LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 188

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Adopt Personalized Missionary
Support Program

To (Joy)fully Fund Career
and GEO Missionaries

1981 RESOLUTION 12-09

2013 RESOLUTION 6-02

Whereas, Our gracious God has saved us so that we might
serve Him and willingly use our talents and abilities to pursue the
Great Commission, “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19); and
Whereas, This is the mandate which members of the LCMS
accept as their mission command; and
Whereas, Seventy-one percent (71%) of the world is non-Christian (U.S. Center for World Missions, Pasadena, California); and
Whereas, The LCMS has pledged itself with the mission challenge for the 1980s to open 600 new ministries and to increase
mission money by 100% plus inflation (Resolutions 1-20 and 1-27A,
1979 Proceedings); therefore be it
Resolved, That those congregations of the LCMS or groups of
congregations or circuits which unite to give financial support
for missionaries be given the opportunity to pledge themselves to
maintain a missionary and his family under the policy of support
of the Board of Missions; and be it further
Resolved, That this personalized support for a missionary be
understood to be over and above the normal annual support for
the District and the Synod; and be it further
Resolved, That the Board for Missions of the LCMS be charged
with the planning, direction, implementation, and administration of this mission outreach at home and abroad; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Department of Stewardship and Financial
Support in cooperation with the Board for Missions develop the
financial structure and mechanics for this program.

Overtures 6-07, 6-10 (2013 CW, pp. 232–233)
Whereas, Article III 2 (Objectives) of the Constitution of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has established
extending Gospel witness into all the world; and
Whereas, The LCMS has been engaged in extending the Gospel into the world since 1895; and
Whereas, There is a need among congregations, pastors, and
households for a clearer understanding of the mission impact that
the LCMS is having today; and
Whereas, The reality is that the number of career and Globally Engaged in Outreach (GEO) missionaries has increased each
year since 2008; and
Whereas, The best practices mission model is based on intentional personal missionary communication; and
Whereas, This model is vital to creating the congregational
and personal understanding necessary for prayer and personal and
financial support of missionaries; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention give thanks to God for
the 69 career and 100 GEO missionaries and their families serving throughout the world who embrace the current model; and be
it further
Resolved, That the Synod commend the former Board for Mission Services for developing an effective model of sustainability for
calling and deploying and supporting missionaries in the field until
the natural conclusion of their service; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod thank the 500 congregations and
nearly 2,000 household partners in the LCMS who are actively and
joyfully providing prayer, encouragement, and direct financial support in excess of $7.6 million per year for the benefit of specific
missionaries; and be it further
Resolved, That all congregations and LCMS households be
encouraged to utilize counsel and resources available through the
Mission Advancement Unit of the LCMS as they plan their support of missionaries; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage and support
the Office of International Mission to continue expanding the number of missionaries and provide the logistical support necessary to
sustain them in their mission activities.
Action: Adopted (7)
(Without objection raised to voting immediately on the resolution, Res. 9-03A was adopted as presented [Yes: 936; No: 35].)

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U P O N T H I S R O C K • Resolutions

“9. Finance”