RESOLUTION ON CULTURAL BONDAGE

WHEREAS the Gospel of God shatters the barriers of race, nation, and culture making the human family one in His son Jesus Christ; and

WHEREAS the white middle class dominance of Lutheranism is evident in the attendance at this conference; and

WHEREAS the predominantly lilly whiteness of our conference is a scandal to the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ; and

WHEREAS the composition of our conference manifests on our bondage to white middle class culture and values;

            BE IT RESOLVED THAT WE, THE LSM:

· Acknowledge and repent our cultural bondage

· Urge and encourage local LSM groups and people to pursue dialog with churches that have more culturally pluralistic constituencies,

· Urge and encourage local LSM groups and people to engage in dialog with non-whites in their various communities so that their consciousness with respect to non-whites may be raised,

· Ask the LSM Executive Council to gather, make available, and advertise the availability of resources on Black theology, Asian theology, American Indian theology, and Latin American theology,

· Communicate the concerns of the resolution to NLCM and LC-MS campus ministries, in particular, the Black Lutheran Caucus, and encourage their participation and support in the implementation of this resolution,

· Ask the LSM Executive Council to contact the following:

1. Task Force on Hispanic Ministries, LCUSA

2. Pastor Tom Gotach (LMHE NYC) in reference to ministry to Asian-Americans

3. Ministry of Blacks of Higher Education

4. Gene Crawford, National Indian Lutheran Board

These people and groups should be contacted in order to: a) assist with gathering of resource material, b) help locate congregations with minority Lutheran students, c) get minority input into the planning of the next LSM National Conference

· Direct the Executive Council to send Regional Field Secretaries to visit student congregations with Lutheran minority members and encourage their participation in LSM activities.