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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 20

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

20 SYNODICAL REPORTS

5. Recruiting personnel—Talented, dedicated people are re-
cruited and called or appointed to serve in God’s global mission.

In 2001, 42 adults have already agreed to begin long-term vol-
unteer missionary service (six months to two plus years). These
volunteers come from 15 Districts and will be working in 19 coun-
tries. At the time of writing, LCMS World Mission hopes and prays
that seven delayed vicars will be assigned to church planting vic-
arages in the United States. Likewise, it is hoped that three semi-
nary candidates will be called into missionary service.

6. Training for/in service—Those serving or preparing to serve
in God’s global mission, both volunteer and career missionaries,
are equipped for effective mission and ministry.

The Pathways Missionary Training process is functioning on all
fields for career missionaries. Plans are being implemented to ex-
pand the training to include volunteers aud those considering mis-
sionary service as a vocation.

“ For more information download the document “Pathways
Missionary Training Overview” at www.|cmsworldmission.org/re-
port, Or call the LCMS fax back service, 1-888-LCMSFAX, re-
quest #56.

7. Working with partners—Relationships with national
churches and other mission partners around the world are ex-
panded and strengthened for the purpose of Gospel outreach.

In 2001, LCMS World Mission has 15 formal statements of part-
nership, seven with Districts and eight with mission societies. Ap-
proximately 20 new formal partnerships are in various stages of de-
velopment. These include relations with Districts, mission societies,
and LCMS congregations. The area directors will be responsible for
maintaining and helping evaluate partnerships in the future.

Six years ago, the Association of Lutheran Mission Agencies
(ALMA) came into being. As of 2001, there are more than 50
Lutheran mission agencies and groups with membership in ALMA.
With God’s blessing, ALMA will become even more effective in
its assistance to LCMS World Mission.

In January 2001, a strategic planning seminar was offered to
ALMA members to help them with their own planning and to en-
courage more effective joint planning by agencies in partnership
with LCMS World Mission.

«* For more information download the document “The History
of ALMA” at www.lcmsworldmission.org/report. Or call the
LCMS fax back service, 1-888-LCMSFAX, request #57.

* For more information—To learn more about the growth of
LCMS partnerships, visit www.lcmsworldmission.org.

The Design for Meeting Today’s Opportunities

During this past decade and triennium, God has richly blessed -

the expansion and growth of LCMS World Mission. World Mis-
sion responded with a new design for a more effective “on the
scene” model for relating to the people and their work.

With shared responsibility and corresponding authority, 12 area
directors, strategically located throughout the world, better repre-
sent the plans, resource needs, and concerns not only of the Board,
but also of the missionaries, their fields, and Jocal national Chris-
tians, including LCMS-related partner churches. Similarly the
North America director has a two-way relationship to mission lead-
ers (counselors, field counselors) and District executives in the Dis-
tricts of the Synod.

God has richly blessed the growth and expansion of LCMS
World Mission, which also means increased cost. The fiscal year
spending plan is $26,322,697, to which must be added the value of
service by volunteers—$5,119,471. This increases the total to
$31,442,168.

2001 Convention Workbook

LCMS World Mission Budget Breakdown
Fiscal Year 2000-2001

BE Theological Education by Extension 0.8%

| Armed Forces 1.4%

(2G Human Care 3%

|| Mission Partnership & Information 3.1%
BRM Partner Churches 3.9%

HB Acmiristration 7.8%

“!Mission Fields - United States 8.9%

| Mission Development 11.5%

| Mission Fields - Foreign 59.6%

At the same time the Board for Mission Services has been ex-
periencing a decline in financial support via the local congrega-
tions’ Sunday morning offerings. From that source LCMS World
Mission currently receives only about 26 percent of its cash needs
for all its work. Consequently, the remaining 74 percent is provided
by direct gifts from individuals, congregations, special District sup-
port, mission ‘societies and organizations.

Growth in Financial Support
for LCMS World Mission

("Direct Gifts
Eiweekly Offerings

$26.3

$25.4
eae

3
g

Fi

1994-95 2000-01

Preparing for the future undergirding and expansion of mission
outreach, the Board for Mission Services is carefully planning the
enhancement of a mission opportunity fund as well as the Timothy
Endowment Fund for the training of workers, and a special en-
dowment fund with a secure principal, earning interest to meet im-
mediate needs.

Highlights of the Triennium

In reading a brief summary report such as this, one cannot list

highlights without first acknowledging our Lord Jesus Christ, who
is the head of the church and its mission.
We thank God for the spread of the Gospel in West Africa—even
in times of great danger and persecution when refugee believers
and their leaders carried their faith in Christ with them and boldly
began new churches wherever they went. Their powerful witness
gives credence to this statement: “The best evangelists are new
converts. They know what it means to be lost. They know the
joy of what it means to be found.”

The church can thank God for the growing number of volunteers
who serve in many ways. As one volunteer testified, “We laid
the application form aside for a few months, but it wouldn’t go
away. We prayed about it repeatedly and were led by the Lord
to say, ‘Go!"”

We thank God for the growth of funding for His mission. It is so
evident that as the work grows, the Lord provides through lead-
ing His people, responsible for the mission, to find new ways and
opportunities to undergird the financial needs for spreading the
Gospel at home and globally. Thank the Lord for generous
donors.