LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1971, Page 185

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RESOLUTIONS 185

Mission: Life materials because of staff, facilities, fi-
nances, or dissatisfaction with Mission: Life; therefore
be it

Resolved, That Concordia Publishing House continue
to publish the Life in Christ series along with resource
packets.

Action: Adopted (16).

To Produce Doctrinally Pure Materials
RESOLUTION 7-22
Overtures 2-242—2.254 (CW, pp. 117—124)

Wuergas, Article VI, 4 of the Synod’s Constitution
states that a condition of membership in the Synod is
“Exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks,
and catechisms in church and school”; and

Wuereas, The function of the Board of Parish Edu-
cation is to assist in every possible manner “the congre-
gations of the Synod in arranging and carrying out a
comprehensive and effective program of Christian edu-
cation, so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may become
ever more effective in the life of the individual Christian
and of the congregation” (Bylaw 7.25); and

Wuereas, The Board of Parish Education shall there-
fore (among other assignments) “plan and direct the
production of textbooks and other printed materials
necessary to carry out an effective program of parish
education” (Bylaw 7.25 c); therefore be it

Resolved, That we remind the Board of Parish Edu-
cation of the need for more careful editing and more
faithful doctrinal review; and be it also

Resolved, That we pray the guidance of God’s Holy
Spirit on the Board of Parish Education and its staff
as it seeks to produce materials that are in harmony
with the Scriptures and its confessional stance and
that will fulfill the church’s ministry to provide Christ-
centered education for all age levels.

Action: Adopted (16).

8. EVANGELISM

To Adopt Evangelism Affirmations: Our
Commitment to Reconciliation Through
Evangelism

RESOLUTION 8-01
In response to Request by President Preus

Wuereas, The President of the Synod has requested
that a series of evangelism affirmations be drafted for
consideration by the Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention assembled
adopt as its own the statement entitled, “Our Commit-
ment to Reconciliation Through Evangelism”; and be it
further

Resolved, That we commend the statement to the
Synod for use in motivating the people of our Synod
to further commitment to evangelism; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod in convention express its
adoption of the statement by rising and affirming to-
gether each of the statement’s five affirmations.

Action: Adopted (1).

(The committee accepted the suggestion to insert into
para.1 of the second Affirmation the words “by ourselves.”
A motion to strike the final resolved of Res. 8-01 was de-
feated.)

Evangelism Affirmations

Our Commitment to Reconciliation
Through Evangelism

At Detroit, in 1965, The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod adopted the “Mission Affirmations.” Cor-
rectly understood and consistently applied, these Mis-
sion Affirmations have the potential for taking our
church by the hand, in an adventure of faith, as we
follow our Lord ever deeper into the 20th century.
Wrapped in the whole cloth of the Mission Affirmations
the church finds warmth, protection, strengthening
safety, and direction,

So that we may more fully appreciate the won-
der and totality of our mission, some individual threads
of this whole cloth may be isolated and studied. In
this way we develop not only an appreciation of the
parts but, through study, a deeper appreciation of the
whole.

The five statements following, offered under the
title “Our Commitment to Reconciliation Through Evan-
gelism,” are a few threads capable of individual study
but finally best appreciated when rewoven into the
whole cloth and used for His purpose. May God give us
His power to make an open and honest confession of
conviction concerning these statements, and the wisdom
from on high which alone makes it possible to trans~
late confession’s words into commitment’s deeds.

I. God is alive, present, and active with an eternal
purpose in today’s world.

Alive is not enough! God is alive, present, and active
with a purpose in our world — today! To Moses of
old He identified Himself as the “T AM.” We believe
this descriptive name is still accurate. God stands hip-
deep in every day, at every level of life, as dynamically
involved in all creation’s activities as when He first
called forth life from the inky stillness with a com-
manding, “Let there be .. .” Refusing to be a God
either exclusively of the hills or exclusively of the val-
leys, He ranges the full sweep of creation, stamping all
things with His claim of ownership. At the same time
He is actively involved in every moment of history,
pronouncing judgment and offering grace. Moved by
a steadfast love—a love which has stood from the
dawn of creation and is promised to last until the
earth’s last day ends in fiery splendor — our God is
intent on revealing and offering the salvation earned