lcms world releif and human care

I was honored to be an advisor to floor committee 3 at the latest Synod convention which was the floor committee on mercy.  Dr. Lee Hagan was the chairman and did an excellent job keeping us all on task.  We got to go up on stage and offer resolutions on several things but many of our resolutions did not get to the floor before I had to leave.  While I was going to the airport the committee presented one that I was very happy about.  I have been complaining for a while that we lost our brand.  LCMS World Relief and Human Care was subsumed into the Offices of International Mission and National Mission respectively and the Mercy brand went fuzzy.  Disaster Response and medical mercy teams are going on a pace but the care for the hungry and suffering and the orphan and the widow, in my opinion sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

Megan Mertz writing for the Reporter Online said,

(Thursday, July 14), Floor Committee 3 returned before the close of the convention to present its final two resolutions.

Resolution 3-03, which was adopted by a 782-1 vote, encourages the Synod to become better informed about the worldwide persecution of Christians. Individual Lutherans are encouraged to contact their respective elected officials on behalf of these persecuted Christians, “according to their conscience.”

Finally, delegates adopted Resolution 3-06, which calls for the Synod to support and expand the work of LCMS World Relief and Human Care in the Offices of National and International Mission and to “strengthen collaboration with the Synod’s districts, congregations, Recognized Service Organizations, and partner churches, here and abroad, to identify and respond to needs for mercy.”