LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 183

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SYNODICAL ADMINISTRATION 183

Areas. Special Ministries. Training: Almost all of the
recommendations made in this section have been imple-
mented by the Board for Missions. The development of
“missions” into “sister churches” has been accelerated and
the concept of partnership in mission is being practiced.
Res. 3-04 of Detroit, “Theological Principles to Guide the
Development of Missions and Sister Churches” has formed
the framework for the policies of Mission Board -Sister
Church Relationships. A program of preservice training for
overseas personnel is in operation together with the ALC
and LCA mission boards. A policy of helping missionaries
after long periods of service overseas to resettle in America
is in operation. Missionaries are given opportunity and
support to improve themselves professionally.

Stewardship, Finance. Promotion. and Missionary Educa-
tion: As in most other churches, we also face the problem
of making the mission “come alive” for the people who
support it. The Mission Patrons Program of the Board for
Missions tries to personalize the relationship between the
donor and the mission.

Projections: The Board for Missions has embarked on a
program of loaning personnel to strengthen work being done.
At the same time the programs aimed at training national
pastors and church workers have been greatly improved.

2, Review of Synod's Program

The commission is charged to carry on an ongoing review
of Synod’s procedures and suggest ways in which the mis-
sion can be furthered. Included in this is the assignment
to explore for new forms of ministry to meet the changing
needs of mankind and to sensitize the Synod to new develop-
ments in its mission.

On various occasions we have been made aware of the
divisions in Synod and the climate of mistrust and suspicion
prevailing between different groups. One of the factors con-
tributing to this situation is the lack of contact between dif-
ferent parts of the Synod and the frank and open discussion
of differences. A revival of the Circuit Counselors Confer-
ences would be one way in which brethren could meet to-
gether to study issues before the Synod. consult with each
other about the program of the Synod, and have an oppor-
tunity to understand each other. We are recommending to
this convention that this matter be restudied and the former
types of meeting revived with such new elements as the
present situation calls for.

Dr. Lawrence Kersten presented his study on “The Lu-
theran Ethic” to the commission to help us understand the
climate in which the Synod is carrying out its ministry and
mission.

The Synod has adopted three sets of Affirmations on
Mission. Evangelism. and Social Ministry. These are impor-
tant summaries and guidelines for the programs of the
Synod. One of the members of the commission made a
comparative study of them and _ presented his findings to
the commission. The commission is of the opinion that these
three statements are Biblically and confessionally based and
should continue to serve the Synod in guiding and energiz-
ing all of its work.

We are all aware that many congregations must carry
out their mission and ministry in the midst of rapidly chang-
ing circumstances. In order to understand such types of
ministry better the commission heard three pastors who
work in such circumstances describe what has taken place
in their situations and how they have tried to meet the new
challenges. Dr. A. O. Fuerbringer was with the commission
at this time and explained how the program of Continuing
Education tries to keep pastors aware of new and relevant
ways of meeting the needs of people. The commission is
continuing its study of this problem.

In this same area of new forms of mission and ministry,
the commission discussed the St. Louis “Metro-Mission
Movement” with five persons who have been deeply in-
volved in it for some years. Their evaluation of its suc-
cesses and failures showed the importance of working also
for change in structures. In the same area of concern the
commission heard a revort on the work of the “Commission
on the Ministry of the People of God” in the English District.

In order to bring this awareness of the demands which
social and cultural changes make on the church to a focus
the commission met with six members of the staff and Board

of Parish Education to sec how the Mission:Life material
can be used to instill a deeper understanding of the ministry
of all the people of God.

An important facet of this whole question was presented
to the commission by Pastor Albert Pero as he spoke to us
on the Ministry of the Black Clergy in the Synod and their
concerns for their people.

In order to understand better what is already being done
in the development of new forms of ministry the commission
met with representatives of the staffs of Youth Ministry,
Missions. and Parish Education. and of the black community,
who described the experiments they were engaged in.

As a result of these investigations the commission re-
quested five churchmen to present papers on various facets
of ministry and the place of auxiliary ministries.

A subcommittee of the commission worked through this
volume of material and presented a plan_of study for the
Synod. As an initial step in this study Dr. Erwin Lueker
summarized the material and developed a set of theses and
guidelines. These are given here and recommended for study
to pastoral conferences and lay institutes.

TENTATIVE THESES AS GUIDELINES

1. Man is justified before God by grace through faith in Christ.

In order that man might obtain faith God instituted the
ministry of preaching the Gospel and administering the
Sacraments.

3. The Gospel was first preached by the Lord, then by apostles,
then by a variety of ministers.

4. Wherever faith is created by the Gospel there church is
created.

5. Since the church is incorporated into Christ by faith, it has
all blessings. rights and duties of the ministry.

6. Th: ministry of Word and Sacrament is instituted by God:
the ministry functions in and through the church.

7. In obedience to its Lord numerous ministries functioned in

the New Testament, thus involving the whole man in the
Gospel.

8. The ministry instituted by God developed various forms in
the history of the church influenced by such factors as need,
precedent. environment

9. In the early church charismatic and ordered ministries func-
tioned side by side. The ordered ministries ultimately pre-
vailed and the officially structured ministry became central
in the church.

10. The Lutheran Reformation reemphasized the function of the
ministry through maintaining the form as far as feasible.
A basic Tule was “that nobody should publicly teach or
preach or administer the Sacraments without a regular call.”

11. The nature of the ministry was widely discussed in the
nineteenth century. A significant distinction was made be-
tween sacramental and sacrificial ministries.

12. Cc. F. W. Walther had a Jeading role in developing the con-
cept of the ministry in the Missouri Synod. He held that
every believer has all the rights of the ministry; that God
established the public ministry through the congregation;
that there is one nastoral office. namely, of Word and Sac-
rament. of which all other ministries are branches.

13. In case of need. Word and Sacrament were administered by
a variety of people. including women. Absolution and con-
secration of the clements in the Lord's Supper were re-
served for ordained clergy. The validity, though not pro-
priety. of other consecrations was upheld.

14. The church may establish permanent or ad hoc ministries
to meet the needs of the times. In the establishment of lay
and special ministries it is desirable that the relation of
such ministries to that of the laity and to the regular pas-
toral office should be clearly determined.

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3. Study Material for Congregations

During the past biennium the commission has continued
to supply the following materials to congregations and other
groups for study purposes:

1. Affirmations on God's Mission:

2. We Say We're Sent. a 13-unit lesson series on the Af-

firmations:

3 Letters to a Christian Friend (dealing with the Af-

firmations):

4. The Structure of a Missionary Congregation and sam-

ples of new forms of constitutions:

5. Miscellaneous papers on the mission of the church.

The commission also engaged a parish pastor to prepare
a “Manual on the Parish in Mission” which would deal with
the place of the local congregation in its mission to its mem-
bers, to its community. and to the whole world. This Manual
is available at this convention.