LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 146

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146 DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES

bership in the visible and invisible Church, and in some cases min-
isters leaving their flocks or the ministry altogether; and

WHEREAS, The status quo has been proven to be ineffective; and

WHEREAS, Significant teaching tools such as Web-based in-
struction make equipping the saints a viable and economic option;
and

WHEREAS, Granting agencies such as Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans, Lilly Endowment, the Schwann Foundation, and others
with the vested interest in the health of the Church would most
likely look in favor on offering financial assistance to train a wide
range of laymen and pastors to be “preemptive reconcilers”; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS embark to create a fast-track task
force to research existing effective “preemptive reconciliation” de-
signs within the visible Church, and pursue funding inside and out-
side of the church to support such an effort; and be it further

Resolved, That the district officers working with circuit coun-
selors strongly encourage every pastor, and at least two members
from every congregation, to take some baseline training as “pre-
emptive reconcilers”; and be it further

Resolved, That each circuit end up with at least two pastors and
four laymen who have received additional training beyond the
baseline to be available at-cost to the requesting congregation to
aide them at the earliest sign of tension; and be it further

Resolved, That the districts and the Synod regularly inform con-
gregational leaders of the details of the process and the resources
available to them to preempt problems; and be it finally

Resolved, That the districts and the Synod make every effort to
keep the people available for preemptive reconcilers adequately
trained and up to the minimum number on a regular basis.

Trinity, Ithaca, NY; Trinity, Wellsboro, PA; Zion, Owego,
NY; South Circuit, Eastern District

2-24

To Encourage Education and Discussion
re ELCA/LCMS Differences

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention in 1998 passed Res. 3-08A
which states: “in faithfulness to God’s Word and the Lutheran Con-
fessions, and motivated by our love and concern for the people and
pastors of the ELCA we express deep regret and profound dis-
agreement with these [ecumenical actions] taken by the ELCA ...
we encourage all members of the LCMS to commit themselves to
engage in theological discussions with the members of the ELCA”;
and

WHEREAS, Members of the LCMS have family members and
friends that are in the ELCA who are likely unaware of the official
actions of their church or at least the implications of those actions,
nor are they likely aware that their membership and communion in
those churches are public agreement to what has been happening
on official levels in the ELCA; and

WuereaS, Any hope of restoration for the ELCA clearly calls
for lay action, because all indications show that the leadership is
determined to continue in the direction they have been pursuing;
and

WHEREAS, The working of the 1998 resolution could be read as
to say that we are to engage in theological discussion for the pur-

pose of convincing these people to leave the ELCA, but could also
be read as to say to give them encouragement to fight for the truth
in their church body; and

WHEREAS, There are different organizations within the ELCA
that are seeking to do what the LCMS in convention in 1998 was
calling its members to do, namely engage in theological discus-
sions for the purpose of reforming the ELCA; and

WHEREAS, LCMS congregations find it difficult to exclude from
the Lord’s Supper former members of their congregation who have
joined ELCA churches because the practice can give the appear-
ance that they don’t care about them anymore or that they are con-
demning them; and

WHEREAS, This overture will give those congregations the op-
portunity to demonstrate that they are still very concerned about
those former members and their spiritual care; and

WHEREAS, Most laity of the LCMS do not feel equipped to en-
gage in theological discussion with members of the ELCA nor do
they consider themselves authorized to do so; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Minnesota North District submit this reso-
lution as an overture to the Synod at its 2007 convention to en-
courage its pastors to continue to speak of their concerns regard-
ing the ELCA’s direction and to offer opportunities to the
laypeople entrusted to their spiritual care to learn more about the
differences of the ELCA and LCMS in Bible classes and special
sessions; and be it further

Resolved, That the Minnesota North District submit this reso-
lution as an overture to the Synod at its 2007 convention, to en-
courage its laypeople to speak of these differences to family mem-
bers and friends in the ELCA for the good of the whole Church.

Minnesota North District

2-25

To Prepare Report re Ending Segregation

WHEREAS, Preferentia} treatment and prejudicial mistreatment
based on race or ethnicity are altogether contrary to the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus; and

WHEREAS, Grace, mercy, and peace are violated when individu-
als in the body of Christ seek to segregate themselves on the basis
of race or ethnicity and to set themselves apart from the rest of the
body of Christ with exclusive arrangements; and

WHEREAS God’s Word expresses the desire for true concord in
these words: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant
you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ
Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 15:5-6); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board for Black Ministry prepare, publish,
and distribute a report to members of the Synod by Jan. 15, 2008,
that describes the conditions under which there will be no further
need to distinguish between Caucasian and African American be-
lievers in Christ who are joined together in The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, recognizing that a perpetual segregation typified
by the maintenance of a separate-but-equal Board for Black Min-
istry fails to acknowledge the true unity we have in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.

St. Paul
Brookfield, IL