LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 234

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234 HUMAN CARE

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod encour-
age congregations to participate in the International Day of Prayer
for the Persecuted Church each November; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod produce and distribute materials suit-
able for congregational use on that day to educate members on the
reality of the persecuted church around the world and to encourage
ongoing prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters.

First
Natchez, MS

6-14

To Reevaluate in Light of 1975 Convention Action

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod through its
Board for Mission Services works in the People’s Republic of
China solely through cooperation with the China Christian Council
and its sister organizations, including the Three-Self Patriotic
Movement and the Amity Foundation (http://www.lemsworld mis-
sion. org/resources/worldnotes/WN_China_00-01 .pdf): and

Wuereas, China’s President Jiang Zemin, while noting the Chi-
nese Communist Party policy on freedom of religious belief, has
also called for stronger leadership over religious work and intensi-
fied management of religious affairs, saying that “we should ener-
getically give guidance to religion so that it will keep in line with
the Socialist society and serve ethic unity, social stability, and mod-
ernization™ (2000 Annual Report on International Religious Free-
dom: China; U.S. Department of State, Sept. 5, 2000); and

WHEREAS, The China Christian Council (CCC) is an umbrella
organization for Protestants controlled by the communist govern-
ment, whose president, Wenzao Han, has said, “Only by being a
good citizen can we give a good witness,” implying members of
the church should be in agreement with the Chinese government,
whose seminary, to which synodica] funds have been donated, pro-
motes a “theological adaptation to socialism” (World Jan. 27,
2001); and

WHEREAS, The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), the
Chinese governmental agency that controls official church activity
in China, requires the following of member churches: (1) support
the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and uphold the ide-
ology of Marxism, Leninism, and the Thought of Mao Tse-tung;
(2) faithfully implement the religious policy of the state by observ-
ing the above three designates; (3) refrain from evangelizing or
baptizing those under 18; (4) when production and religious life
conflicts give priority to production; (5) refrain from making con-
tacts with overseas church groups; and (6) refrain from listening to
Gospel radio broadcasts from abroad or receive Christian literature
or tapes from abroad (testimony before U.S. Commission on Inter-
national Religious Freedom, March 16, 2000, Los Angeles, CA);
and

WHEREAS, Once a house church registers with the government
and joins the TSPM, its activities are limited to Sunday worship
and it can no longer engage in evangelism outside the church build-
ing or designated places of church, contrary to Christ’s command to
“make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19; testimony before
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, March 16,
2000, Los Angeles, CA): and

WHEREAS, Many faithful Christians do not join the CCC or
TSPM because they believe the head of the church is Christ and
not the state; and

Wrereas, The Chinese government continues to persecute the
Christian church and other religions, especially those in the unreg-
istered house churches. In some cases, public security officials have
used prison or reeducation-through-labor sentences to enforce reli-
gious affairs regulations (2000 Annual Report on International Re-
ligious Freedom: China; U.S. Department of State, Sept. 5, 2000);
and

WuerEas, The Bible and the Lutheran Confessions teach that
the church must not compromise the Gospel, even in the face of a
government hostile to Christ’s church (Acts 4:19-20; 5:27-32; Gal.
1:8-9; AC XVI; Ap XXVHUE; FC Ep X); and

2001 Convention Workbook

WHEREAS, The Bible says, “Remember the prisoners, as though
in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you your-
selves also are in the body” (Heb. 13:4 NASS); and Jesus said,
“Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these
brothers of Mine, even the least of them. you did it to Me” (Matt.
25:40 NASS); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board for Mission Services reevaluate its
mission policy with respect to the People’s Republic of China and
its exclusive cooperation with the CCC and the TSPM while ex-
cluding contact with and support of the unregistered house
churches; and be it further

Resolved, That the Board for Mission Services consult with
human rights groups and organizations in contact with the Chinese
Christians meeting in the unregistered house churches in making
this reevaluation; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Board for Mission Services make a report to
the 2004 synodical convention, detailing its philosophy and method
of carrying the Gospel to the people within the People’s Republic
of China, and showing how that policy is in conformity with Res.
8-05. “To Stand with Persecuted Christians,” adopted by the 1975
convention of the LCMS.

First
Natchez, MS

6-15

To Denounce Violence and Racism in Palestine

WHEREAS, A Lutheran medical doctor, Harold Fischer, a mem-
ber of the Beit Jala Lutheran Church of the Reformation, is among
the many Palestinians killed in the current Middle East violence;
and

WHEREAS, Israeli forces used the grounds of the Lutheran-op-
erated Augustana Victoria Hospital to fire at Palestinians outside
hospital property. Dr. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said: “We protest the dis-
proportionate and excessive use of lethal force by Israeli forces,
their increasing use of live ammunition, their firing of rubber-
coated bullets into the faces and heads of Palestinian youth, and
their disregard for humanitarian institutions such as the Augusta
Victoria Hospital” (Christian News, October 9, 2000); and

WHEREAS, Many evangelicals, charismatics, and fundamental-
ists excuse the use of the disproportionate and excessive lethal
force by Israeli forces because of their Israel-first millennialistic
notions; and

Wuereas, All forms of millennialism, as Art. XVII of the
Augsburg Confession says. are contrary to Holy Scripture; and

Wuereas, Many millennialists believe that present-day Jews
are God’s “chosen people” and that Israel has a divine right to all
the land of Palestine; and

WHEREAS, The anti-scriptural notions of the Israel-first millen-
nialists could lead to further conflict in the Middle East; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the 2001 convention of the LCMS declare that
God is not a racist who has some special race; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS declare that all Christians, regardless

of race, nationality, sex, and social status, are God’s “chosen peo-

ple” (1 Peter 2:9); and be it finally

Resolved, That the LCMS declare that the Bible does not teach
that present-day Israel has a divine right to all the land of Pales-
tine.

Trinity, New Haven, MO; Redeemer, John Day. OR

6-16

To Encourage LCMS Participation in Worship Services

WuerEAS, The joint human care ministries of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in