LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 134

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134 CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Synod continue to
comply with the provisions of chapter IX of the Handbook of the
Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention instruct the Board of
Directors to provide adequate funding to “provide for a Department
of Stewardship ministry under the Board for Congregational Ser-
vices” in order to fulfill the requirements of Bylaw 9.01.

Montana District

2-03

To Address Concerns re Mission and Ministry
Electronic Catalog

WHEREAS, Holy Scripture guides us to return “gifts” to the Lord
of the church in response to His love for us; and

WHEREAS, These “gifts” are to be given out of gratitude for
grace and blessings already received by His children; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod has established that we, as a group of
congregations sharing the same belief in the instruction of Holy
Scripture. have determined that “gifts” Now from members to con-
gregations, from congregations to Districts, and then from Districts
to the Synod; and ;

WHEREAS, The Mission and Ministry Electronic Catalog, as de-
veloped by the Project Development Team at the International Cen-
ter of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, intentionally seeks
to bypass this established. biblical pattern of offerings from the
members of our individual congregations; and

WHEREAS, The Central Illinois District of The Lutheran
Church—Missounri Synod has no objection to but rather encourages
the dissemination of information concerning the mission efforts of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and its various Districts;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Central Illinois District of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod memorialize the Synod in convention to
encourage and direct the Project Development Team to limit their
focus to mission education with the goal of increased financial sup-
port of mission work through the congregations, Districts, and the
Synod according to the established pattern.

Central [linois District

2-04

To Create Board of Recruitment

WHEREAS, The recruitment of professional church workers is a
sacred duty of the whole church, and the specific responsibility of
both our Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and of its member
congregations: and

WHEREAS, It will take the very best efforts of the LCMS and a
more intensified recruitment ministry than ever before; and

WHEREAS, Concordia University Wisconsin in particular and the
entire Concordia University System in general must be signifi-
cantly and aggressively supported by the congregations of the
LCMS so that neither CUW nor the CUS are alone in the recruit-
ment ministry: and

WHEREAS, The LCMS campaign “For the Sake of the Church”
ought to be supported and commended for its avowed goal of dou-
bling the number of church-work students by 2010, at which time
the campaign will end; and

WHEREAS. The pastor/teacher shortage is approaching epidemic
proportions, with the year 2000 witnessing 177 new teacher candi-
dates from the Concordia University System when 600 Lutheran
teachers will retire or resign from the teaching ministry, and an ever
increasing number of pastoral vacancies and LCMS congregations
with no pastor; therctore be it

Resolved, That the North and South Wisconsin District Teach-
ers in conference encourage our Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod to create a Board of Recruitment; and be it further

2001 Convention Workbook

Resolved, That this synodical Board of Recruitment be empow-
ered to develop strategy for recruitment of future Lutheran pastors
and teachers from among Lutheran youth at the high school level.

Joint Teachers Conterence
North and South Wisconsin Districts

2-05

To Explore Innovative Ways to Meet Need for Pastors

WHEREAS, There is currently a shortage of pastors throughout
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (hereinafter. LCMS or the
Synod): and

WHEREAS, Such shortage of pastors is also evident in the South-
castern District; and

Wuereas, In Circuit 15 we currently have several pastoral va-
cancies; and

WHEREAS, It has been projected that pastoral retirements and
resignations from the ministry will increase beyond the number
being graduated from our seminaries; and

WHEREAS, There are plans to continue to add to the number of
existing congregations in the Synod, in the Southeastern District.
and in Circuit 15; and

WHEREAS, The Holy Scriptures tell us, as recorded in Rom.
10:14-15a: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not be-
lieved in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have
not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to
them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?”: theretore
be it

Resolved, To develop plans to meet the current and future pro-
jected pastoral needs through traditional and also through unique.
nontraditional, and innovative ways; and be it further

Resolved, That when considering these unique and innovative
ways to fill pastoral needs, we request that the LCMS include, but
not limit their considerations to, the possibility of lay ministry,
worker-priests, recruitment of second-carcer persons. supervision
of two or more congregations by one pastor while using lay minis-
ters in the congregations under his supervision, and other possibil-
ities; and be it finally

Resolved, That we request that the educational methods and re-
quirements for pastors be seriously and critically evaluated, based
upon biblical principles, to consider whether current practices
might be revised to include self-study and study via the Internet
and/or satellite in such a way as to reduce the ume and expense of
education, especially for lay ministers and second-career pastors
who have demonstrated a love for their Lord and a knowledge of
the Holy Scriptures and of the Lutheran Confessions.

Circuit 15
Southeastern District

2-06

To Establish Special Sunday
and Offering for Seminaries

WHEREAS, The LCMS was formed for the expressed purpose of
training pastors to serve the congregations which have committed
to walking together as the LCMS; and

WHEREAS, The seminaries are committed to providing the best
training and the most financial support possible to the students and
their families; and

WHEREAS, The seminaries currently provide over 95 percent of
the funding for their current operating budgets: and

WHEREAS, The seminaries have the responsibility to recruit and
train men for the pastoral ministry in a time when our church body
is facing a critical shortage of pastors; and

WHEREAS, The seminaries must raise sufficient funding for stu-
dent aid for present needs as well as provide a base of endowment
support for future generations of pastors-in-training and for gen-
eral operations; and