LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 118

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1. NATIONAL WITNESS

To Strengthen Multi-Ethnic Outreach
RESOLUTION 1-05A
Report R1.2 (CW, 40–41, 46)

WHEREAS, God our Savior “desires all people to be saved
and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one
God, and there is one mediator between God and
humankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a
ransom for all.” (1 Tim. 2:4–6a); and
WHEREAS, Those who have been ransomed by His blood
are “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
(Rev. 5:9b); and
WHEREAS, God, who determines where every nation shall
live (Acts 17:26), has arranged for the nations of the world
to come in increasing numbers to the United States; and
WHEREAS, It is His will “that repentance and forgiveness
of sins should be preached in His name to all nations,
beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47 RSV); and
WHEREAS, His disciples of every time and place are to “go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
(Matt. 28:19–20a) and to be His “witnesses in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8); and
WHEREAS, Many congregations of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) are located in areas that
are richly diverse in cultures, races, ethnic groups,
languages, and age groups. (The estimated U.S. population
as of July 1, 2018, was 328 million Americans; of which 44
million were African Americans [13.4 percent], 59 million
Hispanics [18.1 percent], 19 million Asians [5.8 percent], and
4 million American Indian [1.3 percent]. Each year more
than 1 million people immigrate to the U.S. along with
another 1 million international students, and their families,
who have come to study in U.S. colleges and universities.
[United States Census Bureau]); and
WHEREAS, The LCMS remains ethnically homogenous—
95 percent Caucasian according to the 2014 Pew Research
Center report, “Religious Landscape Study: Members of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod” (www.pewforum.org/
religious-landscape-study/religious-denomination/lutheranchurch-missouri-synod/); and
WHEREAS, Jesus exhorts us to “open your eyes and look at
the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35 NIV);
therefore be it
Resolved, That Synod in convention thank God for the
gifts of new and existing multi-ethnic populations that He
is giving His Church in North America; and be it further
Resolved, That Synod encourages its congregations in
communities of all sizes to continually “look at the fields”

118 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION

around them and seize the opportunities God provides to
share the Gospel; and be it further
Resolved, That congregations of the LCMS be encouraged
to seek out and welcome all multi-ethnic populations,
showing the love of Jesus in both word and deed; and be it
further
Resolved, That each district be encouraged to make
church planting among multi-ethnic populations a priority
of mission work in their district or in partnership with other
districts; and be it further
Resolved, That pastors who serve in areas where there are
prominent second languages be sensitive to the need to
reach out to people in their primary language; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Office of National Mission provide
resources to assist districts in training workers for multiethnic ministry; and be it finally
Resolved, That Synod reaffirm the formation of church
workers through the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of
Theology, Center for Hispanic Studies, Cross-Cultural
Ministry Center, and other such programs that provide
education for ministry to multi-ethnic groups via distance
education.
Action: Adopted as read (9)
Res. 1-05A was read and introduced by the committee, with the
addition of the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center to the list of
programs in the final resolve. Without objection, the chair put
the resolution to an immediate voice vote, by which the
resolution was adopted.

To Support Marriage, Life, and Family
RESOLUTION 1-06A
Overture 1-06 (CW, 387–88)

WHEREAS, “God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him, male and female he created
them,” (Gen. 1:27) and brought them together thereby
instituting holy marriage between a man and a woman
(Gen. 2:21–24; Matt. 19:4–7; Eph. 5:22–33); and
WHEREAS, God’s will for the married man and woman is
clearly stated, “Be fruitful and multiply …” (Gen. 1:28), thus
perpetuating the gift of life; and
WHEREAS, Marriage and life lead to family for God’s Word
to spread: “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine
in your heart and in your soul … You shall teach them to
your children …” (Deut. 11:18a, 19a); and
WHEREAS, The marriage rite from Lutheran Service Book
reminds us:
• Marriage is an honorable estate instituted and
blessed by God in Paradise, before humanity’s fall
into sin
Resolutions