LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 416

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416

CHURCH AND CULTURE

WHEREAS, There have been those within The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS) who hold beliefs and positions contrary to
the clear teaching of Scripture regarding racism, slavery, and racial
injustices, thus following the path of our surrounding culture and
conforming to the world rather than being transformed in Christ
(Rom. 12:2); and
WHEREAS, We give thanks to God for courageous leaders among
us who have lived love by sharing the Gospel of Jesus across
cultural divides; and
WHEREAS, To reach deeply into the life of our congregations, a
church-wide campaign that is truly filled with the love and joy of
the Holy Spirit cries out for our response; therefore be it
Resolved, That we give thanks for the work that the LCMS has
done addressing racism; and be it further
Resolved, That we, the Atlantic District in convention, likewise
acknowledge our failures for not seeing racism and addressing it for
what racism is in our church body and beyond, and repent of those
failures; and be it further
Resolved, That we memorialize the LCMS in convention our
repentance and acknowledgment of our silence to racism that have
hurt God’s children; and be it further
Resolved, That curricula be developed by Concordia Publishing
House to teach people about the ills of racism and how we are called
to combat it; and be it further
Resolved, That these curricula developed are designed so that
people of all ages and in all educational settings (homeschool,
preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, college,
graduate school, seminary, Sunday school, vacation Bible school,
parish educational programs, etc.) will benefit directly and
intentionally from them; and be it further
Resolved, That, in addition to the development of new curricula,
educational and catechetical material dealing with the Fifth,
Seventh, and Eighth Commandments in our church body’s
educational resources shall address the issue of racism directly and
clearly so that “racism” is not regarded simply as a side topic but as
a part of the broader and necessary body of knowledge for
Christians to learn; and be it further
Resolved, That sermon-writing resources be developed so that
pastors will be able to identify how racism is addressed in the Holy
Scriptures and be assisted in making homiletical applications for the
preaching of Law and Gospel; and be it further
Resolved, That in the development of these new resources the
LCMS consult directly with people from diverse cultures,
sociological backgrounds, and ministry experiences in the LCMS to
ensure the resources are appropriate; and be it further
Resolved, That we do everything possible so that as we in the
LCMS are “making disciples for life,” this church body will be
known as a church body that welcomes people regardless of their
ethnicity or culture in the name of and by the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ; and be it finally
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the
LCMS for action at the 2023 Synod convention.
Atlantic District

2023 Convention Workbook

Ov. 11-17

To Reject All Forms of Racism
and Affirm Our Witness to All People
WHEREAS, God has created all people, and they are blood-related
going back to our mutual fathers, Adam and Noah, and all are
subject to the stain of original sin, but now also have been equally
redeemed by the blood of Christ in order to be reconciled to God
and to each other; and
WHEREAS, God’s Word says, “If you really fulfill the royal law
according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are
committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors”
(James 2:8–9); and
WHEREAS, Critical Race Theory (CRT) has become a popular,
multifaceted, and controversial theory for discussing contemporary
race relations with many tenets running contrary to Scripture; and
WHEREAS, When CRT enters the language of theology and
church life, it confuses: (1) “original sin” and “actual sin”, (2) civil
righteousness and righteousness before God, and (3) legal justice
and perceived injustice. It does not find its solution in scriptural
terminologies and mutual repentance and forgiveness but rather, in
terms of one-way repentance and ongoing penance for being born
with a particular color of skin, thereby granting no sense of
absolution; and
WHEREAS, Racism (the sinful notion that some races are
inherently superior to others), misunderstanding, and strife are
present in the world and in the Church; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod abhors
racism and, in convention, has passed resolutions repudiating all
racism (see 1992 Resolution 3-03 and 2019 Res. 11-04A); therefore
be it
Resolved, That the Nebraska District in convention reaffirm the
Synod’s repudiation of all forms of racism; and be it further
Resolved, That the 1994 Commission on Theology and Church
Relations (CTCR) document Racism and the Church be utilized as
a lens by all pastors, congregations, and church organizations as
they encounter any espousal or rejection of any critical theory of
race; and be it further
Resolved, That the district in convention reject any doctrine that
teaches the superiority of one race, ancestry, or nationality over
another or that teaches that an individual is inherently racist or
oppressive because of his or her race, ancestry, or nationality; and
be it further
Resolved, That the district in convention implore her
congregations and ministries to work collaboratively, developing
resources to combat racism and engage their communities fully to
proclaim Christ’s love; and be it further
Resolved, That the district in convention call upon her pastors to
be ready to extend diligent and sensitive pastoral care to those who
have suffered racism, as well as fitting pastoral care and
admonishment to those who have perpetrated racism; and be it
further
Resolved, That the district in convention reject the world view of
CRT because it is contrary to Scripture and counterproductive to
true racial conversation and reconciliation, and also reject all
organizations, movements, petitions, and theological language that