LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 147

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CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES 147

sources and services which the Board for Congregational Services
offers to assist congregations with their ministries; artd be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage individuals
and congregations to consider “over and above” financial support
for the Board for Congregational Services and thus strengthen this
important base of support for congregations.

Board for Congregational Services

2-71

To Disband Board for Congregational Services

WHEREAS, The Board for Congregational Services may uncon-
stitutionally impinge on the District Presidents’ ecclesiastical su-
pervision over pastors and teachers in the Districts; and

WHEREAS, The Board for Congregational Services dilutes the
focus on primary and secondary education and evangelism; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the Central Illinois District of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod in its 1997 convention memorialize The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in its 1998 convention to dis-
band the Board for Congregational Services, restore the Board for
Evangelism Services, and establish a Board for Primary and Sec-
ondary Education.

Central Illinois District

2-72

To Revise Bylaws on Membership
of Conference of Congregational Services
Rationale

The current membership of the Conference of Congregational
Services calls for “four youth of the Synod elected by their peers at
a Lutheran Youth Fellowship Delegate Assembly, who shall not be
younger than 15 years of age nor older than 18 years of age at the
time of their election” {approved by 1995 Synod convention].

The 1997 Council of District Lutheran Youth Fellowship Rep-
resentatives [CLYFR] approved the following change regarding the
election of the LYF Executive Board:

Elections of the LYF Executive Board shall be done at the
triennial meetings of the LYF Delegate Assembly at the national
LCMS youth gathering.

a. The Executive Board shall consist of five persons. Elec-
tion of five persons, one from each of the five Department of
Youth Ministry regions, from a slate of three nominees per re-
gion, shall be by plurality.

The regions shall be identified as follows:

REGION ONE—WEST Coast/MOUNTAN, including the fol-
lowing districts: Pacific-Southwest, California-Nevada-Hawaii,
Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Wyoming, and Montana.

REGION Two —UpPeER Mip-WEsT, including the following
districts: South and North Wisconsin, lowa West, Iowa East,
Minnesota North and South, North and South Dakota.

REGION THREE —SOUTHERN/MID-WEST, including the fol-
lowing districts: Southern, Mid-South, Missouri, Kansas, Okla-
homa, Texas, and Nebraska.

REGION Four—East Coast, including the following dis-
tricts: Southeastern, Eastern, Atlantic, New England, New Jer-
sey, Florida/Georgia, SELC, and English.

REGION FIVE—-CENTRAL, including the following districts:
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Northern, Central, and Southern Tlli-
nois.

b. A slate of no fewer than three candidates per region shall
be presented as nominees for the Executive Board. Nominees
shall be solicited from district youth ministry boards/commit-
tees and from district youth ministry executives and chairper-
sons. Nominees may also be nominated by the Council of LYF
Representatives. The Council shall review the siate and certify it
for presentation to the Delegate Assembly.

Resolved, That Bylaw 3.805 be amended as follows:

PRESEMNF/PROPOSED WORDING

3.805 Membership

45 youth of the Synod elected by their peers at a Lutheran
Youth Fellowship Delegate Assembly, who shall not be younger
than 15 years of age nor older than 18 years of age at the time of
their election.

Board for Congregational Services

2-73

To Reaffirm Commitment to Curb Pornography,
Violence, Obscenity, and Indecency

Wuereas, Members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
have become increasingly aware of the pervasiveness of pornogra-
phy, obscenity, indecency, and violence in everything from adult
publications, the Internet, television, and radio to children’s
movies; and

WHEREAS, Pornographic material is becoming more prevalent
and brazen; and

Wuereas, God in His Word tells us to set no worthless thing
before our eyes (Ps. 101:3a) and commands us to have nothing to
do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them
(Eph. 5:11); and

WHEREAS, Silence is often interpreted as consent; and

WHEREAS, Scripture also declares that anyone who knows the
good he ought to do and doesn’t do it sins (James 4:17); and

WHEREAS, We have previously adopted in convention (1986,
2-08), a resolution to intensify our efforts to curb pornography, vi-
olence, obscenity, and indecency; and

WHEREAS, We must be reminded to continue the effort and re-
main steadfast in being salt and light (Eph. 4:17~—24; 5:8-14); there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the members of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod acknowledge the need to be continually aware of the
threat of pornography, violence, obscenity, and indecency, and the
devastating effects it has upon our lives; and be it further

Resolved, That at a congregational level we make it a prionity to
share with our youth and adults how we can grow in positive ap-
preciation and understanding of our sexuality as God’s gift to us
and how to express this gift responsibly and in accord with God’s
Word; and be it further

Resolved, That we encourage our congregations to educate their
members in protecting themselves from becoming victims of
pornography; and be it further

Resolved, That the members of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod be encouraged to take an active role in purging
pornography from their homes, businesses, and communities
through selective listening, reading, and viewing materials and in
withdrawing support of products and retailers who sponsor inap-
propriate materials, and in using lawful activities to publicly protest
the presence of pornography in their communities; and be it finally

Resolved, That all members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod be encouraged to remember in prayer all those who are cur-
rently plagued with an addiction to pornography, those who have
been victimized by pornography and those who strive to perpetuate
the darkness of pornography.

St. Martin, Birch Run, MI; Board of Directors, Michigan
District; St. Lorenz, Frankenmuth, MI