LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 119

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1. NATIONAL WITNESS
organizations, or perhaps by parachurch groups that work at
least in coordination with the Synod and its congregations;
and be it further
Resolved, That ONM make this inventory available and
communicate its availability; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod direct the Set Apart to Serve
initiative to give attention to recruiting professional church
workers among present Lutherans who grew up in these
immigrant, ethnic, and non-Christian religious groups, as
these people can serve as a vital resource in reaching such
populations; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage its
seminaries to ensure that students enrolled in ethnic
immigrant or multicultural programs leading to ordination,
for example the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology or
Center for Hispanic Studies, or any other similar program,
receive financial aid that covers a percentage of tuition equal
to that received by M.Div. students. This should be
accomplished as soon as reasonably possible without
depriving the M.Div. or other pastoral formation programs of
current financial aid resources; and be it further
Resolved, That ONM work to make available grants to
provide short- and longer-term internships and other training
for those preparing to do mission work amid these
populations; and be it further
Resolved, That ONM conduct demographic research to
specify the locations of larger immigrant, ethnic, and nonChristian religious groups who are currently underserved
with the Gospel; and be it further
Resolved, That ONM work especially with districts,
providing information to help these districts pinpoint where
they can begin new ministries among people of various
ethnicities and cultures in the United States and Canada
during the next triennium; and be it finally
Resolved, That ONM work to make church planting grants
and guidance available to those beginning new
ethnic/cultural ministries.
Action: Adopted as amended (3)

The resolution was amended by voice vote to add the fifth
resolve, its having been rendered, by consent, an
encouragement instead of the direction originally proposed. The
resolution was adopted as amended by voice vote.

To Direct Districts and Council of Presidents
to Provide Strategic Plan for
Addressing Wellness of Church Workers
RESOLUTION 1-06A
Reports R1.2.1, R6 (CW, 11–12, 49–50);
Overture 1-08 (CW, 259–60)
WHEREAS, One of the objectives of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS) is to “Recruit and train pastors,
teachers, and other professional church workers and provide
opportunity for their continuing growth” (Constitution Article III
3); and
WHEREAS, Another objective of the LCMS is to “Provide
evangelical supervision, counsel, and care for pastors, teachers,
and other professional church workers of the Synod in the
performance of their official duties” (Const. Art. III 8); and
WHEREAS, Another objective of the LCMS is to “Aid in
providing for the welfare of pastors, teachers, and other
church workers, and their families in the event of illness,
disability, retirement, special need, or death” (Const. Art. III
10); and
WHEREAS, 2016 Resolution 18-02A tasked the Board for
National Mission to develop policies for assessing worker
wellness and make recommendations for worker care; and
WHEREAS, A report was made to the 2019 Synod
convention stating the progress of such policies, which
includes a webpage on worker wellness on the Synod website;
and
WHEREAS, Worker wellness and health—physical,
spiritual, emotional, and relational—continues to be a
significant issue for the church, especially following the
COVID-19 pandemic, and in light of a March 2022 Barna
report indicating that 42 percent of pastors considered
quitting full-time ministry in the past year, and 46 percent of
pastors under the age of 45 considered the same (Barna
Group, www.barna.com/research/pastors-well-being, Nov. 16,
2021); and
WHEREAS, Such statistics indicate the need to continue to
prioritize these Synod objectives indicated above, which led to
the formation of a Worker Well-being Alliance Group
consisting of leaders from Concordia Plan Services (CPS), the
Office of National Mission (ONM), and members of the
Council of Presidents (COP); and
WHEREAS, A significant aspect of ecclesiastical
supervision is “evangelical encouragement and support, care,
protection, counsel …” (Bylaw 1.2.1 [j]), a responsibility
intentionally given to district presidents to be administered
more effectively on a local level; therefore be it
Resolved, That the COP, ONM, and CPS be commended for
their work on attending to the wellness of church workers and
their families; and be it further
Resolved, That the COP prioritize the matter of the
wellness of church workers and their families through the

Resolutions

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 119