To Further Refine and Improve Ecclesiastical Supervision and Pastoral Care of Missionaries

WHEREAS, Owing to the exceptional nature of the family, life, and work circumstances of missionaries and their family members who are called or appointed and deployed to serve in overseas foreign mission areas of the Synod, especially with respect to residing and working in locations far removed from their originating U.S.-based home congregations, pastors, district, and ecclesiastical supervisors, the Office of International Mission (OIM) intentionally provides, without exception, pastoral and spiritual care and visitation to Synod missionaries by considering carefully their placement and service in proximity to regularly available Word and Sacrament ministry, often through local Lutheran church partner bodies and congregations, or alternatively through locally-available OIM chaplains; and

WHEREAS, The willing receptivity of Synod overseas missionaries and their families to receive such pastoral and spiritual care and visitation through regular means provided by the OIM is but one expression (among others) of church worker health, wellness, and unity with other Synod missionaries and OIM staff, especially those deployed together in overseas foreign mission areas of the Synod; and

WHEREAS, It must be acknowledged that consistent and effectual pastoral and spiritual care, visitation, and ecclesiastical supervision, especially in the ministry of Word and Sacrament, is challenging ly difficult to provide—if not impossible in some instances—to the Synod’s overseas missionaries from U.S.-based home congregations, pastors, districts, and ecclesiastical supervisors; and

WHEREAS, The OIM is profoundly thankful to God for the ongoing prayers and active expressions of love, pastoral and spiritual care, visitation, and ecclesiastical supervision provided by U.S.-based home congregations,pastors, districts, and ecclesiastical supervisors to the Synod’s overseas missionaries; and

WHEREAS, Such situations occasionally present ambiguities about individual, ongoing roles and responsibilities with the respect to the provision of pastoral and spiritual care, visitation, and ecclesiastical supervision to the Synod’s overseas missionaries, raising questions from the Synod’s overseas missionaries such as, “Who is my pastor?” or “Which congregation do I belong to?” or “Do I transfer my congregation membership?” or “Who is my ecclesiastical supervisor in this matter?”; and

WHEREAS, Such ambiguities and questions may only increase if the OIM is blessed to deploy increasing numbers of overseas missionaries, as is prayed for and anticipated; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod direct the Board for International Mission (BIM), working over the 2023–2026 triennium in collaboration and consultation with the Chief Mission Officer, the OIM, and the Council of Presidents (COP), to undertake an assessment of current policies, procedures, and practices pertaining to the Synod’s ecclesiastical supervision and pastoral and spiritual care of the Synod’s missionaries who are called or appointed and deployed to work in overseas foreign mission areas of the Synod;

and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod, reflecting a desire for expeditious and continuous improvement wherever feasible, encourage the BIM, OIM, and COP to identify and promptly implement measures to improve the ecclesiastical supervision and pastoral and spiritual care of the Synod’s missionaries working in the overseas foreign mission areas of the Synod, even while the aforementioned assessment is being carried out; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod direct the BIM to prepare and publish a concluding report of its assessment, including changes to policies, procedures, and practices implemented over the 2023–2026 triennium and additional recommendations for further Synod action (potentially including, but not limited to, overtures for beneficial Synod bylaw amendments) in the Convention Workbook of the