To Give Thanks to God for 150 Years of Black Ministry

Official Workbook overture source text

1-03 
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 
W
HEREAS, 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 
W
HEREAS, 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 
W
HEREAS, 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. 
Northern Illinois District 
Ov.