Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2007 · 63rd Convention, Houston › Page 31
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 31

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

SYNOD REPORTS

Article III Objectives

The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions,

shall—

1.

Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6;
1 Cor. 1:10), work through its official structure toward fellow-
ship with other Christian church bodies, and provide a united
defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy;

. Strengthen congregations and their members in giving bold

witness by word and deed to the love and work of God, the Fa-
ther, Son, and Holy Spirit, and extend that Gospel witness into
all the world;

. Recruit and train pastors, teachers, and other professional

church workers and provide opportunity for their continuing
growth;

. Provide opportunities through which its members may express

their Christian concern, love, and compassion in meeting
human needs;

. Aid congregations in developing processes of thorough Chris-

tian education and nurture and to establish agencies of Christian
education such as elementary and secondary schools and to
support synodical colleges, universities, and seminaries;

. Aid congregations by providing a variety of resources and op-

portunities for recognizing, promoting, expressing, conserving,
and defending their confessional unity in the true faith;

. Encourage congregations to strive for uniformity in church

practice but also to develop an appreciation of a variety of re-
sponsible practices and customs that are in harmony with our
common profession of faith;

. Provide evangelical supervision, counsel, and care for pastors,

teachers, and other professional church workers of the Synod in
the performance of their official duties;

. Provide protection for congregations, pastors, teachers, and

other church workers in the performance of their official duties
and the maintenance of their rights;

. Aid in providing for the welfare of pastors, teachers, and other

church workers and their families in the event of illness, dis-
ability, retirement, special need, or death.

31

Article II Mission and Purpose

A. Mission and Purpose

In grateful response to God’s grace and empowered by the Holy
Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of
Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities, and world
(adopted 1998).

The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, acts
together in support of and on behalf of its member congregations—

1.

To give bold witness by word and deed to the love and work of
God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and extend that Gospel
witness into all the world (Matt. 4:19-20; 28:18-20; Luke 24:
45-49; Acts 1:8; 2:42; 2 Cor. 5:11-21)—so that people come
to a saving faith relationship with Jesus Christ, grow in an ever
deeper relationship with Christ and with one another, serve
Him and one another in the community of the church and the
world, give bold witness to Christ, and extend the Gospel into
all the world to save the lost;

. To conserve, promote, nurture, and manifest the unity of the

true faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:36; John 17:11, 21-23);

. To conserve, promote, nurture, and manifest the confessional

unity within the Synod (1 Cor. 1:10);

. To work through its official structure toward church fellowship

with other Christian church bodies;

. To provide a united defense against schism, sectarianism,

(Rom. 16:17) and heresy.

B. Carrying Out the Mission and Purpose

The Synod, motivated by God’s love for the world, committed
to its common confession of faith and the mission of God centered
in Jesus Christ and persuaded and directed by the power of God’s
Word, accomplishes and fulfills its mission and purpose together

by—

1.

10.

Recruiting and educating pastors, teachers, missionaries, and
other professional church workers and providing opportunity
for their continuing growth;

. Preparing and equipping the laity to carry out their Christian

vocation and providing opportunity for their continuing
growth;

. Supporting the synodical colleges, universities, and seminaries;
. Equipping and sending missionaries to various cultures and

people and establishing new congregations, missions, and min-
istries;

. Providing opportunities through which the congregations may

express their Christian concern, love, and compassion in meet-
ing human needs;

. Providing resources for congregations to develop processes and

agencies of thorough Christian education and nurture such as
preschools and elementary and secondary schools;

. Providing a variety of resources and opportunities in order that

congregations may recognize, promote, express, conserve, and
defend their confessional unity in the true faith;

. Encouraging a common understanding and appreciation of a

variety of responsible practices and customs that are in har-
mony with our common confession of faith;

. Providing evangelical supervision, counsel, care, and protection

for congregations, ministers of religion—ordained and—com-
missioned, in the performance of their official duties and the
maintenance of their rights;

Assisting in providing for the welfare of church workers and
their families in the event of illness, disability, retirement, spe-
cial need, or death.

2007 Convention Workbook