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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 472

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

THE MISSION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE WORLD
A Review of the 1965 Mission Affirmations

Introduction
Reasons for This Study

The Commission on Theology and Church Relations
has undertaken this brief study of the mission of the
church for a number of compelling reasons:

1. The task of the church is a subject which has
claimed the attention of the Christian world in an increas-
ing measure for more than two decades. But as interest
increases, it is becoming apparent that the focus of
mission activity is steadily being broadened. Primary
emphasis is being placed on the church's involvement
in the political, social, and economic problems of society
both on a national and an international level. It is sug-
gested that circumstances are forcing the church to
change not only its definition of mission but even its
theology.

The Lutheran Church~— Missouri Synod recognizes
that it has an obligation to the whole man but is deeply
concerned lest emphasis on the proclamation of the
Gospel be blunted. In order to describe more fully the
task of the church in our modern world, Synod adopted
the Mission Affirmations in 1965, in which it sought to
define the proper relation between our ministry to the
spiritual needs of mankind and our involvement in
humanity’s physical and social problems.

Apparently there have been some misunderstandings
regarding various statements in the Mission Affirmations,
since a number of memorials have been addressed to
subsequent conventions requesting clarification.

2. As early as 1967 concerns were expressed by a
number of congregations in the Synod “regarding im-
Proper interpretation and use of the Mission Affirma-
tions” (Convention Workbook. 1967, pp. 77—78). In re-
sponse the convention at New York adopted Resolution
2-20, which sought to clarify the Mission Affirmations
in order to avoid all misunderstandings.

3. However, again in 1971 overtures were submitted
to the convention at Milwaukee requesting Synod to
draw up new affirmations because of the “serious
ambiguity” in the Detroit Mission Affirmations (Conven-
tion Workbook. 1971, pp. 105— 107). As a result, Resolu-
tion 2-33, which sought to clarify relevant parts of the
Mission Affirmations, was submitted to the Board of
Directors “for study and report to next convention.”
(Convention Proceedings. 1971, p. 123)

4. The president of Synod, acting for the Board of
Directors, requested the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations through its executive secretary to
make a thorough study of the Mission Affirmations with
a view toward clarifying those parts which appeared
to be ambiguous and supplementing the document

472

where it was needed in view of recent developments in
Christendom.

5. In 1973 the Board for Missions in its report to the
convention at New Orleans (Convention Workbook. 1973,
pp. 9~—10) considered it advisable to prepare a set of
theological principles intended to clarify further the
Mission Affirmations and suggested that they serve as
major guidelines for the church’s mission activities. In
response the convention adopted Resolution 1-06, which
commended the Board for Missions for “‘the theological
principles . . . intended to undergird and amplify the
Mission Affirmations” and urged them to “maintain and
uphold the policies and practices of our church in mis-
sion throughout the world.” (Convention Proceedings.
1973, p. 103)

6. A final consideration which prompted the Commis-
sion on Theology and Church Relations to address itself
again to the mission of the church is the realization that
since 1965, when the Mission Affirmations were adopted
by Synod, there have been significant developments
within the World Council of Churches and within Chris-
tendom in general with respect to the mission of the
church.

Recent Developments

We mention only a few of the more important devel-
opments of which we should be aware and to which we
must address ourselves as we look at the task of the
church at home and abroad in the immediate future.

As we noted above, it is being suggested that if the
church is to regain its influence in the lives of people in
our modern world, it must be ready to involve itself more
deeply in the social, political, ethical, and economic
problems of modern society. This has led to a growing
uncertainty on the part of many Christians with respect
to the church’s primary mission. An increasing number
is assuming that the church’s most pressing task today
is to improve man’s existence on this earth.

With this has come also a new approach to the
church’s mission throughout the world. This new and
different approach reasons as follows: Christ's mission
in the world is one; therefore, the mission of the church
should not be denominational in nature but ecumenical.
Less emphasis should be placed on denominational
doctrines and forms. Instead, church bodies should take
their places alongside one another and together seek to
further Christ’s one mission. A program of communica-
tion should be initiated “to break down the opposition
against ecumenical involvement in all phases of mission,
and the engendering of a sense of adventure as we
become involved in the total life of the Christian Church
in a given culture” (Martin Kretzmann, Theological