# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S223 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 222 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 5-13A To Recognize and to Encourage Synod to Recognize Parish Assistant Graduates as Valid, Professional Church Workers and to Grant Them the Privilege of Becoming Members of Synod WHEREAS, The Synod in convention at St. Louis in 1979 (Res. 6-13) acknowledged that ‘‘synodical colleges have insti- tuted a variety of programs leading to church ministries other than traditional pastor and teacher programs” and encouraged the development of new ministries through creative programs; and WHEREAS, Concordia College, Ann Arbor, has developed and implemented a curriculum to educate and train parish assistants; and WHEREAS, The Board for Higher Education at its Nov. 15— 17, 1979, meeting gave Concordia College, Ann Arbor, full and final approval] for the Parish Assistant Program; and WHEREAS, Concordia College, Ann Arbor, recognizes that God calls His people to serve Him with talents and gifts that He provides, in addition to preaching and teaching; and WHEREAS, Concordia College, Ann Arbor, recognized the need in many parishes for dedicated workers who are willing and able to assist the pastor (i.e., hospital’shut-in calling, parish education, youth work, and evangelism calling); and WHEREAS, Congregations have been indicating a need for workers such as parish assistants; therefore be it Resolved, 1. That the Synod designate the Parish Assistant Program at Concordia College, Ann Arbor, as a church-work program; 2. That the parish-assistant graduates of Concordia College, Ann Arbor, be placed through the same synodical process as are pastors and teachers; 3. That the parish-assistant worker be granted the privilege to become a member of the Synod and be placed on the roster of the Synod. Michigan District Eldor Bickel, Secretary Identical or similar: 5-13B Concordia College, Ann Arbor, Mich. M.S. Pohl 5-14 To Establish and Publish the Church Worker Status of Special Ministry Personnel WHEREAS, More than a decade has elapsed since the Synod received the initial requests for church worker status clari- fication of special ministry personnel; and WHEREAS, During this time frequent requests for clari- fication of the church worker status of special ministry personnel have been received by numerous offices of the Synod; and WHEREAS, Benefits to which church workers are entitled (Concordia Plans and Internal Revenue Service) have been denied to those special ministry personnel whose church worker status has remained unstated and unpublished; and WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has thanked God for the creative special ministry programs which have been designed and established by the synodical institutions of higher edu- cation; and WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has thanked God for motivating men and women of the church to prepare for such special ministries; and WHEREAS, The graduates of these professional preparation programs continue to be certified, to be placed, and to serve effectively in necessary special ministries within the con- gregations and agencies of the Synod; and WHEREAS, The process for certification, calling, and place- ment of special ministry personnel needs to be uniformly regulated similar to the process used with the pastor and teacher candidates of the Synod, so that all ministry functions might be conducted with God-pleasing order; and WHEREAS, The duties of these special ministry personnel are closely related and often congruent with duties performed by the pastors and teachers of the Synod; and WHEREAS, The professional preparation programs com- pleted by special ministry graduates have been approved and established as official programs of education for the min- isterium of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod by the Synod’s Board for Higher Education; and WHEREAS, The Synod in convention has urged that all congregations be alerted to the various kinds of special min- istries available to the church and that they be encouraged to utilize these ministries wherever possible for the proclamation of the Gospel, the extension of the church, and the glory of God; and WHEREAS, The Board for Higher Education has recom- mended (Task Force Convention Report, Overture 2-16; 1979) that the professional ministerium of the Synod consist of three major ministerial offices: the office of pastor, the office of teacher, and the office of parish assistant; and that each ministry ought to be classified as to the kind of function performed and the type of agency served; therefore be it Resolved, That the Board for Higher Education in con- sultation with the Council of Presidents establish and publish the duties and descriptions of the approved special ministries programs on or before Aug. 31, 1981; and be it further Resolved, That the church workers trained, certified, called, and placed into the special ministry by the Board for Higher Education and the Council of Presidents be recognized as ministers of religion and be included on the synodical worker rosters when they become eligible. Board for Higher Education Walter L. Rosin, Executive Secretary 5-15 To Change Election Procedures for Advisory Delegates WHEREAS, Advisory delegates must now be elected at District conventions that are often held more than one year before the synodical convention; and WHEREAS, Not even the voting delegates are required to be elected more than nine months in advance of aconvention; and WHEREAS, Elected advisory delegates frequently accept calls during the intervening period; and WHEREAS, It is not always convenient to conduct this special election at a District convention; therefore be it Resolved, That Bylaw 1.57 be amended as follows: PRESENT WORDING 1.57 Advisory Delegates Each District shall send one advisory delegate for approximately every 30 advisory clergymen and one advisory delegate for approximately every 30 teachers on the roster of the Synod. These selections shall be made by the respective groups meeting at the call of the District Secretary during the District convention. Fractional groupings shall be disregarded except that each District shall be entitled to at least one advisory delegate in each category. PROPOSED WORDING 1.57 Advisory Delegates Each District shall send one advisory delegate for approximately every 30 advisory clergymen and