LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 50

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50

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

In September 2019, a Bible study on the Synod’s seven mission
priorities (2019 Res. 4-03A, Proceedings, 134) was written and
sent out to the districts and congregations of the Synod.
Also during this past quadrennium, the BNM chair was asked
by ONM staff to lead an ad hoc task force dealing with mental
health and mental illness issues. The chair appointed a broad spectrum of members from around the Synod to serve on this task
force—representatives from the Synod’s seminaries and universities, Concordia Publishing House, Concordia Plan Services, and
other stakeholders within the Synod with expertise in the field of
mental illness and psychology. This task force has been engaged in
the identification, development, and production of resources to be
delivered to pastors, teachers, deaconesses, and the Synod’s other
professional church workers to educate them about mental illness,
to assist in recognizing mental illness, and to provide a summary
of resources to help deal with mental illness. An upcoming issue of
The Lutheran Witness will be devoted to this crucial topic.
In conclusion, please permit the chair a personal note. This will
be my last report on behalf of the BNM. I have served as chair of
the BNM since its inception in 2010. I sincerely appreciate and
value the people with whom I have been privileged to serve. The
congregations of the LCMS face many challenges in the future as
our society becomes increasingly hostile to our Christian faith and
values. I am confident that under God’s blessing the BNM will continue to be a valuable resource to the LCMS districts and congregations as they seek to make disciples for life by the pure preaching
of the Gospel of Christ crucified for all sinners and by the proper
administration of our Lord’s precious Sacraments. Soli Deo Gloria!
Steven C. Briel, Chairman
R7

Board for International Mission

by the OIM. In 2022, the BIM began a complete rewrite of its policies to focus on monitoring the strategic plan of the OIM and the
supporting budget. The policies allow for the BIM to monitor the
OIM strategic plan to ensure that OIM staffing and programs support Article II and III of the Synod Constitution and the mission
and ministry emphasis established by the Synod in convention. The
BIM anticipates that the revised policies will be submitted to the
Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) prior to the current
2023 Synod convention.

C. International Schools
The LCMS schools in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Hanoi continue to be exemplary academic college preparatory schools. These
schools primarily serve K–12 children of expatriate families. Due
to religious freedom restrictions in effect in China and Vietnam,
the ability to maintain a Lutheran identity and to proclaim the pure
Gospel is constrained. In order to address these concerns, the Synod
Board of Directors and the BIM working with the Chief Mission
Officer and the OIM have established an international schools task
force that is researching options and developing plans for the Synod’s international schools going forward.

D. Assessment of Mission and Ministry
The Boards for National Mission and International Mission under Bylaws 3.8.2.2 and 3.8.3.2 during each triennium between national conventions are to gather sufficient information from Synod
members to facilitate the boards’ assessment of the effectiveness of
the Synod’s mission and ministry. See separate report of the Joint
Mission Assessment Committee. Based on this assessment, the
boards jointly submitted two overtures for 2023 Synod convention
consideration. The BIM is also proposing in its aforementioned revised policies to include new policies to improve communications
with districts, Recognized Service Organizations, and congregations regarding international mission activities.

The Board for International Mission (BIM) is charged with developing and determining policies in support of mission and ministry in foreign countries for the Office of International Mission.
These policies shall embrace and apply the mission and ministry
emphases adopted by the national convention. BIM also serves as
the only sending agency through which workers and funds are sent
to foreign mission areas of the Synod including the calling of missionaries (ordained and commissioned) and other workers in foreign areas.

E. Recognition of Past Service

A. Calling of Missionaries

R8

The BIM works closely with the Office of International Mission
(OIM) in the selection and calling of missionaries. Currently the
OIM has over 100 missionaries and over 300 missionary family
members in foreign mission fields. A high priority of the BIM is to
encourage the recruitment of new missionaries to expand our presence in foreign mission areas of the Synod and to provide missionaries to fill positions as current missionaries retire or accept calls to
serve in other contexts. The BIM also works closely with the Office
of Ministry to the Armed Forces (MAF) to call military chaplains.
The recruitment, orientation, and deployment support efforts carried out by both the OIM and MAF are exemplary.

B. BIM Policy Development
The BIM established policies addressing multiple mission and
ministry areas in its initial years of existence (2010–13) and has
regularly updated these policies in support of programs carried out
2023 Convention Workbook

During the past quadrennium, the OIM and BIM have experienced some turnover in staff and board members. Most notably, in
March 2022, Bernie Seter, our chair of the board since 2010, was
called home to his Savior. Bernie’s commitment to the church, his
teaching skills, and his sense of humor are missed by the board.
John W. Edson, Chairman

BNM/BIM Joint Report: Triennial
Priority Guidance
During the course of each triennium between national conventions, the Board for International Mission (BIM) and the Board for
National Mission (BNM) gather pertinent and sufficient information from the Synod’s members that will facilitate the boards’ assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of the Synod’s triennial mission and ministry emphasis. The boards develop accordingly
a joint overture to the national convention.

A. Joint Mission Assessment Committee
(JMAC)
During 2021, the BIM and BNM jointly formed a committee
to carry out their duties under the Bylaws to gather information