# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S580
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

580 FINANCIAL MATTERS

of both bodies thoroughly studied the matter. In the meantime
the Rev. E. T. Bernthal was asked to serve as our contact man
in governmental relations and was given the necessary appropria-
tions to get clerical help, ete., to function in this capacity. He as

well as the Press Committee in New York rendered valuable 3

services. The following action was taken by the Board in connec-
tion with the establishment of a Public Relations Department and va
approved by the Praesidium: :

Resolved that a Department of Public Relations be established.

This Department is to be under the control of a board consisting
of seven members, three pastors, three laymen, and one professor
at one of our normal schools.

This Board is to be appointed triennially by the Board of
Directors of Synod in consultation with the Praesidium.

The Board for Public Relations shall be instructed and em-
powered to appoint, subject to the approval of the Board of Direc-
tors, a full-time Executive Secretary, who shall be the Director
of Public Relations for Synod, and who may be released from office
by the Board for Public Relations, with the consent of the Board
of Directors,

The duties of the Director of Public Relations shall be:

a. He shall be the Washington representative of Synod and its
boards in all matters pertaining to any relationship with the Gov-
ernment of the United States or its agencies as well as with such
organizations as labor organizations, veterans’ organizations, or
with other organizations who with us aim at the furtherance of
a free Church in a free State.

b. Three members of the Board of Public Relations shall con-
stitute a Committee in charge of all Press Relations to disseminate
important news items concerning our Lutheran Church and to take
the lead in the defense of our Church against any aspersions
through the press, radio, or screen, (Nore: This committee shall
take the place of the present Press Committee.)

¢. The Board shall co-operate with the District Public Rela-
tions Committees and/or District Press Committees in solving com-
mon problems collectively,

13. Visual Education Department. This matter frequently
came up in our meetings, but since the Department of Publicity
and Missionary Education was “encouraged and empowered to
continue to develop and expand the Synodical Program of Mis- ©
sionary and Audio-Visual Education,” we assume that Synod will
be informed as to the present status of this matter (cf. Proceedings,
1944, p.364) through the report rendered by that department.

14, Mission Matters. The Board is conscious of the fact that