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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 256

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

256

NATIONAL WITNESS

WHEREAS, St. Paul urged the congregations in Corinth and Rome
to support the ingathering of funds to help the congregation in
Jerusalem (Rom. 15:25–28; 1 Cor. 16:1–4; 2 Cor. 8–9); and
WHEREAS, Even the congregations of Macedonia gave
generously despite their great poverty (2 Cor. 8:1–5); and
WHEREAS, The poorest among us is rich compared to most of the
rest of the world; and
WHEREAS, A one-time offering would be insufficient to abate the
great need for pastors in small congregations that are in danger of
closing; and
WHEREAS, Other Christian church groups such as Baptists have
mission boards and agencies that recruit pastors and assist them in
gaining financial support so they can serve small rural churches and
live in the communities where they minister; and
WHEREAS, There seems to be a need for a similar board or agency
in the LCMS and there are pastors willing to serve small
congregations if their financial needs were met; and
WHEREAS, The alarming trend of closures of small congregations
will continue unless steps are taken to reverse it; therefore be it
Resolved, That the convention instruct the director of the Office
of National Mission and the director of Rural and Small Town
Mission to appoint and supervise a committee to study this issue
and determine alternative ways of supplying and supporting pastors
willing to serve small congregations; and be it further
Resolved, That, should it be determined that the best way to
supply and support pastors willing to serve small congregations is
through a recognized service organization (RSO), one be organized,
activated, and approved as soon as possible, at least before the next
Synod convention; and be it further
Resolved, That a new RSO intended to recruit, supply, and assist
in supporting pastors for small congregations be enthusiastically
endorsed and promoted to the membership of the LCMS; and be it
finally
Resolved, That the above appointed committee report back to the
next Synod convention detailing its work and progress.
Immanuel
Las Vegas, NM
Ov. 1-04

To Increase Mission Efforts to Immigrants
and Ethnic Minorities in North America
WHEREAS, The Lord has obliged his church to preach repentance
and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations (Luke 24:47); and
WHEREAS, The Lord has brought people from all over the world
to the United States; and
WHEREAS, Many of the immigrants are non-Christians and live
in areas where congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod are not located; and
WHEREAS, The Synod’s membership is 95 percent White, 3
percent African American and 2 percent all other ethnicities; and
WHEREAS, The Synod membership in 2018 showed a 21 percent
decrease since 2003 (Rosters and statistics, The Lutheran Witness,
Nov. 2018, 137, 11; Joe Isenhower, “LCMS Congregations Report
Membership
of
2,488,936.”
Reporter,
Oct.
2004,
blogs.lcms.org/2004/lcms-congregations-report-membership-of2488936); and
2023 Convention Workbook

WHEREAS, Synod in the past has reached and assimilated new
immigrants; and
WHEREAS, Synod has the human and financial resources to carry
on such mission efforts; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod recognize and promote the fact that the
United States is a mission field with many ethnic groups and
unreached immigrants; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod establish a task force to study what
current mission efforts to immigrants and ethnic minorities are
taking place within the districts and determine how these ministries
can be supplemented; and be it further
Resolved, That the Office of National Mission (ONM) in the next
triennium develop five new ethnic ministries in the United States;
and be it further
Resolved, That ONM formulate a plan for reaching out to the
unreached people in the cities by the use of the Synod’s current
facilities; and be it further
Resolved, That ONM develop a funding model and a plan for
sending out church planters, who would be called by the Synod and
sent to the districts; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod support the seminaries in their
objective to educate workers for ethnic and immigrant ministries
and church planting; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod encourage the annual celebration of a
Mission Sunday in the congregations.
Faculty
Concordia Theological Seminary
Ov. 1-05

To Include Prison Ministry as Mission Program
and Objective of the Synod
Preamble
Our Savior clearly commands us to visit those in prison (Matt.
25:36–40). Jesus also asked us to serve those in prison while reading
Isaiah 61:1 in the temple. This is a mission for all Christians and
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) recognizes this
ministry as a specific mission ministry with all its resources and
strength, noting “reasons the program is so important”:
Theological Foundation: Our Savior clearly asks us to visit
those in prison. Mathew 25:36–40 reads, “‘I needed clothes and
you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in
prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer
him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty
and give you something to drink? When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The
King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
The Scriptures also tell us that Jesus asked us to serve those in
prison when he spoke in the temple, reading Isaiah 61:1, “The
Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed
me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the
opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
Sociological Foundation: We live in an age of mass
incarceration. More Americans have been arrested and jailed
than ever before in history. This means also a greater number