# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S485
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

502 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

Report of Committee on Co-ordination
of Synod’s Work
(Memorial 502)
The Committee on Co-ordination of Synod’s Work appointed
by Synod’s President to study Memorial 504 (Proc., 1947, pp. 432
to 437) submits the following report and recommendations:

- Action of the 1947 Convention

1. We call attention to the fact that the floor committee in 1947
“expresses its unanimous favor of this proposal to effect co-
ordination of the work of our various boards and com-
mittees.”

2. It urges further study and clarification of the plan.

3. It recommends “that this proposal be presented in one of
the first sessions of our next convention.”

These recommendations of the floor committee were adopted
by the convention. (P. 437.)

Committee Activity

Your committee, consisting of three laymen and two pastors,
met five times, usually for two-day sessions. Open hearings were
held at River Forest with representatives of various boards and
committees of Synod. A number of meetings were held with repre-
sentatives of the Board of Directors of Synod, with interested
groups from various departments and with individuals from these
departments. Many splendid suggestions were submitted to your

Committee by these groups and are incorporated in our recom-
mendations.

No Recommendations for Co-ordination on the Horizontal Level

1, Your Committee does not offer recommendations for co-ordina-
tion of work on the horizontal level. We have no recommenda-
tions to combine boards and committees, to abolish others, to
re-assign areas of activities. Our reasons are:

a. Your Committee was to study Memorial 504, and that deals
with co-ordination of work on the vertical line, viz., the Board
of Directors of Synod with other boards, and other boards
with the Board of Directors of Synod.

b. Other committees appointed by the President of Synod are
dealing with some of the problems of work on the horizontal
level, e.g., the co-ordination of the appeals for money, the
stewardship work of Synod, etc. There indeed seems to be
need for further co-ordination of the work of various boards.
Communications addressed to your Committee indicate that

CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 5038

there are on this level other problems of possible overlapping
and duplication (e.g., there are two boards of Synod both
interested in promoting radio and television); and of integra-
tion (e.g., of certain service departments with other boards
of Synod; of youth work with the whole parish education
work of Synod). However, for your Committee even to at-
tempt to deal with such additional problems on this level
separate from other problems would be an unsatisfactory
makeshift.

c. Your Committee’s proposed memorial offers the necessary

means to co-ordinate work between boards on the horizontal
level. Under it the Board of Directors can resolve possible
difficulties between boards, encourage such voluntary efforts
as that of the Co-ordinating Council to integrate the educa-
tional plans of the various boards and congregations, and can
seek to remove all areas of overlapping and duplication.

THE OBJECTIVE

Co-ordination on the Vertical Line
(See chart attached)

- Our recommendations suggest co-ordination on the vertical line.

We want to draw into closer working agreement the Board of

Directors of Synod as an over-all unifying board with the boards

and committees of Synod which develop policies and execute

them. We list some of the benefits:

a. This will make for proper and intelligent budgetary control
on the part of the Board of Directors, which is charged with
planning the budget and keeping it balanced.

b. Proper and balanced planning of work in all departments can
be carried out so that the whole Church can go forward on
all fronts.

c. Policies inaugurated by one group, which may have a signifi-
cant influence upon other areas of church work, can be
brought into proper relation to the whole work of Synod. _

d. Duplications and conflicts in the work among boards of Synod
can be more readily avoided or adjusted.

Some Features of the Plan

. Let us call attention to some of the important features of the

plan.

a. None of the work of Synod as now being conducted according
to regulations will be disturbed. It will simply be brought
into closer co-ordination.

b. There will be unifying controls, but the doors wil] be open