Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1975 · 51st Convention › Page 29
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 29

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

MISSIONS 29

Directors, Missions, Special Ministry-World Relief, Parish
Education, High Education, Youth, Appeals: Commissions:
CTCR. World Hunger. Ministerial Health: Services: Mentally
Retarded, Adjudication: Councils a nd Auviliaries: Christian
Medical Work, LMMA, LWML. WRF. Lutheran Council, World
Missions, Institutional Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Educa-
tion, LWR: plus advisers and consultants, about 6, from experts
on food. population, justice, development. process people.
Christian Medical Commission, and if at all possible a few select
spokesmen of sister church bodies and other Third World
groups.

Program: Evaluation presupposes examination of past atti-
tudes. as well as performance, of our call to be a healing church.

Prior to the consultation. there would be a directed reading
program of books, periodicals, and articles. Participants will
be called upon to respond to a nonjudgmental questionnaire to
assess the level of understanding that exists and programatic
expression of it. At the consultation. about half the time will be
assigned for worship. Bible study. and issue-paper presentation
and discussion. The other half will address itself to coordination
and planning.

By group process, coordination will be realized—one unit
will Jearn from the other how programs may support, comple-
ment. and affirm each other. Un‘formity will not be a goal. but
diversity of expression will contribute toward a united goal
of a healing community ministering to each other and to the
world, About one fourth of the time of the conference will be
devoted to this task. This will lead to future planning. Toward
the close of the consultation participants will be prepared to
envision common strategies and goals for a realistic period of
years ahead. They will be able to identify voids in their under-
standing that need to be filled in future reading programs and
assigned presentations. They will be able to see possibilities
for enlarging their own efforts in the healing mission and
communicating the Savior’s call to others to join them as part-
ners in their work.

Lest this sound grandiose, triumphal, and visionary, it should
be stated that in 1967 some experience was gained along these
lines in a consultation at Coonoor. India. Its objectives were
different and its participants chosen from a narrower spectrum
of the church’s functional units, but that experience lends
credibility to the notion that it can be done.

If it is necessary to solicit outside financing, the pilot nature
of this proposal and the promise it holds should commend it to
groups like AAL or Wheat Ridge Foundation for possible favor-
able consideration, but it should not be relegated routinely
to outside funding.

There are few if any opportunities in the synodical program
for board and staff leadership to share their lives and thoughts,
affirm their common aspirations. and support one another in
their calling to live as the body of Christ in today’s world.
Individual boards meet in fragmented fashion with functional
agendas dispatched under the pressure of clocks with second

hands. Life and death—eternal life and eternal death—issues
are discussed at church conventions with stopwatches tyranniz-
ing the debate. The God who has given us time deserves better
than that. When. in His name. will we follow the example of our
brother, His Son. Jesus Christ. and retreat for prayer and
reflection instead of gathering for frenzied decision-making,
at best, or battle. at worst?

O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good: for His mercy
endureth forever.
Louis M. Theimer. Acting Chairman
Edward C. May. Secretary

2-04

Supplementary Report of Board
of Directors re Mission Program
of Synod

(Ag indicated in its report to the convention, the Board of Directors
early in 1974 appointed a special Mission Study Commission. That com-
mission submitted its report to the Board of Directors in April. Since
the board did not have time to study the report and to make any judg-
ments, it was decided to print the recommendations of the Mission Study
Commission in the Workbook as a supplement to the board’s own report,
with the understanding that the Board of Directors would in its May
meeting formulate its own recommendations regarding the report and
recommendations of the Mission Study Commission for consideration
by the floor committee. What follows, then, are the recommendations
of the Mission Study Commission.)

Recommendations of Mission Study Commission

In response to the Commission of the Lord of the church,
the Mission Study Commission reminds the church that her task
is essentially evangelistic, that all activity at every level in the
church’s structure and leadership must ultimately be measured
by its effects on the faith and life of the individual Christian.

Within the context of this great challenge, the Mission Study
Commission recommends:

1. That all administrative levels of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, beginning with the congregation, should be
involved mutually in the setting of goals and their implemen-
tation:

A. Existing congregations need to reach out more and more

to all segments of society with the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

B. Existing congregations need to enlist more extensively
and intensively the many gifts and talents of members,
thus responding to a broad range of human needs:

C. That every Christian as part of his commitment to Jesus
Christ accept personal responsibility for carrying out our
Lord’s directive to give witness to his faith in word and
deed:

Conventions of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod

Board of Directors

President (LCMS)

Board for Missions (Appellate right to convention)

Executive Director (Administrative }

Director of
Domestic Affairs
1
. 1,
Districts

Special Ministries

Move: Blind, Deaf. Special Ministries to Board for Social Ministry and
World Relief. to Division of Parish Services or to LCUSA

[= Persons

=asceee— = Functions

Directors of
Mission Fields

Director of
Administrative Services

1
Personnel - - - Liaison - - - Research

Board for Missions: Nine members. Three members from the BfM
to be assigned to each of the key function areas:
Domestic Affairs. Mission Fields, and Adminis-
trative Services, as their areas of special concern
and as a subcommittee.