# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S42 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 42 TASK FORCE The present Task Force II was mandated and given direc- tion by Res. 2-04A of the 1979 St. Louis convention. Its basic charge was to continue the assignment of the Task Force on Constitution, Bylaws, and Structure and specifically to: 1) study and review the frequency of conventions and their effect; 2) study possible alternatives to the assembly concept; 3) determine the number of boards and committees required to perform the Synod’s business; define (a) the roles (functions and responsibilities) of the boards and their executives, the Board of Directors, the President, the convention, and any other existing or proposed decision-making groups and (b) the relation- ships between and among these several entities; develop a plan of implementation and schedule to phase in any new structural components with a minimum of disruption; facilitate and encourage the widest possible considera- tion by and response from congregations, Circuits, and Districts of the Task Force study; report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the convention in 1981. 4 io] = a ~I] Task Force II Membership As specified by the 1979 convention, three members were elected from the former Task Force on Constitution, Bylaws, and Structure; two were selected by the floor committee which made convention recommendations based on the previous task force’s work; and three were appointed by President J. A. O. Preus. The ninth member was Dr. Herbert Mueller, Secretary of the Synod. Mr. John Schuelke, Administrative Officer of the Synod’s Board of Directors, served in an advisory capacity. The members of Task Force II are: Mr. Kermit A. Brashear II, Omaha, Nebr., a lawyer; Mr. John L. Daniel, Emmaus, Pa., an executive of Allen Organ Co.:; Mr. Gilbert R. Heine, Seward, Nebr., dean of development affairs at Concordia Teachers College; Rev. Richard T. Hinz, Washington, D.C., president of the Southeastern District; Mr. Clifford A. Kraft, Exton, Pa., president of Executive Consulting Services; Dr. August T. Mennicke, Brainerd, Minn., president of the Minnesota North District; Dr. Herbert Mueller, St. Louis, Mo., Secretary of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; Dr. Milton Nauss, St. Louis, Mo., pastor of Chapel of the Cross-Lutheran; Dr. Paul A. Zimmerman, River Forest, IIl., president of Concordia College. At its organization meeting on Sept. 15, 1979, Task Force II members, by secret ballot, selected the following officers: Dr. Herbert Mueller, chairman; Mr. Gilbert Heine, vice-chairman; and Mr. Kermit Brashear II, secretary. Rev. Everett G. Grese served as coordinator of the Task Force through March 1980. At that time he accepted the call as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Litchfield, I]. Since that time Dr. Arthur M. Ahlschwede has served as coordinator on a part-time basis. Task Force II met at least once every month during the biennium in a two- or three-day session. Although the Task Force members had many other duties, they were faithful in attending meetings. They also devoted their energies to the responsibility between meetings by carrying out individual assignments. All recommendations offered by individuals in response to progress reports in the Lutheran Witness and Reporter were fully considered. In addition to responding to the 1979 synodical convention Res. 2-04A, Task Force II was determined to faithfully repre- sent the membership of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in recommending changes involving Constitution, Bylaws, and structure. Members of Task Force II responded to invitations to meet with pastoral conferences, lay conferences, District conven- tions, District Circuit Counselors meetings, as well as smaller synodical groups. The members attended meetings in almost all of the 38 Districts of the Synod. Meetings were held with the chairmen and executive officers of all synodical boards and commissions involved. Also, a regular two-way communica- tion was maintained with the Board of Directors, Council of Presidents, and the Council of Administrators. The Circuit Counselors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod were most helpful to Task Force II by enabling it to secure “grassroots” responses from the constituency. Repre- sentatives of the Task Force met with a majority of all Circuit Counselors over the course of a year. A 4-page, 18-item professionally developed survey was prepared for presentation at the 1980 fall Circuit meetings. Circuit Counselors presented this information to congregational leaders, who took the time to carefully consider and respond to the survey. In addition to the grassroots involvement, questionnaires were shared specifically with District Presidents and executive secretaries, college and seminary presidents, and chairmen and executive secretaries of synodical boards and commissions, all of whom were most cooperative in responding to the survey. The response by the church at large far exceeded that expected by the Task Force and gave strong encouragement that the recommendations were in the right direction. The Task Force received 5,002 responses to the survey question- naires from 363 Circuits in 38 Districts. The respondents were grouped as follows: Circuit Counselors .................00000- 363 Pastors 0.00... ccc ce eee eee 2,040 Lay delegates ............... 0. cc cece ees 2,445 Presidents, chairmen, execs............... 79 Others 0.0.0.0... ccc cece eee 7d To obtain maximum objectivity, the responses were tabulated by the data processing division of Michigan State University under the direction of Dr. William H. Schmidt. Results on question 18 of the survey questionnaires from the fall Circuit meetings were as follows: 18. In general are you satisfied with the recommenda- tions of the Task Force? 74% Yes 26% No The results on the same question from District, college, and seminary presidents, board chairmen, and executives were as follows: 18. In general are you satisfied with the recommenda- tions of the Task Force? 85% Yes 15% No A copy of the survey questionnaire can be found as an appendix to this report. III. Congregational Polity and Centralization The 1975 Anaheim convention resolved in 5-01A, “That the task force preserve the congregational polity of church govern- ment which has served our Synod in its history and avoid the centralization of power within the synodical structure.” Task Force II has been ever mindful of these two fundamental directives and has endeavored to remain faithful to the mandate. A. Congregational Polity Every effort has been made, not only to retain the basic congregational polity of the Synod, but to strengthen it. One of the first determinations of Task Force II was that the basic rights and functions of the synodical and District conventions should not be changed, but that the grassroots should continue to have all of the authority within the Synod that it has always had. Furthermore, by proposing that the scope of the franchise within the congregation be expanded, Task Force II has attempted to eliminate perceived inequities regarding qualifi- cations for delegates to synodical and District conventions. Task Force II believes a congregation should be free not only to call its own pastor but also through the election process to select any one of its members as its second delegate and consequently be free to decide who shall be its two representa- tives at a convention. Task Force II has also focused major attention on the Circuit, not so much in an effort to shore up the administrative