LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 35

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

SYNOD REPORTS 35

panic ministries, and staff from the Synod’s departments. In a
process of presentations and roundtable discussions, this group re-
acted to a draft report from the task force. Their comments and rec-
ommendations are incorporated in the recommendations that
follow. The task force ranked these recommendations based on an
average of priorities from the Summit’s participants.

Recommendation 1:
Director for Strategic Development of Hispanic Ministries

The task force recommends establishing the office of Director
for Strategic Development of Hispanic Ministries, funded from the
national budget of the Synod, to provide vital leadership and two-
way communication on behalf of Hispanic ministry. With a focus
on connecting the Hispanic ministries with one another and con-
necting them to the Synod-at-large, this office would address the
key issues:
¢ Leadership—The director is a key to opening the potential

among the U.S. Hispanic population. The Synod’s Hispanic com-
munity has requested such a position—most recently in a resolu-
tion from the 2006 National Hispanic Conference. Equally
important in the opinion of this task force is the leadership a di-
rector provides in encouraging the rest of the Synod to be in mis-
sion and ministry with Hispanics. Nothing will happen without
focused leadership.
* Access—A director brings the capability to have “a seat at the
table” and channel the concerns of Hispanic ministries to staff,
boards, and commissions of the Synod. The director becomes a
visible and accessible national advocate for Hispanic ministry
and leads in forming a national plan for Hispanic Ministry.
Resources—A director channels information and resources to
congregations and workers in Hispanic ministry. The office iden-
tifies and encourages models for ministry with Hispanics and is a
clearinghouse for successes, concerns, and needs expressed by
the ministries. This office emphasizes intentional ministry and
counsels with districts (and through districts to congregations) as
they plan Hispanic ministries.

In the past, this position was located in LCMS World Mission.
While mission is a critical component, the task force also sees great
need to teach and affirm ministries of leadership development,
stewardship, evangelism, parish education, fellowship, worship,
and parochial schools.

The LCMS President requested this task force to offer method-
ologies that move the mission with Latinos. Recognizing his con-
cern, the task force recommends the National Director for Strategic
Development of Hispanic Ministries be under the supervision of
the Synod President during the next triennium. This administrative
arrangement would emphasize the Synod’s commitment to His-
panic ministry, give opportunity to listen and advise the Council of
Presidents, and allow for integrating Hispanic ministry with the
Synod’s other strategies.

Three or four persons, elected by the National Hispanic
Lutheran Convention, might serve as an advisory board to the di-
rector.

Recommendation 2:
Educational Access to Form Workers and Leaders

It is not an overstatement to say that the essence of a mission
movement is leadership development, especially training workers
to plant and lead new churches. The task force recognizes that the
Synod will be unable “to move forward aggressively in Hispanic
ministry” without a strong emphasis on forming leaders for this ef-
fort.

* Center for Hispanic Studies—The former Hispanic Institute of
Theology (HIT) was influential in this effort, and the Center for
Hispanic Studies (CHS) is now vital for continuing the prepara-
tion of pastors, deaconesses, and lay leaders. Building on this
foundation, future strides in Hispanic ministry will depend upon

increasing the enrollment in training programs and upon monitor-
ing the effectiveness of this training.

¢ District partnerships—Strategic partnerships with districts in this
training also will encourage the formation of workers and lead-
ers.

¢ Allocation of resources—The task force recommends that efforts
leading to the formation of leaders receive priority in the alloca-
tion of resources.

This formation of professional workers—plus preparing lay
leaders—likewise calls attention to the importance and value of ed-
ucation. The LCMS educational system—from preschools through
university graduate programs—becomes a powerful tool for prepar-
ing and integrating Hispanics as church workers and lay leaders.

The task force offers these challenges:

* Lutheran elementary schools and high schoolsk—LCMS congre-
gations operate 1,030 elementary schools and 101 high schools.
The Task Force challenges each congregation associated with a
school to recruit and sponsor at least one new Hispanic student a
year during the next three years. Lutheran schools are the best
opportunities to begin forming future professional church work-
ers and lay leaders. Schools effectively bring parents into the
church through the influence of their children.

Concordia University System—The task force challenges the
Board for University Education and the Concordia University
System to recruit, support, and graduate a minimum of 100 His-
panics within the next 10 years. The task force suggests the Con-
cordia University System consider an educational track for
directors of christian education and directors of christian outreach
who can work in Hispanic contexts, especially ministry among
second and successive generations.

Hispanic congregations—Congregations and pastors strongly in-
fluence the decisions of young people to enroll at our Concordia
Universities and to become church leaders in lay or professional
vocations. The task force challenges each Hispanic congregation
and ministry to encourage and support one member to attend a
Concordia university, especially to consider a career in church
work.

All congregations—The task force challenges all LCMS congre-
gations and schools to have one person on their staffs who is ca-
pable of speaking Spanish within the next three years.

The task force recognizes that all congregations will benefit
from resources that encourage and guide them in reaching ethnic
groups in their communities. Therefore, the Board for District and
Congregational Services is encouraged to intentionally include re-
sources for reaching and teaching Hispanic children through its
publications and presentations.

The task force also calls on the Association of Lutheran Sec-
ondary Schools and Lutheran Education Association to encourage
and equip school administrators and educators to lead in reaching
Hispanics and other ethnic groups.

Recommendation 3:
Hear the Hispanic Voices in Forming the Church’s Future

Language guides our attitudes, and the task force urges the
Synod to speak of “ministry with” rather than from “ministry to”
Hispanics and other ethnic groups. This is a first step toward in-
cluding ethnic groups in the life of the Synod—learning to listen
to their stories, to experience their response to the Word, to sense
their passion for the Gospel and to welcome their participation.

As a Synod, we must think: “How can we grow together?”

* Leadership—tThe task force encourages the Council of Presidents
and Synod officers to lead in effecting change. It begins with
consciously saying “ministry with” instead of “ministry to.” The
next steps are to invite participation of Hispanics on boards, task
forces, commissions, and committees at district and national lev-
els.

¢ LCMS boards and commissions—As they make plans and deci-
sions regarding ethnic ministries, boards and commissions can

2007 Convention Workbook