LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 37

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SYNOD REPORTS 37

House are encouraged to cooperate in developing some basic ma-
terial.

* Staffing—Such translation will require personnel to do the work
and guide the process. CPH may be able to supply some of the
work and recover costs through its sales. Perhaps some of this
work might be undertaken by the National Lutheran Hispanic
Mission Society, which could provide volunteer staffing, as well
as efforts for fund development.

Recommendation 7:
A Strengthened Mission Society

The National Lutheran Hispanic Mission Society already exists,
and the task force notes that mission societies are valuable and
healthy ways to support future Hispanic ministries. Ministry that
is defined, formed, and moving forward by Hispanics and workers
in Hispanic ministry also helps to bring about a healthy and grow-
ing church.
¢ Partnership for development—In order for the National Lutheran
Hispanic Mission Society to acquire capacity to stand alongside
Hispanic ministry, it should enter a relationship with a develop-
ment entity, such as the LCMS Foundation, to acquire expertise
and services for effective development. Enhanced development
will lead to many advantages: scholarships for church workers,
subsidies for mission starts, and demographic research to guide
Hispanic ministry efforts, to name a few.

¢ Recognize the Synod’s responsibility — The task force also is-
sues a caution: A mission society could isolate Hispanic ministry
by becoming a depository for problems that the church-at-large
would rather avoid. Needing the Hispanic presence at all levels,
the Synod cannot delegate its opportunities or responsibilities
away from itself by pushing them onto a mission society.

Recommendation 8:
Encourage Church Workers to Acquire a Second Language

This nation is increasingly diverse, and the task force believes
that church workers should speak more than one language if they
are to lead their congregations in serving the communities where
God has placed them.
¢ Spanish for professional workers—Aware that the Hispanic pop-
ulation will continue to grow, the task force suggests that Spanish
be taught at the seminaries. Spanish also should be encouraged
for men and women studying to serve as teachers, directors of
Christian education, or other commissioned church workers. Ad-
ditional courses on Latin American theologies and church devel-
opment might be included.

¢ English capability—Conversely, Hispanics, particularly those in
theological education through the Center for Hispanic Studies,
should be helped to acquire a working knowledge of English.

The task force notes that Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran
Synod now requires all its seminary students to study Spanish. We
also note that the Roman Catholic Church has made this a require-
ment for seminaries west of the Mississippi.

Recommendation 9:
Ongoing Efforts to Build a Strategic Plan

Task forces listen, study, discuss, write, and recommend. Con-
ventions listen, study, debate, and pass or defeat resolutions. Un-
fortunately, at that point, the work is too often considered “done.”
Realistically, the task force recognizes that the ministry of pro-
claiming Jesus Christ will not be finished until He returns to pro-
claim it “done.”

So, the brief work of this task force—and input for all mission,
whether among ethnic communities or Anglo communities—is not
finished. It only begins with this report.
¢ Continued study—A final recommendation is that the Synod—

whether through a task force appointed by the President or an-
other means—is to continue to study issues affecting Hispanic

ministry during the next triennium. This study should present rec-
ommendations to the 2010 convention in order to fully connect
and integrate Hispanics into The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod.

Conclusion

Una Mision, Un Mensaje, Un Pueblo—Hispanic Lutherans join
in expressing their vision of One Mission, One Message, One Peo-
ple. The prayer of the Blue Ribbon Task Force for Hispanic Min-
istry is that millions of Hispanics will have the joy of understanding
three other themes that undergird all Lutheran heritage: “Scripture
Alone,” “Faith Alone,” and “Grace Alone.”
In summarizing its work, the task force reiterates its belief that
Hispanic people can—and will—bring new energy and life to The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. We pray that we all will learn
to minister “with” as we move into ever stronger partnerships in
service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We urge the conven-
tion to act in three ways:
¢ Approving the position of a Director for Strategic Development
of Hispanic Ministries,

¢ Guided by the Holy Spirit, to respond to the immigration issue
before our nation, including a CTCR position statement on im-
migration, and

¢ Ongoing study toward a strategic plan for Hispanic ministry.

Great are the opportunities that God has placed before the
Synod. Great, also is His faithfulness. May the Holy Spirit guide
us as we look toward that revelation of “a great multitude that no
one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language,
standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb . . . and they
cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits
on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”

Members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force for Hispanic Ministry

— Rev. Dr. David Benke, Bronxville, N.Y., president, Atlantic
District

— Rev. Eloy S. Gonzalez, (chairman), St. Louis, Mo., associate di-
rector, Center for Hispanic Studies, Concordia Seminary

— Rev. Dr. Douglas Groll, Chicago, IIl., retired director, Hispanic
Institute of Theology

— Rev. Carlos Hernandez, San Francisco, Calif., districts and con-
gregations director, LCMS World Relief/Human Care

— Rev. Jotham Johann Jhang, JD, (ex-officio), Alexandria, Va.,
executive director, Center for Asian Missions and Evangelism
and director of Cross Cultural and Ethnic Ministries for LCMS
World Mission

— Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Aurora, Colo., mission executive, Rocky
Mountain District

— Rev. Alex Merlo, Aurora, IIl., pastor, San Pablo Lutheran
Church

— Rev. Angel Pérez, (ex-officio), Casselberry, Fla., mission de-
veloper, Florida-Georgia District

— Rev. Robert Selle, Fort Meyers, Fla., mission developer,
Florida-Georgia District

-—— Melissa Salomén, JD, Chula Vista, Calif., director, Cristo Para
Todas Las Naciones, Tijuana, México

— Susan Gonzdlez, North Richland Hills, Texas, (We are grateful
for her contributions to the BRTFHM prior to her voluntary
withdrawal from the Task Force.)

Bibliographic Material

The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Hispanic Ministry developed
its report using interviews, internal documents prepared by mem-
bers and organizations of the LCMS and other denominations, and
research material available to the general public. Readers may ac-
cess this material through a special Internet site established by the

2007 Convention Workbook