RESOLUTION 1-05

Reports R15, R20, R39, R43, R48–49 (CW, p. 86, 93, 112, 116, 120)

Whereas, “For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob” (Is. 14:1); and

WHEREAS, Even as our Lord has taught His Church to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 19:19), the mission of welcoming the stranger (Matt. 25:36) caught fire in the hearts of Lutherans 40 years ago for the Southeast Asian people who had lost their homeland through war; and

WHEREAS, Beginning in 1976 through the ministry of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), many Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) congregations across the country sponsored many HMong and other Southeast Asian families to resettle them in America as the result of the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, Gospel seeds have been planted through these refugee resettlement efforts of our LCMS congregations; and

WHEREAS, The HMong ministry in the LCMS has grown into at least 20 Word and Sacrament ministries across the Synod with 1,500 baptized members; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS has ordained 20 HMong pastors, with an additional seven men ready to be ordained; and

WHEREAS, The history of the HMong mission in the LCMS has been well documented, commended, and archived by Concordia Historical Institute; and

WHEREAS, Only 13 percent of the HMong worldwide population claim to profess Christ; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention gave thanks and praise to God for 40 years of HMong ministry in the LCMS; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod continue to encourage and support districts and congregations with HMong ministry outreach; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod address the need for trained servants of the Word to the HMong people worldwide by encouraging and supporting the preparation of HMong pastors, deaconesses, and other commissioned workers.