LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 266

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266

INTERNATIONAL WITNESS

WHEREAS, The Alliance Missionary Project draws on long-held
generational relationships, that are dearly held between the Synod
and beloved Lutheran church partners, in which richly accumulated
and mutually shared histories and experiences are directly applied
to contemporary mission opportunities facing global Lutheranism;
and
WHEREAS, The Alliance Missionary Project expands the
overseas mission capacity of the Synod as we jointly take the
Gospel into foreign mission areas along with, in many cases,
historic daughter churches of the Synod that were originally planted
out of the work of Synod missionaries; and
WHEREAS, The Alliance Missionary Project expands the
overseas mission capacity of the Synod’s international Lutheran
church partners, for which they have expressed deep joy and
thanksgiving; and
WHEREAS, Alliance missionaries strongly complement and
enrich the work of Synod-called or appointed missionaries; and
WHEREAS, The Alliance Missionary Project affords numerous
opportunities for excellent stewardship of collective resources (i.e.,
funds, materials, manpower, administration) shared between the
Synod and international church partners; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod commend the OIM for its
comprehensive work in continuing, developing, and expanding the
Alliance Missionary Project and for its ongoing efforts to improve
the same; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod direct the OIM, working under
established policies and oversight provided by the Board for
International Mission, to continue to identify and address new
opportunities in the Synod’s foreign mission areas where alliance
missionaries might be appropriately called and deployed to carry
out the church’s mission; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod encourage congregations and districts
to continue to support the Alliance Missionary Project with gifts,
prayers, and coordinated efforts under the supervision of the OIM;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to God for the expansion
of the Church’s global mission resulting from the Alliance
Missionary Project and for all of the Synod’s beloved international
church partners involved in the Alliance Missionary Project to date;
and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod give special commendation and thanks
to the Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brasil (Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Brazil) for its recent close partnership and engaged codevelopment and improvement of the Alliance Missionary Project,
including its committed investment in the calling, deployment, and
continuing support of its rostered church workers in the furtherance
of this important initiative.
Board for International Mission
Ov. 2-03

To Further Refine and Improve Ecclesiastical
Supervision and Pastoral Care of Missionaries
WHEREAS, Owing to the exceptional nature of the family, life,
and work circumstances of missionaries and their family members
who are called or appointed and deployed to serve in overseas
foreign mission areas of the Synod, especially with respect to
residing and working in locations far removed from their
2023 Convention Workbook

originating U.S.-based home congregations, pastors, district, and
ecclesiastical supervisors, the Office of International Mission
(OIM) intentionally provides, without exception, pastoral and
spiritual care and visitation to Synod missionaries by considering
carefully their placement and service in proximity to regularly
available Word and Sacrament ministry, often through local
Lutheran church partner bodies and congregations, or alternatively
through locally-available OIM chaplains; and
WHEREAS, The willing receptivity of Synod overseas
missionaries and their families to receive such pastoral and spiritual
care and visitation through regular means provided by the OIM is
but one expression (among others) of church worker health,
wellness, and unity with other Synod missionaries and OIM staff,
especially those deployed together in overseas foreign mission areas
of the Synod; and
WHEREAS, It must be acknowledged that consistent and effectual
pastoral and spiritual care, visitation, and ecclesiastical supervision,
especially in the ministry of Word and Sacrament, is challengingly
difficult to provide—if not impossible in some instances—to the
Synod’s overseas missionaries from U.S.-based home
congregations, pastors, districts, and ecclesiastical supervisors; and
WHEREAS, The OIM is profoundly thankful to God for the
ongoing prayers and active expressions of love, pastoral and
spiritual care, visitation, and ecclesiastical supervision provided by
U.S.-based home congregations, pastors, districts, and ecclesiastical
supervisors to the Synod’s overseas missionaries; and
WHEREAS, Such situations occasionally present ambiguities
about individual, ongoing roles and responsibilities with the respect
to the provision of pastoral and spiritual care, visitation, and
ecclesiastical supervision to the Synod’s overseas missionaries,
raising questions from the Synod’s overseas missionaries such as,
“Who is my pastor?” or “Which congregation do I belong to?” or
“Do I transfer my congregation membership?” or “Who is my
ecclesiastical supervisor in this matter?”; and
WHEREAS, Such ambiguities and questions may only increase if
the OIM is blessed to deploy increasing numbers of overseas
missionaries, as is prayed for and anticipated; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod direct the Board for International
Mission (BIM), working over the 2023–2026 triennium in
collaboration and consultation with the Chief Mission Officer, the
OIM, and the Council of Presidents (COP), to undertake an
assessment of current policies, procedures, and practices pertaining
to the Synod’s ecclesiastical supervision and pastoral and spiritual
care of the Synod’s missionaries who are called or appointed and
deployed to work in overseas foreign mission areas of the Synod;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod, reflecting a desire for expeditious and
continuous improvement wherever feasible, encourage the BIM,
OIM, and COP to identify and promptly implement measures to
improve the ecclesiastical supervision and pastoral and spiritual
care of the Synod’s missionaries working in the overseas foreign
mission areas of the Synod, even while the aforementioned
assessment is being carried out; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod direct the BIM to prepare and publish
a concluding report of its assessment, including changes to policies,
procedures, and practices implemented over the 2023–2026
triennium and additional recommendations for further Synod action
(potentially including, but not limited to, overtures for beneficial