To Reject Racism, Rectify Past Wrongs of Commission and Omission, and Recognize Pacific Southwest District Successes, Failures, and Opportunities in Ministry within Communities

WHEREAS, God has created all people and they are blood related going back to our mutual fathers, Adam and Noah, and all are subject to the stain of original sin, but now also have been equally redeemed by the blood of Christ in order to be reconciled to God and to each other; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) abhors racism, and in convention has passed resolutions repudiating all racism; and

WHEREAS, The2019Synodconvention (Resolution11-04A,“To Affirm the Common Humanity of All People and Ethnicities”) resolved, “That the members of the congregations of the Synod be encouraged to work toward racial reconciliation and equality within the Church and within society-at-large …”; and

WHEREAS, We appreciate and recognize the work of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations in their1994 study, Racism and the Church: Overcoming the Idolatry, further research and study is necessary; and

WHEREAS, The legacy of racism enacted through prejudice and discrimination has negatively impacted the needs, well-being, income, and property of people based solely on the color of their skin; and

WHEREAS, The people of God are striving to live faithfully, but still participate in sinful thoughts, words, and deeds in what they do and leave undone (1 John 1:8–10), which can and has included the sin of racism; and

WHEREAS, Jesus tells us that the greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbor (Mark 12:30–31); and

WHEREAS, Jesus illustrates for his disciples that they are to treat all persons as neighbor (Luke 10:29–37); and

WHEREAS, Paul exhorts us to show the love of Christ as we “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2); and

WHEREAS, Martin Luther extolls us to show that love as we care for our neighbors as we support them in their needs, well-being, income, and property in his explanations of the Fifth and Seventh Commandments; and

WHEREAS, In order for the Pacific Southwest District to better engage acts of reconciliation and equality it should be informed of its history within communities to understand its successes and its failures; therefore be it

Resolved, That the district reject any teaching that one’s:

• race, ancestry, or nationality are inherently superior to the race, ancestry, or nationality of another; and

• any individual is inherently racist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, because of his or her race, ancestry, or nationality;

and be it further

Resolved, That the congregations of the district be encouraged to conduct conversations on race and diversity, to strengthen unity within the congregation; and be it further

Resolved, That the congregations of the district be encouraged to engage members of their communities in these conversations, in light of Christ’s Gospel; and be it further

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Pacific Southwest District commission a task force to study the district’s history of mission, ministry, and education within communities, to be completed within eighteen months, so that we better recognize and give thanks to God for our successes and make confession of our failures; and be it further

Resolved, That the results of this task force’s study would also provide us with tangible ways to move forward in our present and future outreach efforts in communities, which could be new ministries or support for existing ministries; and be it further

Resolved, That the study will be distributed by mail to all congregations in the district, made available on the district’s website, and discussed at the 2025 Pacific Southwest District convention; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District in convention memorializethe2023 Synod convention to call on the faculty of our two seminaries to do an in-depth study of our national mission ministry and education efforts within communities to be completed within twenty-four months after district proceedings and made available on the Synod’s website and emailed to member congregations of the LCMS.