LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 202

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202

UNPRINTED REPORT AND LATE OVERTURES

Christ in the ELCL throughout its long history, preserving
them steadfast in their faith and confession; and be it further
Resolved, That we acknowledge with thanksgiving to
God the unity of confession that He has given to our church
bodies under the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS declare altar and pulpit fellowship with the ELCL; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS formally recognize the ELCL
as a partner church and that the President of the Synod be
responsible to implement this relationship; and be it finally
Resolved, That we ask our gracious Lord to continue to
strengthen the bond of fellowship between our churches
and to deepen our common commitment to the proclamation of the Gospel for the life and salvation of many.
Commission on Theology and Church Relations
L5-69

To Provide Spanish Language Training
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has
always been concerned with educating its young people and
has been considered to be a teaching church; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has
done an excellent job in preparing teachers to teach in its
schools; and
WHEREAS, The need to learn and speak the Spanish language is multiplying in every area of our country as evidenced by the United States Census Bureau, which stated
that between July 1, 1990, and July 1, 1999, the Hispanic
population grew by 38.8 percent to 31.3 million people, second only to the growth of the Asian population. In six states
the Hispanic population more than doubled; and
WHEREAS, There is ever-increasing need in our country
for Spanish teachers; therefore be it
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
direct its efforts to train teachers in its University System
that can understand and teach Spanish.
Our Savior
Norfolk, NE
L6-19

To Urge Action to Release Persecuted
Christians in China
WHEREAS, One of our congregational members, Gao
Zhan, is being held unjustly, with no legal representation,
with no contact with her family, and with no set trial date,
by the Communist Party–controlled government of the People’s Republic of China; and
WHEREAS, There are, according to public record, many
people unjustly detained by the Chinese government, including many Christians who have been persecuted for
their faith; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod assembly show its unanimous
support for Gao Zhan; her husband, Donghua; and her son,
Andrew, through its prayers and words of encouragement;
and be it further
200l Convention Proceedings

Resolved, That the Synod in convention strongly urge
our United States President, Mr. George W. Bush; the Secretary of State, Mr. Colin Powell; and the Congress of the
United States to do everything in their power to work for
the release of Gao Zhan and others who are held unjustly
by the Chinese government.
St. Paul, Falls Church, VA;
Good Shepherd, Brandon, MS
L7-145

To Retain Current Bylaw 4.71
re Responsibility of District Presidents
WHEREAS, The Northwest District passed Res. 4-01A as
follows:
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is
made up of congregations and ordained and commissioned workers; and
WHEREAS, District Presidents are elected by those
congregations and workers in a given District, constituting the Synod in that place; and
WHEREAS, Art. VII of the Synod’s Constitution declares that “the Synod at the national level [sic] is not
an ecclesiastical government exercising legislative or
coercive powers but is but [sic] an advisory body”; and
WHEREAS, To carry out Christ’s mission to diverse
populations, crucial decisions need to be made as close
to the local scene as possible; and
WHEREAS, The current reading and application of
Bylaw 4.71 b can lead to an unwanted centralization of
power and the danger of coercive control; therefore be it
Resolved, That the District President’s primary responsibility be to the congregations and workers of the
District that elected him; and be it further
Resolved, That this convention memorialize the
2001 convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod to revise Synod Bylaw 4.71 b as follows:
(Existing reading) Each District President shall represent the Synod in his respective territory. He shall
therefore cause the resolutions of the Synod to be implemented in the District and shall therefore regularly
report to the President of the Synod. He shall serve the
congregations of the District as liaison between the congregations, District, and the Synod.
(New reading) Each District President shall represent the Synod in his respective territory. He shall
therefore represent his District in the Council of Presidents and represent the concerns of the entire Synod to
his District. He shall therefore make regular reports to
his District and to the President of the Synod as liaison
between the congregations, District, and the Synod;”
and

WHEREAS, The NW District Res. 4-01A misquotes the
Constitution of the The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,
Art. VII, by adding words which do not appear in 1998
Handbook, p. 11, namely, “at the national level”; and
WHEREAS, The NW District Res. 4-01A misapplies Art.
VII of the Synod’s Constitution, which does not have to do
with the District President’s relation to the Synod, as does
Bylaw 4.71 b (1998 Handbook, p. 89). Rather, at the point
quoted, the Bylaw has to do with the relation of the “individual congregation” to the Synod and the non-binding nature of Synod resolutions “which are not in accordance with
the word of God or if it appears to be inexpedient as far as
the condition of a congregation is concerned”; and