# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S205
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SYNODICAL ADMINISTRATION 205

APPENDIX I

Divisional Realignment (New York Resolution 4-38);
Relationship Between Commission on Mission
and Ministry and Division of Missions (Res. 1-19);
Restructuring of Division of Social Action
and Welfare (Res. 4-28); Stewardship
Department (Res. 4-39)

Each successive synodical delegate convention since
the San Francisco convention in 1959 has been asked
to deal with the study, introduction, and implementation
of the synodical reorganization proposals made by the
Synodical Survey Commission and adopted by the con-
ventions.

The New York convention in 1967 was no exception;
in fact, before the convention, the Board of Directors,
on its own authority or in cooperation with other
boards, undertool: to reassess several important parts
of the Synod's work and the enabling instrumentalities
provided. In many instances the delegate convention
was ready to act and to decide. In other instances, and
for various reasons, referrals were made for further
consideration and refinement.

1. In Resolution 1-19 the Synod resolved that the
President and or the Board of Directors reexamine the
relationship of the Commission on Mission and Ministry
in the Church to the Division of Missions and reassign
it if necessary.

2. In recognition that the church’s social ministry
requires central planning, unrestricted communication,
and unlimited coordination of effort, Res. 4-28 provided
for a mutual study of the possibility of establishing
within the existing Division of Social Action and Wel-
fare a single board with various subdepartments and
required that the Board of Directors report to the 1969
convention with recommendations.

3. Since time did not permit adequate study of the
report of the special committee on auxiliaries, the Synod
endorsed the principle of cooperation and coordination
between the Synod and its auxiliaries and asked that
the results of further studies be communicated with
appropriate recommendations by the Board of Directors
(Res. 4-29).

4. In another instance, that of Res. 4-39, the con-
vention referred a resolution proposed by its floor com-
mittee to the Board of Directors for study. This dealt
with the rather sweeping proposals emanating from
a special Stewardship Study Committee.

5. Another general resolution recognized the wisdom
of providing for adaptation to changing circumstances of
synodical programs in providing for the assignment and

reassignment of synodical boards and commissions to
divisions and provided the Handbook regulation
“(2.175 b): Any deletions or changes in the structure
or designations of the divisions may be made by the
Board of Directors, subject to reporting said changes
to the next synodical convention (cf. 2.171).”

The four major referrals alone would have affected
more than half of the existing divisions and would have
added at least two additional divisions.

In an effort to deal adequately with these assign-
ments, the Board of Directors undertook to review the
bases for organizational classification of synodical func-
tions developed by the Synodical Survey Commis-
sion and adopted by successive conventions. The Synod
is now committed to the application of the principle of
homogeneous grouping of all its boards, commissions,
and committees into a functional divisional alignment.
It was further provided that each division would be
subdivided into as many boards and commissions as
necessary with each concerned with a particular area
of synodical work. At the same time it was and is held
that the departmentation should be kept as simple as
possible and both the number of divisions and the
number of departments should be limited to as few as
possible.

It was held by the commission in its management
survey that ideally a completely new church body
could employ a very simple classification of necessary
functions in four groupings. It became quickly apparent
through further study of the individual boards, com-
missions, and committees (numbering at that time about
one hundred) that some could be abandoned, that some
could be combined, that some should be reorganized,
that provisions should be made for some new functional
agencies not then in existence, and that experience with
the reorganizational proposals would probably indicate
that some shifting from time to time would prove to be
desirable. For this reason the Synod also committed
itself to the principle that continuous improvement
in administrative effectiveness, efficiency, and economy
should be pursued without crippling dislocations on
a major scale.

Initially after 1959 the divisional listing included 13
divisions which have now with visible benefit been
reduced to 12,

After careful study of both the problems and poten-
tials involved, the Board of Directors has now come to
believe that the best interests of the Synod will be
served by a realignment of divisions and reduction in
number from 12 to eight at this time and that, in so
doing, the valid concerns of each of the referrals listed
above can be provided for.