LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 24

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24

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

to support them; and the opportunities that we have to witness in the
academic square and reach the lost for the sake of the Gospel.
Black Ministry—Rev. Dr. Roosevelt Gray, Director

Over the last triennium, Black and African Ministry has encouraged and provided resources for the congregations and leaders of
the Synod as the director has visited and collaborated in and with
23 districts in Black and African Ministry (ref. 2013 Res. 3-09, “To
Continue to Support and Promote Black Ministry in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod”).
Two advisory councils have been created to better serve leaders and congregations: the Black Ministry Advisory Council and the
African Ministry Advisory Council. Each council has 10 regional
leaders who meet four times a year, partnering individually and
together to identify possibilities and opportunities to encourage,
equip, and empower local leaders and congregations in witness,
mercy, and life together opportunities. Three areas of interest were
created: recruitment, revitalization, and reconciliation.
In partnership with the LCMS Black Clergy Caucus, the director meets each year in a congregation leaders leadership workshop
and pastoral advisory meeting to aid pastors and leaders in identifying resources and opportunities for in-reach and outreach ministries.
Highlights of the triennium include the following:
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In July 2014, Black Ministry Family Convocation was held in Kansas
City, Missouri, under the theme “Worship, Word, Witness” with 464
registrations (394 adults and 70 children), 80 congregations represented, and 18 of 25 districts with Black/African congregations.
In 2014, 20 Summer Domestic Grants were given to congregations,
which had a tremendous impact on African/Black Ministry in reaching community children with summer mentoring, tutorial programs,
and VBS programs.
In 2015, The First Rosa Young film was finished, with 50 previews
among LCMS congregations, schools, districts, and universities. The
film will be released to congregations, schools, and universities in
January 2016. There is preparation to start new Rosa Young Academies
and child-care centers in 2017.
Financial aid is given each year to five historic schools in Black
Ministry.
Each year, financial aid is given to support seminarians at both of our
seminaries. Presently, there are eight students enrolled.
In 2016, mini-regional Black Family Conventions will be held.
We are preparing for the 2017 Black Ministry Family Convocation in
the Southern District, where we anticipate 1,000 attendees.
There is the potential of new mission starts through the Mission Field:
USA initiative.
We are expanding partnership with the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of
Theology program at Concordia Seminary with Dr. John Loum.

Hispanic Ministry—Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez, Director

This ethnic ministry of the ONM is easily the most challenging with a US Hispanic population of 55.4 million (17.4 percent of
US population) and projected to increase to 119 million by 2060.
With a medium age of 29, Hispanics are the youngest of all US ethnic populations.
Los Angeles County has the largest concentration of Hispanics
with 4.9 million, followed by Harris County in Houston, Texas, with
1.9 million and Dade County in Miami, Florida, with 1.8 million.
States with the largest Hispanic population are as follows:
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California—15.0 million
Texas—10.4 million
Florida—4.8 million

For some time, after the Rev. Dr. Roberto Gonzalez accepted a call
to Redeemer in Irving, Texas, the Synod’s National Missions did not
fill the position of Hispanic Counselor which had been an established
post first held by Rev. Carlos Puig. While the decision not to fill this
2016 Convention Workbook

position held by Dr. Gonzalez might have been part of a studied and
planned national mission strategy, LCMS Hispanics across the country saw it as disengagement. A bright spot was the appointment of a
Blue Ribbon Task Force on Hispanic Ministry that concluded that a
national Hispanic Counselor was the “number one” need, followed by
initiatives that addressed the isolation of LCMS Hispanics and their
desire for a greater voice around the LCMS table.
In 2010, Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez was appointed to assume
the additional duties associated with Hispanic ministries and integrate and align them into the other duties he held within the newly
restructured ONM.
Re-engagement was fundamental for fulfilling the Blue Ribbon
Task Force on Hispanic Ministry’s desire not to be isolated and marginalized. By aligning and integrating the work of the Hispanic
Counselor with other ministries in the ONM, Hispanic workers and
congregations gained immediate and direct access to this Synod
resource they were not even aware of.
We currently have a Hispanic ministry staff of four: three contracted workers and Rev. Dr. Hernandez. The contracted staff are:
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Rev. Ruben Dominguez, pastor, El Buen Pastor, McAllen, Texas
Deaconess Luz Guerrero, adjunct professor of Spanish language and
literature, Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota
Rev. Zabdi Lopez, pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Gridley, California

The first and foremost responsibility that has been assumed by the
Hispanic ministry staff is the care of workers. Frequent calls are made
to workers across the country. Deaconess Luz Guerrero pays close
attention to the 25 Hispanic deaconesses we now have on the Synod’s
roster. Even just a, Hola, como has estado? “Hello, how have you
been?” is a welcoming balm for workers often working alone without remuneration as “worker-priests.” Conversation, a sympathetic
ear, and a prayer lift the spirits of our Hispanic workers and energizes
them for their Gospel proclamation ministries.
What we frequently encounter in these conversations is exactly
what the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Hispanic Ministry contended:
Hispanic workers feel isolated and alone in their Hispanic ministry
efforts. So the work of our staff of calling, encouraging, and even visiting on-site is most appreciated and welcomed.
The team of four also responds to requests from the field to
strengthen existing Hispanic ministries. One way in which we have
been able to fulfill this desired outcome is through assisting Hispanic
ministries to become chartered members of the Synod. Becoming a
chartered congregation not only enables Hispanic congregations to
have a voice, vote, and recognized presence in their respective district, but also it encourages their members to greater participation and
a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves.
The Planting Gospel Seeds While Serving Human Needs community outreach initiative (ref. 2013 Res. 2-11, “To Encourage Districts
and Congregations to Utilize the Planting Gospel Seeds While Serving
Human Needs Training Process”) has also been presented in Spanish
to a number of Hispanic congregations throughout the Synod, as well
as at the National Hispanic Convention in Tampa in July of 2015. This
service is especially important since many of our Hispanic ministries
and congregations seem to quickly plateau. Like many of our Anglo
congregations, they lack the training to get out of their sanctuaries and
relate effectively and powerfully with their communities, beginning
with mercy and responding under the Holy Spirit to opportunities to
share a Gospel witness.
A good example of replanting a Hispanic congregation that had
serious stagnation is El Calvario Lutheran Church in Brownsville,
Texas. The church was organized and chartered in the 1940s. It has
enjoyed the support of the Texas District for many years as well as
long-term, faithful pastorates. In recent years, however, the congregation, blocks from the Mexican border and from the University