On Saturday, May 20, the Northern Illinois Synod Council reviewed and adopted the following resolution that was submitted by the Outreach Committee. (Since it was adopted by the Synod Council, it does not need further action, so it will not come to the floor of the Assembly as a resolution. There will be some opportunity for further conversation/input on the work at the Outreach Committee Forums on Friday afternoon at the Assembly.)

WHEREAS, the Great Commission calls us to go and make disciples of all nations; and

WHEREAS, since 1988 the Northern Illinois Synod has been committed to reaching new communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ, in particular, Hispanic-Latino populations of the Northern Illinois Synod; and

WHEREAS, the Northern Illinois Synod Outreach Committee gives thanks to Pastor Keith Forni for his leadership as the NIS Latino Ministry Coordinator and for the thoughtful work put into the initial preparation of a Hispanic-Latino Ministry Strategy for the Northern Illinois Synod; and

WHEREAS, we receive with thanks this initial preparation of a Hispanic-Latino Strategy as a foundational guide for the ongoing development of a Hispanic-Latino Strategy in the Northern Illinois Synod; and

WHEREAS, the ELCA is committed to cross-cultural relationships working in a model of Accompaniment, a model which emphasizes communities walking together in Christ, therefore be it:

RESOLVED, that under the direction of the Northern Illinois Outreach Committee a new task force is formed to further develop a strategy and carry forward the work of a new Hispanic-Latino Ministry across the Northern Illinois Synod based on the theological mode of Accompaniment; and be it:

RESOLVED, that this task force shall be fifty percent Hispanic-Latino in its makeup.