LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 131

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3. MERCY
Mr. Steve Gruenwald (Concordia Plan Services); Deaconess
Dr. Tiffany Manor (ONM); Dr. Richard Marrs (faculty member,
Concordia Seminary); Ms. Jenna McMiller (ONM, task force
secretary); Dr. Gerhard Mundinger (Chair, Concordia
University System Board of Directors); Rev. Daniel Ognoskie
(Zion Lutheran, Wilton, Iowa); Dr. Todd Peperkorn (faculty
member, Concordia Theological Seminary); Dr. Stephen
Saunders (faculty member, Marquette University); Ms.
Martha Ulmer (Augsburg Lutheran, Shawnee, Kan.); Rev.
Wayne Palmer (Concordia Publishing House).

WHEREAS, Research clearly shows that persons with
mental health issues are likely to seek help from their church;
and

Following the diminishment of the COVID-19 pandemic, over
the past two years this ad hoc task force has subsequently
undertaken a number of considerations and actions, including
but not limited to:

WHEREAS, Jesus Christ commands His followers to show
mercy to those in need and to carry one another’s burdens
(Gal. 6:2); and

• preparation of various mental health and mental illness
resources (textual and audiovisual)—most notably
resources aimed to assist in the recognition of mental
illness—for distribution to the Synod’s church workers
via print and electronic means (commenced and
continuing), i.e., those available at the Synod’s website:
• www.lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy/church-workerwellness;
• www.lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy/health-ministry;
• preparation of accessible reference tools pointing
church workers, congregations, and congregation
members to additional useful resources pertaining to
mental health and mental illness (commenced and
continuing); and
• an issue of The Lutheran Witness (February 2023)
devoted to the topic of mental health and mental
illness.
Proposed Action
WHEREAS, Mental health issues are distressing, disabling,
common, and costly; and
WHEREAS, Mental health issues include diagnosable
mental illnesses and less severe but distressing and disabling
mental health problems; and
WHEREAS, Decades of research show that mental illness
affects one in five persons of all ages in any given year; and
WHEREAS, Many persons experience mental health
problems that are very distressing but are not serious enough
to warrant diagnosis of mental illness; and
WHEREAS, Families, spouses, siblings, children, and
friends are impacted by mental health issues of loved ones;
and
WHEREAS, Mental health issues are similar to physical and
medical issues in that they affect Christians as well as any
other person; and
WHEREAS, Persons seeking help for mental health issues
face stigma and bias against them; and

Resolutions

WHEREAS, Research shows that persons with mental
health issues have a preference to seek help from their church
rather than from a health professional; and
WHEREAS, Individuals seeking help from their pastor are
likely to receive vital ongoing and spiritual care and counsel;
and

WHEREAS, Members of the Body of Christ throughout the
Synod desire to use their personal and professional abilities to
identify and to serve the souls within our families and
communities who have mental health needs; and
WHEREAS, Those wanting to provide such help should
never take the place of mental health professionals but will
desire to assist through recognition of potential mental health
problems, providing mercy and spiritual care at every
opportunity, and referral to mental health professionals as
necessary and appropriate; and
WHEREAS, The Synod’s church workers, congregations,
schools, and congregation members have limited capacity and
training to help for reasons related to inadequate awareness
and understanding of mental health issues; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention affirm 2019 Res. 304A, “To Encourage Training of Our Pastors, Church Workers,
and Congregations to Recognize and Provide Pastoral Care for
Those Suffering from Clinical Depression, Mental Illnesses,
and Other Mental Disorders”; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to God and
commend ONM, in particular, for their efforts to date, forming
its ad hoc task force, to address the broad spectrum of issues
related to mental health and recognizing mental health needs
among the Synod’s church workers, as well as members of
congregations and schools, encouraging effective Christian
mental health education initiatives in service of those goals;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod direct the continued furtherance
of such intentional efforts by leadership and coordination
coming from within the ONM Health Ministry program unit
(housed under ONM’s Human Care and Ministerial Support
area) under established policies and oversight provided by the
BNM; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod discourage its members and
congregations from attaching stigma to or being biased
against persons seeking help for mental health issues; and be
it further
Resolved, That these intentional efforts include the
identification of potential opportunities for easily accessed
and widely available mental health resources and programs
already existing and the development of new and distinctly
Christian mental health resources and programs for use by
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 131