Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1941 · 38th Convention, Fort Wayne › Page 190
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1941, Page 190

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

190 Reports on General Missions

Affecting the Work of the Church

Surely the intensity and scope of the work of the Church in
such a time as this should at least be stepped up in the ratio
in which the powers of darkness are increasing their activities.
And while a primary objective of such a mission-expansion plan
will be to bring the story of salvation to men, women, and children
everywhere, such expansion work at the present time will also have
a salutary effect on many problems within the Church and espe-
cially on the problems of the ministry.

One of the primary goals in opening new bona-fide mission-
stations would be to man such stations, not with inexperienced
candidates, but with men in the ministry who are at the present
time eagerly looking forward to a call into a field which offers a
greater challenge and real prospects for development. The open-
ing of even only fifty stations manned by such men would give a
tremendous impetus to an effort to overcome “stagnation.”

Some of the fifty places thus vacated by ‘such experienced men
would offer openings for candidates. While this plan will not
solve all the ills which are sometimes attributed to the so-called
“oversupply of candidates,” it would go a long way towards
relieving it.

Surely such a mission-expansion endeavor would be pleasing
to the Lord. It would increase the proclamation of the Gospel;
it would give some of our idle men work; it would increase the
rate of change in calls; it would create a definite objective of
romantic interest for our people; and it would be a glorious channel
for an expression of gratitude to God for special benefits received.

On the basis of the above considerations Synod is earnestly
petitioned prayerfully to deliberate and give serious thought to the
extraordinary blessings of God’s grace which we enjoy; to weigh
carefully the fact that God has placed the opportunities before us
and given us men to improve the opportunities; solemnly to medi-
tate on the abnormal conditions‘on earth which emphasize the
ringing cry: “I must work the works of Him that sent Me while
it is day; the night cometh when no man can work”; to consider
seriously that God has brought us to the Kingdom for just such
a time as this.

Will not the people in our Synod welcome this special oppor-
tunity and hail with keen delight the effort to carry the banner
of Christ’s Cross forward and support whole-heartedly such a
project of expansion? If it is a bold venture, it is a bold venture
for Christ. He has done great things for us.in the past. He wants
us to expect great things of Him also in the future.

’ May God grant Synod wisdom, courage, and faith to consider
the expediency to ;