm that by virtue of our unity with
other Christians in the body of Christ, we should work
together when it will edify Christ’s body and advance His
mission, refusing cooperation, however, on such occasions
when it would deny God’s Word; . . .” Ephesians 4:1-16 —
Mission Affirmations, III, “The Church Is Christ’s Mission
to the Church,” 3d Resolved

9. Guideline: “Theology of Fellowship”

The conviction that these principles are in accord with the
Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions (Guideline: The
document “Theology of Fellowship,” adopted at the 47th
regular convention, New York, 1967). E.g., Part HI C 4:
“Our Synod should clearly recognize that, in the case of
necessary work on _ the local, national, or international
level, where the faith and confession of the church are not
compromised, and where it appears essential that the