Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1973 · 50th Convention › Page 9
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 9

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

MISSIONS 9

TABLE 4

The 1973 Mission Subsidy Dollar
($10,162,690)

Overseas
Churches
and
Missions
54 6¢

Norte
Americar
District
Subsidies &
Specia:
Minstnes
38 8c

6 6c
Mission
Personnel & Administration

Total Mission Work Programs Planned ..................0:..::00065 $25,378,235
Anticipated Local Resources Generated by Overseas

Churches and all North American Districts* ................... 15,215,545
LCMS Subsidy—BFM Budget 0.0.0.0... cccceeeceesneeeeneneerees 10,162,690

* Resources generated locally overseas include: congregational offerings, school
tuition, hospital income from patients, government medical and educational subsidies,
grants from outside sources, etc.

TABLE 5

1973 Budget Breakdown

World Areas Oc ar

East Asia 1$5 $52 7651

‘Japan Hong Kong Taran

Korea Philippines:
37 Se
Atrica
ana
Middle East
127¢ Nortn American Specia. Ministries Dollar

1$3 938 595:

South Asia
‘India Sri Lanka
New Guinea}
27 5¢

Latin
America
Argentina Braz
Central America
Mexico Venezuela:
17 3¢

Nortn
American
District
Subsidies 76¢

—Camees te
[Laine
Medical 6¢

TABLE 6

1973 Overseas Budget Subsidy Dollar
Analyzed by Program

Total Overseas Subsidy
1$5 552 765)

Expatriate
Missionary
Support 53 2¢

Deot Services
216

Bibie Corresnordence ! 7¢
Training Assistance 1¢
Lay Training 8¢
Socia: Welfare Se
Mass Communications
29
Literature 3 1¢

Theo'ogical &
46¢
Erementary & Seconaary
Schools 3 5¢
NoTE: Some of the specific program costs also include support costs of mission-
aries involved in the programs.
The pie does, however, give a general picture programmatically of how Synod's
mission funds are being used in Christ’s mission overseas.

Medica! & Heaits
Mimstries 3 5¢

A. Board Report on Issues
We Seek the Lord's Will in Missions

When we pray, “Take my will and make it Thine,” we pray
that God will take our wills captive to make proper decisions
as we face greater mission challenges than ever before in the
face of complex situations. Thus we consecrate ourselves with
everything we are and have to the task of witnessing of Christ
by Word and deed, which is still the great unfinished task until
the Lord comes.

Our mission receives its essential character and continuity
from the apostolic Word. It is grounded in and related to, moti-
vated and strengthened by, constantly reformed by, and gov-
erned by the infallible Word of God. All relationships between
church and mission or between churches themselves are to be
viewed in the light of that Word, judged and controlled by it.
“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, in fel-
lowship ... .” (Acts 2:42)

Board Resolution on Policy

Because it believes it is desirable to define its policies in
view of the current unsettled doctrinal situation in Christianity
and Lutheranism, also in missions, the board for over a year has
made studies of the primacy of the Word and the Gospel, con-
cerns for social ministries, and ecumenical practices, in order
to carry on the church's mission in a Scriptural and effective
manner. The results of this study produced the following resolu-
tion, which we share with the church:

WHEREAS, The Board for Missions is charged with the re-
sponsibility to formulate, recommend, review and supervise the
mission policy of Synod, guide Synod’s mission outreach in
keeping with such mission policy, and to do all else necessary to
provide for an aggressive and united mission effort for the
Synod: and

WHEREAS, There is no greater imperative than to disciple
the nations and no more urgent need than for Chiictians individ-
ually and collectively to proclaim and share the suving Gospel
of Jesus Christ and to demonstrate Christiaii love in every facet
of their lives: and

WHEREAS, There needs to be a clear understanding of our
Synod’s theological principles in the board's policies and
practices, implementing through the Holy Spirit the New Testa-
ment process of repentance and renewal to hold the purity of
the Word, and the unity and peace of the church: therefore be it

Resolved. That in consonance with the Scriptures, the Lu-
theran Confessions, the policies of Synod and the Board for
Missions, we affirm at this time the following principles to serve
as the major guidelines for our mission activities:

1. The indispensable heart and core of God’s mission is the
ministry of the Word (Acts 6) in which the proclamation of the
Gospel takes precedence. This proclamation may be chrono-
logically preceded by or accompanied by efforts at education
work, medical missions, social work. ete., but if these become
ends in themselves and do not provide occasion for a verbal
witness to Christ as the only Savior, the mission is not accom-
plished. The Gospel is a message, and, as such, it is communi-
cated by words. Actions, however Christ-like, do not in them-
selves convey the Good News that God forgives those sinners
who trust in Christ. The deeds of love that flow from the Gospel
at work in the lives of God’s people are necessary in the life of
the Christian but they cannot by the nature of Christian faith
replace the indispensable heart and core of salvation which is
offered only through special revelation in the Holy Scriptures.
Our deeds of love do not take precedence in God's plan of
salvation, but rather that position of primacy is occupied by
God's acts of love in Christ, revealed in the Gospel, as the chief
doctrine of Scripture and the heart of our theology. “All who
would be saved must hear this preaching, for the preaching and
hearing of God’s Word are the Holy Spirit’s instrument in, with,
and through which He wills to act efficaciously, to convert men
to God, and to work in them both to will and to achieve” (Solid
Declaration, Article II, 531:52). Therefore, our mission in our
culture and also across culture boundaries is structured so that
everywhere in planning, policy-making, and programming, the
church will carry out its task without neglecting, subordinating,
or eliminating the verbal communication of the Gospel.

2. Our work of missions is to reflect strongly the means (Word
and Sacraments) by which sinful man comes into right 1 elation-