LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 327

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MERCY
3-06

To Create Task Force for Study of Issues Relating
to Procreation, Fertility, and Care for Unborn
Within the Christian Family
Whereas, LCMS Life and Health Ministries are committed to
upholding the sanctity of life and protecting the most vulnerable
neighbors in body and spirit; and
Whereas, The Christian family is the building block of the
church; and
Whereas, Children are a blessing from the Lord; and
Whereas, Procreation is always a gift given according to the
will of God; and
Whereas, A Christian husband and wife in our current twentyfirst century context may be confronted with a multiplicity of choices
when making decisions regarding procreation, fertility, and care of
the unborn (e.g. contraception, procreative alternatives, reproductive
assistance, perhaps even abortion, and others); and
Whereas, At the least, a partial causal factor of this multiplicity
of choices has been continually new and rapidly emerging developments in science and technology; and
Whereas, A Christian husband and wife who faithfully desire to
submit to God’s will and thoroughly evaluate these choices from the
perspective of the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions may
nevertheless be challenged and bewildered by the complexity of the
resultant ethical decisions that they face; and
Whereas, LCMS Life Ministry has recently hosted a series of
meetings to discuss such issues among qualified theologians, ethicists, physicians, and lay persons; and
Whereas, Recently, there have emerged as many or more sincere questions than unequivocal answers regarding the Christian use
of contraception, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and other reproductive
technologies; and
Whereas, There is concern for the embryos that often remain in
a frozen state following an IVF procedure; and
Whereas, Questions remain regarding the ethical and theological permissibility of embryo adoption; and
Whereas, Some Christian couples may even be advised by their
physician to consider abortion as a life-saving measure for the mother;
and
Whereas, Over past years various LCMS documents including
CTCR reports, such as Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective
(1981), Abortion in Perspective (1984), Christians and Procreative
Choices: How Do God’s Chosen Choose? (1994), Christian Faith and
Human Beginnings: Christian Care and Pre-Implantation Human
Life (2005) have served in varying degrees of depth and breadth to
address some of the aforementioned issues in whole or in part; and
Whereas, Many of these aforementioned documents are now
decades old, and the applicable science and technologies addressed
therein have greatly, rapidly, and considerably changed, even as other
new science and technologies have emerged in the same intervening
time period, even in the last few years; and
Whereas, Out of love for the neighbor, the church must ever look
afresh at such critical issues and responsibly address them on the basis
of God’s Word; therefore be it
Resolved, That the President of the Synod appoint a task force
within the Office of National Mission consisting of the Director of
LCMS Life and Health Ministries, and representatives from Lutherans
for Life, the CTCR, each of the Synod’s seminaries, and rostered
LCMS church workers or lay members of LCMS congregations who

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are respected for their expertise in the fields of medicine, procreative
science, theology, ethics, and the like; and be it further
Resolved, That this task force take up the study of issues surrounding fertility and procreation, including but not limited to: abortion in
rare or extreme circumstances, the gift of procreation, contraception,
reproductive technologies, in vitro fertilization, embryo adoption, and
adoption; and be it further
Resolved, That this task force gather and arrange points for consideration, coordinate discussion, and identify actions leading to the
production of appropriate LCMS responses to these issues (reports,
study documents, essays, other media and the like) with the CTCR
and/or other appropriate LCMS entities; and be it finally
Resolved, That this task force continue this aforementioned work
of leadership, facilitation, and coordination, and summarize its activities in a report to be completed by December 31, 2018, along with
accompanying recommendations in the form of appropriate overtures
to the Synod’s 2019 national convention.
Board for National Mission
3-07

To Commend Concordia Portland
for Its 3 to PhD® Initiative
Whereas, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let the little children
come unto Me” (Matt. 19:14), and Concordia University, Portland,
has a unique opportunity to fulfill this very command by virtue of its
location in one of Portland’s most underserved and vulnerable communities; and
Whereas, Concordia University has partnered with Faubion
school (PK–8 public, Title I school) as a place for Concordia’s teacher
education students, business students, athletes, and nursing students
to aid Faubion students and their families, gaining valuable handson experience for their own future; and
Whereas, Concordia University is partnering with Portland public schools in an innovative, community-wide initiative called “3 to
PhD®,” focused on building a safer, healthier, and more educated
community and anchored by a decades-long partnership between
Concordia University and Faubion; and
Whereas, Concordia University and Portland public schools
have agreed together to build a one-of-a-kind school that will house
both Faubion school and Concordia’s College of Education, bringing
together faculty and students from both institutions under one roof,
featuring also a community and campus wellness space, early childhood center, and a state-of-the-art learning environment, benefitting
both Faubion and Concordia students and faculty; and
Whereas, This partnership allows Concordia to fulfill its mission
of being a Lutheran university, preparing leaders for the transformation of society, by starting with the community immediately
surrounding the university; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention commend Concordia
University, Portland, for its innovative outreach into its community
through 3 to PhD® as being an example of mercy to its neighbors;
and be it further
Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention encourage Concordia
University, Portland, to continue to make the most of this God-given
opportunity to reach out with mercy in its life together within the community in which God has placed them.
Board of Directors
Northwest District
2016 Convention Workbook