RESOLUTION 1-06

Report R1.2 (CW, pp. 24, 31); Overture 7-18 (CW, pp. 372–373)

Preamble

The Rosa J. Young International Academies’ mission will be to educate, equip, and empower spiritual, servant, social, and mercy leaders to leave a positive imprint on the world.

The Rosa J. Young International Academies will strive to build a network of creative, innovative, and holistic life- long learning communities for future leaders in all aspects of society. They will seek to be a growing network of schools located in various regions of the U.S. to provide urban, inner city, rural, and ethnic communities with educational options and opportunities.

The Rosa J. Young International Academies will focus on developing and managing multi-purpose educational facilities and developing complementary programs for K-12 education, such as before- and after-school care, pre- schools and religious education, mentoring and tutoring, music and drama, sports and summer camps, and health and fitness activities.

WHEREAS, The Great Commission tells us: “Then Jesus came to them and said: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the earth’” (Matt. 28: 18–20); and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rosa. J. Young laid claim to what the Lord said and would not be deterred by life’s circumstances, financial and otherwise; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rosa J. Young followed the trends of African American women of faith who sought to be educators, entrepreneurs, and mission workers; and

WHEREAS, When she joined the Lutheran church, her dedicated teaching abilities and mission work opened doors so that African American children could receive religious education; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Booker T. Washington pointed her to the Lutheran church for financial and religious support, resulting in Christ Lutheran School and Church in 1916; and

WHEREAS, The opening of Christ Lutheran School and Church served as a model for the development of 29 more schools in other communities in “The Black Belt”; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rosa J. Young impacted the lives of more than 2,000 students, many of whom went on to become teachers and pastors in the Lutheran church; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rosa J. Young was influential in the founding of Alabama Lutheran Academy and College of Selma, Alabama, which is now Concordia College Alabama, providing affordable college education for young women and men; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church−Missouri Synod (LCMS) thank God for what He has accomplished through this faith-filled woman through the Lutheran school; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod commend and support the development of the proposed Rosa J. Young International Academies as a model for reaching a new generation in a new century; and be it further

Resolved, That we pray to the Lord of the Church to raise up new Rosas filled with faith in Christ, with renewed zeal and passion to reach a new generation in a new century, so that we may reach to the ends of the earth with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and be it finally

Resolved, That we obey the command of the Lord: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” (Matt. 9:37).