To Give Thanks to God for 150 Years of Black Ministry

WHEREAS, Christ our Lord commissioned His church to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19–20); and

WHEREAS, Revelation 5:9, 13:7, and 14:6 speak of salvation freely offered and the proclamation of the Gospel “to every nation and tribe and language and people”; and

WHEREAS, Many other passages of Holy Scripture testify to God’s love for all people and our obligation to likewise love our neighbors regardless of ethnic, geographic, or social background; and

WHEREAS, 2027 marks the 150th anniversary of Black Ministry within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) with its establishment at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Ind. at the 1877 convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America; and

WHEREAS, The history of Black Ministry within the LCMS as the Rev. Dr. Richard C. Dickinson aptly put it is one of both “roses and thorns” (Roses and Thorns [Concordia Publishing House, 1977]); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Northern Illinois District celebrate the missionaries, teachers, churches, and schools involved in this work;

and be it further

Resolved, That the district lament failure to meet the scriptural standards of love for one another; and be it further

Resolved, That we commend the 2023 Northern Illinois District study on Crossing Thresholds: to Others mandated by the 2022 district convention (NID Res. 3-03A; nidlcms.org/ethnic-bible- study-intro) and 2019 Res. 11-04A, “To Affirm the Common Humanity of All People and Ethnicities”; and be it further

Resolved, That the district reaffirms the scriptural condemnation of racism in all its forms; and be it further

Resolved, That the district encourage the study of the history of Black Ministry in the LCMS through books such as Roses and Thorns: The Centennial Edition of Black Lutheran Missions and Ministry in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (Richard C. Dickinson [Concordia Publishing House, 1977]) and Light in the Dark Belt: The Story of Rosa Young as Told by Herself (Concordia Publishing House, 1950), films such as The First Rosa, and other sources; and be it further

Resolved, That able LCMS scholars be encouraged to provide an updated history of Black Ministry within the Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That pastors, commissioned ministers, and lay people involved in this work be encouraged to record their reflections and personal accounts for the sake of preserving our knowledge of this important work; and be it finally

Resolved, That the 2026 Synod convention adopt this resolution generally as is and that resources be provided to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Black Ministry in the LCMS in 2027.