LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 348

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11. SPECIAL AND SUNDRY MATTERS

11-01
Report of Armed Forces Commission

“Cross paths around the world with people you care
about” is the theme in 1973 for the Mother's Day observance
of the Armed Forces Commission in all congregations of
The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. The contributions
to the annual Mother's Day offering provide direct financial
support for all programs of the commission. Even in “peace
time” the vital ministry and spiritual care of 12,000 to 15,000
servicemen and women of The Lutheran Church -— Missouri
Synod around the world, plus many others in our Veterans
Administration hospitals. continue to be a matter of special
concern and support by the members of our Lutheran
church.

Chaplains

Today there remains the need for our church to recruit
seminarians and pastors for the chaplaincy programs in all
branches of the Armed Forces and in the Veterans Adminis-
tration. Although the total number of personnel in the mili-
tary services is predicted to drop during the next year, still
the 1973 estimate of 2,287,975 is anticipated to drop only
to 2,232,$02 in 1974. The number of chaplain retirements and
resignations is greater than any loss expected by the small
reduction of personnel in the Armed Forces. The commis-
sion, therefore, must continue to screen all applicants. to
endorse qualified pastors for the chaplaincy, and to extend
calls to pastors and reserve chaplains for extended active

uty.

In the restructuring of the Division of Service to Military
Personnel of the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A. the
Executive Secretary of the Armed Forces Commission was
appointed to become also a staff member of the Division of
Service to Military Personnel, which now is staffed by
representatives of the three major Lutheran church bodies.
In the dual role as both the Executive Secretary of the
Armed Forces Commission and as a staff member of the
Division, a greater efficiency has been achieved and much
duplication of services has been eliminated. It is still, how-
ever, the responsibility for the Armed Forces Commission
to recruit chaplains and process their ecclesiastical endorse-
ments, as well as to fund and coordinate all of our special
functions. such as our Ministry-by-Mail, Christ Lutheran
Church Military, and Veterans Administration chaplain pro-
grams. As a staff member of the Division of Service to
Military Personnel, the Executive Secretary also is the
representative of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod,
and in this position will make field visitations to chaplains
of our church, process their reports and pastoral acts, main-
tain their personal records and represent our chaplains to
our church body.

During the past year several changes have been effected
in the structure of the Armed Forces Commission without
changing the mission or program itself. The restructuring
of services with the Division of Service to Military Person-
nel as described above began on 1 March 1973. Before that
date the executive office of the Armed Forces Commission
had been moved concurrently with the office of the Division
from 2633 16th St.. N.W., to 955 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20024. The operating system of the com-
mission's Ministry-by-Mail program (data processing, re-
ferral, packing and mailing) was moved on 15 January to
offices and facilities at Synod’s Headquarters, 210 North
Broadway, and to Concordia Publishing House (Box 8934,
Jefferson Memorial Station, St. Louis, Mo. 63102.) The ad-
ministration of both the “Ministry-by-Mail” and the “Christ
Church Military” programs will continue from the executive
offices of the Armed Forces Commission at 955 L’Enfant
Plaza.

Military Chaplains

On 1 July 1973 our church has 101 military chaplains
on active duty in the Army. Navy, Air Force, and Canadian
Forces. In 1971 and 1972 these chaplains held 14,124 worship
services with a total attendance of 1.117.555: 78,502 Com-
munions: 10,789 classes for religious instruction; they per-
formed 1,187 baptisms and 629 confirmations.

345

A vital and important ministry also is performed for
our church by the 153 ready reserve chaplains on inactive
duty, Not only have these chaplains associated themselves
with service activities in their own community, where also
many of their own members are involved, but now also as
pastors they become personally familiar with the problem
and the situation confronting servicemen and women and
their families who are members of their congregations.
Such chaplains are better prepared to communicate with,
and to counsel, their own parishioners. They also are pre-
pared and ready when called by their church for active
duty at a time of national emergency.

Veterans Administration Chaplains

The call for additional chaplains from our church to
serve Veterans Administration hospitals can be expected.
There is an increasing need to provide pastoral care and
the ministrations of our church to many veterans who are
patients in the 161 Veterans Administration hospitals in our
country. Synod has eight full time and 16 part time chap-
lains in the Veterans Administration program, whose ser-
vices last year, 1972, provided: 2,125 worship services with
a total attendance of 43,667 and 1,359 communed; 479 periods
of religious instruction — total attendance 5,984, 8,039 coun-
seling sessions: and 96,797 bedside visits.

Civil Air Patrol

Another chaplaincy program which has become of in-
creasing importance in the religious leadership and concern
of our nation is the Civil Air Patrol. The opportunity of
providing a spiritual ministry and conducting religious ser-
vices to our youth has been afforded to our church. A total
of 30 of our pastors have been serving during the past year
in this chaplain ministry.

Ministry-by-Mail

The Armed Forces Commission “Ministry-by-Mail” still
constitutes the largest church supportive service to our
military service personnel around the world. It includes
the initial packet (Service Prayer Book. a Lutheran identifi-
cation cross, a pocket calendar. a roster of chaplains, a direc-
tory of Lutheran worship services, and other devotional
brochures) to all service personnel whose names have been
forwarded by the congregations to the Armed Forces Com-
mission, “Ministry-by-Mail,” Box 8934, Jefferson Memorial
Station, St. Louis, Mo. 63102. Monthly about 14,000 service-
men receive the worship service. Loyalty-Christ and Coun-
try. Portals of Prayer and other devotional literature. This
same ministry is provided to the patients in Veterans Ad-
ministration hospitals as well as to military dependents and
to civilian personnel overseas at or near military installa-
tions, and to cadets at the military academies, provided
their current addresses are furnished the commission by
home pastors and congregations.

Christ Church Military Congregation

There exists a continued need for this actual congrega~-
tion. a part of Christ Lutheran Church, 16th and Gallatin
Streets, N. W., Washington, D.C. Whenever service person-
nel or members of their families are confirmed and/or bap-
tized and they have no home church but currently are over-
seas or in an area where there are no congregations of our
church, they then can be received as members in the Christ
Church Military Congregation. These new members will
receive our “Ministry-by-Mail” and other devotional ma-
terials for the entire family. suitable for each age level.
Christ Chureh Military Congregation serves as the “home
church” until a transfer is requested. When the member is
separated from the serviee or is located near a civilian
parish, this transfer is effected. In 1972 there were listed in
CCMC: 233 communicant members: 461 prospective mem~
bers; 233 on the children’s file; and 114 cradle roll members.

Commission Members

Chairman: Rev. Gerald E. Kuhn, CAPT. CHC, USNR-R;
Vice-Chairman: Mr. W. Herbert Krieger, former CPT,