LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 34

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34 SYNODICAL REPORTS

eral years ago. While Hispanics mourn the loss of a voice on the
International Center staff, they are more disappointed at what they
perceive to be an elimination of staff without their input.

A sense of abandonment also is expressed regarding the former
Hispanic Institute of Theology, begun in 1978. It was originally
funded by the Board for Mission Services and the Board for Higher
Education and located on the campus of Concordia University,
River Forest. Over the years, both boards dropped direct fund sup-
port as their own budgets decreased. Now, this institute is incorpo-
‘rated into the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis, and is entirely funded by the seminary.

Desire for a “voice” within the Synod structure is a frequent
topic at meetings of this task force and other groups associated with
Hispanic ministry.

Access

Access is a concern. There is desire to have access to the na-
tional offices of the Synod, certainly with the board and staff that
deal with missions, but also to the national dialogue that affects
Lutheran schools, fund development, resources, and services for
congregations, communications, higher education, and seminary
education.

Hispanic workers seek resources. They need someone “at the
table” to cite the needs of Hispanic congregations and to channel

necessary resources and services to Hispanic ministry. As much as ©

they seek resources, Hispanic workers also seek someone to receive
and share information, to give guidance, to encourage fellowship
and mentoring, and to provide an administrative connection to the
church body. In regions where there are large Hispanic populations,
districts may be able to provide these connections. However, op-
portunities for Hispanic ministry exist even in regions where dis-
tricts function with volunteer staffs.

In the words of one task force member, “The International Cen-
ter is an infinitely poorer place because there is no presence to in-
terpret Hispanic ministry theologically, sociologically, and
administratively.” Another adds, “And as a result, truly poor deci-
sions have been made with regard to Hispanic ministry.”

Access is frequently limited by language. Many Hispanic pas-
tors were trained in Spanish to minister to a Spanish-speaking com-
munity. With limited English, they are less able to obtain resources
from the national or district offices, even by phone or by Internet
inquiries.

“Mission”

Hispanic ministry is more than “missions.” Once people are
brought into an active relationship with their Savior and with fel-
low believers and into Word and Sacrament, they form a congre-
gation that needs all the resources that every congregation requires
to effectively minister in areas such as evangelism, stewardship,
education, fellowship, youth ministry, and human care.

Hispanic ministry is holistic ministry. While they work hard,
Hispanic immigrant families—like immigrants before them—ar-
rive with meager finances, work at low-paying jobs, and live in
low-quality housing. Along with the Gospel, they appreciate food
pantries, child care, education for their children, and opportunities
to learn the English language. The latter services help prepare peo-
ple to grow in the Gospel and to assume leadership in their com-
munity, including their faith community.

Conscious that Hispanic ministry is largely ministry to immi-
grants, the task force is also aware that people of Hispanic heritage
have been citizens of this nation for two centuries or more. They
have found their way to LCMS congregations where they are active
and committed members. As such, they have gifts and abilities that
can and should be tapped for elected and appointed positions at all
levels—national, district, and congregation.

2007 Convention Workbook

Hispanic ministry has too often been a ministry of “last resort.”
As declining inner city congregations see Hispanic immigrants
populate their communities, they hope Hispanic ministry can con-
tinue their congregation. Unfortunately, these efforts painfully pro-
long a closing when attempted without realistic strategies,
intentional cross-cultural training, or full ownership in the mission.
On the other hand, healthy Anglo congregations can nurture
healthy Hispanic ministries, especially when they commit to have
bilingual Hispanics and Anglos build bridges between the two
communities. Healthy ministries grow from intentional mission
strategies that recognize a mission constituency, budget realisti-
cally, staff competently, and minister holistically.

Frankly, “mission” is sometimes based on what Anglos per-
ceive it “should be” rather than what is needed. The Hispanic
Lutheran community believes it can be the Synod’s strongest re-
source to reach unchurched Hispanics. Hispanic Lutherans say,
“We want to be part of this church!” For the organized Synod, the
challenge may be to listen early in the process of mission in a His-
panic community.

Second and Third Generations

The “first generation” worries about the second and third gen-
erations. A very large percentage of Hispanics are immigrants and
their concerns are perhaps no different from those who founded the
Lutheran synods 175 years ago. These successive generations are
the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. Hispanic population.

Like the children of Anglo—and other ethnic populations—the
“generational divides” present both incredible ministry challenges
and opportunities in this post-modern society. Families are keenly
aware of their young people being pulled away from the positive
influences of family and church. This is a challenge that needs to be
addressed bilingually and biculturally.

Economics

Many Hispanic families, particularly immigrant families, have
limited incomes. They have limited resources to support their con-
gregation. While national and district offices encourage mission
congregations to become self-supporting, this is difficult when the
missions are in low-income communities.

Some mission starts use “bi-vocational” workers, which may
handicap the ministries. A pastor, deaconess, or lay minister must
divide time between study for the ministry, a congregation, and a
secular job—plus a family. Such worker-priests may be limited to
minimum-wage jobs because, despite their theological training,
they have limited language, education, and work skills.

Questions like these were posed within the task force: “Do we
need to provide training in secular trades if we ask a pastor to be
employed outside the church?” “Is it fair to train church workers
and tell them to never expect to earn a penny from their ministry?”
“Are we asking pastors to ‘do church’ on the side?” “Does the
Synod or a district try this approach only with ethnic groups...
would the bi-vocational model be used as extensively with Anglo
mission starts?”

Given these limitations, the church may have unachievable
goals if it expects these start-up ministries to develop sufficient
membership or to become self-supporting within a short time, say
five years.

Recommendations

President Kieschnick instructed this task force to determine the
best methodology for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to
know and do in order to aggressively move the mission with Lati-
nos. His encouragement was to be bold and forward-thinking.

As part of its study, the task force held a “Hispanic Summit” on
Jan. 16-18, 2007, attended by 44 individuals. The participants were
predominantly Hispanic workers, plus Anglo workers serving His-