# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1986_S79 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 2 78 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT Children, Youth and Families, have been made. Numerous contacts with offices in the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services have also been made. The office also arranged a reception in Sep- tember 1985 for the retiring Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General John C. Vessey (an LCMS layman), to which a number of Washington area Lutherans were in- vited. Communications with Inter-Lutheran and Inter-Relt- gious Organizations. Meetings have been held with all of the Washington-based offices of Lutheran organizations, including LCUSA’s Office of College and University Serv- ices, Office of Government Affairs, and the Division of Ser- vice to Military Personnel, Lutheran World Relief, LIRS, Lutheran Resources Commission, the Lutheran Diplo- matic Community, the Luther Institute, and the Lutheran Public Affairs Seminar. While various synodical offices and staff have various communication linkages with many of these offices, there has been proven merit in more direct communication lines for the office of the President through OGI. This should be valuable also as the various inter- Lutheran efforts reorganize in response to the new merged church body. There are over 50 offices of religious denom- inations and organizations in Washington, D.C. Such is- sues as organ donation; tax reform policies for fairness to families; health and other services needed for supporting alternatives to abortion; farm legislation; world hunger relief and development programs and policies; and private, religious school concerns have been discussed with various groups. Various coalitional efforts and a better working relationship with staffs of other religious offices of govern- ment relations have been developed. Identifying and Assessing Emerging Public Policy Is- sues. | have attended meetings on behalf of the staff at the IC, and reported on the results. I have also shared infor- mation about meetings and resources, as well as sugges- tions for possible action strategies. For example, I have suggested the development of a resource list of human care/ family policy experts in the LCMS from whom we can draw upon for expertise and advice on various social concerns. That effort is in process. I have relied heavily on already existing position statements of the LCMS from which to assess issues, e.g. prayer in schools, church-state relations, civil rights, and pro-life concerns. Communicating Official Synodical Positions to Appro- priate Governmental Entities. Because the Board of Di- rectors had determined that, as a general policy, relations with governmental units should be established through the office of the President, the work of OGI has followed that direction. This has been a very sound approach, I feel. Because the OGI efforts are so modest, coordination with the President has not been overwhelming, and, indeed, has been very helpful to me. However, we should take note that any marked increased level of activity for OGI will require careful consideration of the limits on the time of the President and of the staff of the office of the President. Dr. Bohimann has sent a letter to all of the Lutheran mem- bers of Congress—there are 23—describing the LCMS ef- forts to encourage organ donation. He has also sent a letter to the appropriate Congressional committees relaying the Synod’s position that “... as persons the unborn should stand under the full protection of the law for the right to life, we do not support the use of federal civil rights laws to force institutions to perform abortions or provide abor- tion coverage.” This letter was in relation to amendments to neutralize the current regulatory requirement that any institution must provide abortion coverage to students or employees under Title IX of the Education Act and to strengthen the protection of religious integrity of all in- stitutions subject to Title IX. Dr. Bohlmann has also taken the opportunity afforded by the recent Supreme Court de- cision on a moment of silent prayer to elucidate the LCMS position on prayer in schools, including an article in the July 1985 Lutheran Witness. Considerable effort was ex- pended in seeking an explanation for the procedure used by LCUSA in filing an amicus brief in a case before the Supreme Court on “equal access” of religious clubs to school facilities as other extracurricular student clubs. I also authored an article describing the Equal Access Act and the pending Supreme Court case for the August 1985 Alive. Other Activities. A great deal of time has been spent in assisting with plans for the August 1986 Youth Gathering in Washington, arranging Washington briefings for staff persons and others, attending briefings to gather infor- mation, establishing liaison with other ecclesiastical gov- ernment relations offices, and digesting written reports for sharing with the President and synodical staff. With only 10 to 12 days a month devoted to the OGI, such contacts have not been as extensive as they might be, but never- theless have had many positive results. Policy Development. Reception in Washington to the es- tablishment of the Office of Government Information has been positive. The presence of The Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod in public policy discussions is welcomed. There is supportive expectation by some groups that our contri- bution and interest in Federal governmental affairs are needed and will become important. However, when learn- ing that the current project includes only part-time con- sulting services and no office or support staff, they are inspirational in their recommendations of what is needed to become a more effective presence! I predict that the opportunities for influencing certain governmental deci- sions of interest to the Synod will expand with the growing number of opportunities to be present and actively partic- ipating in various governmental activities and issues. I also see an important need for identifying a clear process for developing position statements on matters of concern in the lives of our members. Conclusion. I have enjoyed the opportunity of estab- lishing and serving the LCMS Office of Government In- formation. I am grateful that the Board of Directors has provided for an expanded role for the office in the 1986— 1987 fiscal year, for that will surely permit us to serve the Synod more effectively in a number of key areas. Candace P. Mueller Washington, D.C. March, 1986 (The list of pastors and teachers who entered into rest during the past triennium ts found in appendix 5-O1c of the Convention Work- book (pp. 173-74). It is repeated at the end of these Proceedings.)