LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 204

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

204 RESOLUTIONS

involved in significant efforts to alleviate the sufferings
of the people in Vietnam and may become involved to
a greater extent in the future; therefore be it

Resolved, That Overture 9-21 be respectfully de-
clined.

Action: None. Referred under omnibus Res. 4-47 to
the Board of Directors.

To Strengthen Our Ministry in Behalf
of North American Indians, Eskimos,
and Métis

RESOLUTION 9-16
Overtures 9-19A, 9-19B, 9-20 (CW, pp. 323—324)

Wuereas, Problems facing the Indian American and
his acculturation in 20th-century society are not well-
known to the members of the Synod; and

Wuereas, The needs of Indian people are immeasur-
ably great and for the most part unattended; and

Wuereas, Our Synod is committed by its previous
resolutions to assist all victims of prejudice and in-
justice; and

Wuereas, We have the Christian obligation “to help
and befriend our neighbor in every bodily need,” and
to worship our Lord with deeds as well as with words;
therefore be it

Resolved, That we make our members aware of the
spiritual and physical needs facing the Indian Ameri-
can; and be it further

Resolved, That to this end materials be developed
in cooperation with the National Indian Lutheran Board
for an Indian Concerns Program designed to help Indian
Americans; and be it further

Resolved, That we encourage our congregations to
initiate, promote, and support such programs which
may give Indian Americans the opportunities and the
benefits that are the right of all our citizens; and be it
finally

Resolved, That the President of the Synod urge Dis-
tricts to establish an Indian Concerns Sunday in 1973
and 1974 for the purpose of highlighting the unique
needs of Indian people in our society, and to gather an
offering which shall be distributed by the Board of So-
cial Ministry and World Relief to designated Indian
projects.

Action: Adopted as amended (5).

(Amendment: the title originally had referred only to
“Indian Americans.” This was amended as indicated above.
The convention declined to substitute for the last clause of
the final resolved the words, “to implement the provisions of
funds for meeting the needs through the synodical trea-
sury.”)

To Commend Statements on Reconciliation
and Amnesty to Our Congregations
for Study and Action

RESOLUTION 9-17
Overtures 9-22A—E, 9-23 (CW, pp. 324—325)

Wuereas, Living in a reconciled relationship is a
basic goal of all Christian interaction; and

Whereas, Our participation in the Vietnam War has
led to deep division in our land; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod commend the following
excerpts from the February 1972 LCUSA statement
“Toward Reconciliation” to all congregations for study
and action:

Both the events leading to war and consequences of
war remind us humbly of man’s sinful nature and of
God’s call for man’s repentance. As a nation we have
become deeply divided by our participation in the Viet-
nam War.

We affirm that reconciliation to the Christian life and
that forgiveness is central to the meaning of Christ’s life,
death and resurrection. The concern of the churches
must be for understanding, acceptance and reconciliation
among Americans who disagree about the war.

We cannot claim fully to know God’s mind and judg-
ment, but we can appeal to Him for guidance in resolving
the division among us. We believe it is in the interest of
furthering our national healing that the following particu-
lars are offered.

1. We call for acts of reconciliation between those who
believe they served their nation by supporting this war
and those who believe they served their nation by refus-
ing to support this war.

2. We urge loving concern for those who conscien-
tiously participated and now return to a society which
may forget their service or give it only a negative mean-
ing. We express our approval of new initiative from both
government and private agencies in job training and
placement, drug rehabilitation, and other helps toward
re-entry to civilian life.

3. We urge loving concern also for those who refused
to participate for reasons of conscience, including those
who chose to face prosecution or to leave our land and
seek refuge in another. We express our approval of new
initiative from both government and private services, in
order to facilitate re-entry into the life of our nation.

4. We transmit this statement to the participating
church bodies with the hope that they will commend it
to their congregations for a response in study, prayer,
acts of reconciliation, and the resolve to be caring com-
munities. Let all seek from God the strength to accept
one another, the willingness to renew relationships, the
recommitment to faith in God’s desire that this healing
come to all men, and the trust that through God’s guid-
ance mankind may find peace and the means for its main-
tenance.

And be it further

Resolved, That we commend to all our congrega-
tions and members for study and action the document
entitled, “The Issue of Amnesty: A Framework for
Christian Reflection,” prepared by the Commission on
Social Concerns of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, and published in the January 23, 1973, issue of
the Lutheran Witness.

Action: Adopted (16).

(The convention declined an amendment to delete points
1 and 3. The resolution was then adopted, 445 to 288.)