LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 317

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

SOCIAL MINISTRY 315

the institutions is a decrease in community, state, and
federal funds. Several agencies are located in areas where
the United Funds are in trouble. This shortage of funds
may limit the continuance of existing programs as well as
the development of experimental and innovative programs.
Agencies involved with aging are experiencing the problems
for building in which federal funds have been a major
resource. They are further hampered by the restrictions.
specifications, etc., associated with reimbursement via the
federal health funds.

Accreditation of our agencies by the church, authorized
by the Cleveland convention in 1962, and spelled out in its
Polity Statement approved by the Board of Directors in
1966, is the assurance to the church that a proper relation-
ship exists between the agency and the church with District
involvement and endorsement. It is the mark of distinction
which the church grants to the agency which meets the cri-
teria in regard to structure, function, and financing. Agen-
cies of our church which have complied with the directives
of Synod, deserve generous support and backing as they
carry out their programs of helping people.

Over two thirds of our family service agencies are ac-
credited, and three fourths of those who are not accredited
are seeking accreditation. A similar pattern is also true for
the institutions that are serving the aged. Slightly less than
two thirds are either accredited or seeking accreditation.

E. Relief People

Aid to persons who have been victims of poverty. calam-
ities. or other troubles, is commonly called relief. Our
church has been involved in providing relief for almost 80
years. First through the General Board of Relief. then
through the Board of World Relief, and now through this
department. Millions of dollars of food. clothing, blankets,
medicines, and other supplies have been channelled to hurt-
ing people in the name of Jesus. Lutheran World Relief.
the inter-synodical agency which has reached out around
the world for more than 25 years, has been our primary
means of helping people. Mr. Bernard Confer, the Executive
Director, and the members of his staff, have served us faith-
fully in reaching people who are hurting. Our sister churches
in New Guinea, the Philippines, Taiwan, England. India,
Hong Kong, Nigeria, and South America have assumed a
great part in bringing our World Relief assistance to people
in need, They have provided the administration for our
programs which were aimed at relieving distress.

Perhaps a better term than “relief” is the expression
“human development” which includes more than taking a
collection to buy bread for a hungry person or a suit of
clothing for a poorly clad one. or a dose of medicine for a
sick person. It implies becoming involved in all ways that
will help a person reach his fullest potential as a child
of God. This may mean helping a person to learn a trade,
to develop his skills. to get an education, to achieve economic
growth, and to gain social equality. and experience the nec-
essary change that will upgrade human life. While develop-
ment is a very complicated process, we see our aid providing
longer-lasting benefits to troubled people when it stimulates
them to help themselves.

Historian Arnold Toynbee remarked that the “20th cen-
tury would be remembered because mankind dared to con-
clude that the problems of poverty and hunger could be
resolved.” It is through human development programs that
real, lasting help can be brought to poor and hungry people.

Our World Relief has provided such help through Lu-
theran World Services in Hong Kong. Taiwan Christian Ser-
vice in Taiwan, Vietnam Christian Service. the Council for
Social Action in India, and the Bangladesh Relief Commit-
tee. Through our Brazil District. helpers are serving the
poor, the deaf, and the handicapped.

Outstanding among the people who help with our World
Relief programs are the District contact representatives at-
tached to each District Board of Social Ministry, and the
thousands of people around the country. young and old, men
and women, who not only contribute generously for this
special program which is not part of Synod’s budget. but
who also make blankets. layettes. and other items that bring
new life and hope to the many troubled people around the
world.

F, Institutional Chaplains

Institutional chaplains are an important “people force”
in helping sick, imprisoned, and old people who spend time
within an institution. One hundred sixty-one trained and
experienced ordained pastors serve our church on a full-time
basis in a variety of settings. Some serve federal and state
institutions for delinquents. the mentally ill, and the men-
tally retarded. Some serve in county and city hospitals as
well as in private voluntary community hospitals. Some
serve the 25,000 nursing homes which care for a million
people on a given day. The ministry of the institutional
chaplain calls for highly specialized training known as Clin-
ical Pastoral Education. Each chaplain must understand the
people among whom he ministers so that he might effec-
tively communicate the love of God in Jesus Christ. His
message is one of reconciliation — to God, to self, to family,
to society. He witnesses to our Lord’s promises of forgive-
ness and eternal life.

As an extension of the full-time chaplain’s activity, sev-
eral hundred pastors serve on a part-time basis. Some are
busy parish pastors who find their visitation stimulating to
their parish duties and some are retired pastors who con-
tinue their ministry at a slower but satisfying pace.

Our chaplains are involved in a ministry that varies from
institution to institution. Some are involved in a teaching
role, helping to equip seminary students, parish pastors,
chaplains, and institutional personnel; some participate in
research projects to measure ministry in special situations;
some assist with rehabilitation of prisoners, alcoholics, and
drug addicts: but all serve as ministers of Jesus Christ and
representatives of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.

The Aid Association for Lutherans and the Wheat Ridge
Foundation provided us with $25,000 during the past 2 years,
for scholarships for Clinical Pastoral Education to 31 persons
involved with institutional chaplaincy services. Twenty-six
additional persons received smaller scholarships from our
Board. It is interesting to note that in 1965, only eleven
chaplains had as much as five quarters of CPE, while today
the number is 33; and in 1965, 50 of our chaplains had no
Clinical Pastoral Education, while today fewer than 25,
most of whom are older persons, have had no CPE.

Chaplaincy positions are not as numerous today due to
the economic situation, as they were a few years ago, yet
we must be prepared to provide the necessary funds and
trained persons who can bring a ministry of Word and Sac-
rament to the 28 million persons who spend part of their
lives in a hospital and the 4 million who are confined for
some time in correctional institutions. They need the help-
ers whom we call “chaplains.”

G. Community People

We would be remiss if we restricted all of the helping
people to be within our church. In many projects within our
country and beyond our borders, people in the communities
have an important share in helping. This is particularly true
in many inner-city projects as well as housing projects. The
very nature of some of our activities makes it essential to
welcome community involvement. Through this involve-
ment, many from the communities learn of our concern and
beliefs. Community interests are also often reflected on
boards of agencies as well as by some staff members whose
contributions toward our helping efforts are great.

Ill. The People Helped

A. Troubled People

While this term “troubled people” applies to all of the
people who have received help through our total Social Min-
istry and World Relief efforts, we particularly want to eall
attention to those individuals and groups who have found
new courage and hope through our World Relief activities.
As St.Paul has said, “As you have opportunity, let us do
good unto all men, especially unto them of the household
of faith” (Gal.6:10), so our World Relief programs have
brought assistance to our own members, to fellow Chris-
tians on a wider scale, and to anyone who could benefit by
our aid.

The people in the flooded areas of Rapid City and the
Eastern states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York,
who were literally wiped out (more than 200 deaths — 80,000
homes destroved), received a great lift by the generosity of