# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S419
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CHURCH LITERATURE AND PUBLICATIONS

department has memorialized the convention to author-
ize the presentation of proper awards to both internal
and external communicators of press, radio, and tele-
vision for outstanding contribution and achievement.

One final observation here would emphasize that
the heart of the communications industry is New York.
With the director headquartered in St. Louis, a thou-
sand miles distant, even though the New York office
is properly functioning under an “administrative agree-
ment” with the Division of Public Relations of LCUSA,
we can only hope for the same quantity of network
broadcasting as in the past. Effort, though, to surmount
the thousand-mile obstacle is constant. Someone has
said, perhaps too strongly, that “one television audience
or a few radio audiences are worth a thousand pulpits.”

Statements like this can't be simply brushed aside,
not in today’s rapidly changing technological world,
where almost incredible communications advances are
in the vanguard.

Synod might well want to reevaluate its priorities
in mission and ministry for the approaching 70s.

Internal Aspects

A great deal of thought preceded the board’s decision
to move the department's main offices to the Synod’s
Headquarters Building in St. Louis, where immediate
liaison with the President’s office and the Synod'’s de-
partments could be established. Business and industry,
with few exceptions, have similarly located their public
relations departments.

As a further result, the director as chairman of the
Division of Communications has the privilege of par-
ticipating in the work of the Council of Administrators
and to serve on the Parish Membership Service Com-
mittee and the Long-Range Planning Committee, two
subcommittees of the council. Special satisfaction has
come from the relationships with other synodical de-
partments and the various services the department has
been able to provide.

While the experience table here is relatively short,
it should be noted that these internal concerns are new
assignments to the department. The Synod might re-
member that as far back as 1965 there was authorization
for a three-man staff, the director and assistant in New
York and a second assistant in Chicago. With the inter-
vening changes that have occurred, the need to restudy
our public relations/communications thrust seems
rather apparent.

“Closers”

1. The department has no memorial to present to
this convention regarding a change of name for the
Synod, but the Synod should be aware of the continuing
problems that the present name entails for the general
public. The provincial concept inherent in the word
“Missouri” and the archaic connotation of the word
“Synod” hinder the processes of communication. The
suggestions of “Lutheran Church International” and
“The International Lutheran Church” appear as the

- PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS 419

most popular choices at this time. The department is
hopeful that further consideration may be given this
matter during the next biennium.

2. The department suggests the concept of a com-
munications committee for the local parish. The mere
thought of another committee ought to be outlawed
immediately except that this one would pull together
two existing committees, public relations and evange-
lism, whose obvious commonality rests in their desired
outreach to the surrounding community. The truth is
that both of these vital mission arms are rather non-
existent throughout the parishes of the Synod. Whether
a communications committee has merit in this respect,
only trial and expriment will show. Parishes, also Dis-
tricts, interested in the improvement of their public
relations and evangelism outreach, will not quickly dis-
miss this suggestion of another committee.

3, The department commends broadcasting efforts in
metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Detroit, Los An-
geles, and elsewhere, where local parishes have joined
hands with the radio/television departments of the
Protestant Church Federations. As a result, broadcast
time slots and opportunity for Lutheran exposure have
increased in most cases from a few dozen to some 50
to 100 per year. The joining does not involve any union-
istic practices, but it does call for financial participation.
There igs no more economical use of the broadcasting
dollar, no other comparable channel to such sizable
audiences, such urgent need for the church to escape its
“print orientation,” and over a hundred metropolitan
areas where such an arrangement is possible. Reasons
like these should prompt more joining of hands and
more individual parish broadcasting too.

God's gifts to His church are of countless variety,
tailored to the needs and times, not the least of which
are those of the electronic variety.

Last Word

The purposes of the department, as stated in the
Handbook, are “to identify, create an image of, create
a mental climate for” The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod. Why? So that the Gospel of Jesus Christ “may
not be bound but have free course!” So that “the
church can achieve its essential mission to a maximum
degree!” A synodical department dare not have other

purpose than that. KennetTH M. LinpSAY

Director of Public Relations
(10-06)

Report of “Advance” Editorial Commission

Advance magazine last year completed its 15th year
of publication with a new editorial commission, a new
editor, a new divisional alignment, and a new set of
directives.

The sharpened directives were drawn up by the
former editorial board from recommendations made by
a panel of 10 experts who evaluated the magazine and
an extensive survey of its readers. The stated goals in-