# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2010_S245 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) synod structure and governance on Doctrinal Review; 6. A Commission on Constitutional Matters, which would include the current functions of the CCM as well as the Commission on Structure; and be it further Resolved, That the members of these boards and commissions be elected by the national convention in the normal fashion; and be further Resolved, That the number of members of each commission be fixed at five members and the number of members for each board be fixed at seven members; and be it further Resolved, That where this consolidation eliminates current boards or commissions or reduces them in size, the members of the current board or commission be permitted to remain until the end of their terms in spite of a temporary larger size; and be it finally Resolved, That where this consolidation results in a board or commission that does not have enough members for the next triennium, new members be elected at this 2010 convention based on nominations received from their pre-merged boards or commissions. St. Paul Milford Center, OH 8-71 To Assign Oversight of Program Boards to First Vice-President Whereas, In his response to the final report of the BRTFSSG, President Kieschnick has outlined several concerns regarding the LCMS national offices; and Whereas, Those concerns include “greater expenditures than revenue by amounts totaling millions of dollars,” “travel budgets in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” budget management and revenue coordination that is “quite complex,” a difficulty of “collaboration between and among boards,” and an excessive amount of time spent by the executive directors in “dealing with commission matters rather than accomplishing the work they are called to do”; and Whereas, The BRTFSSG has proposed a solution to this problem wherein the national offices are eliminated and replaced with an Office of National Mission, International Mission, Seminaries, and Communication; and Whereas, These new offices would be placed under the supervision of a new officer, the Chief Mission Officer (CMO); and Whereas, The CMO would not be accountable to the Synod but would rather be accountable only to the President of the Synod; and Whereas, The Synod has always maintained a concern that the national presidency in the Synod “might precipitate and even initiate a power that, instead of promoting true unity of spirit, might turn into a spirit of servitude” (Fredrick Wyneken, “Can We Divide and Remain United?”); and Whereas, The duty of the Synod President as defined by our current constitution is to represent the Synod to other church bodies, oversee doctrine and ecclesiastical practice and the working of the district presidents, and represent the Synod to national and international authorities; and Whereas, The creation of a new area of oversight would make the office of the Synod President too large and complex for one man; and Whereas, The only given duty of the First Vice-President of the Synod is to be chairman of the colloquy committee; therefore be it Resolved, That the First Vice-President of the Synod be given the administrative task of overseeing the program boards and commissions as well as their executive directors; and be it further 245 Resolved, That the First Vice-President be given the responsibility to ensure that the program boards and commissions are mutually cooperative, efficient, and fiscally cooperative with the Synod’s Chief Financial Officer and the Board of Directors; and be it further Resolved, That in the event a given executive director fails to adequately perform his duties, the First Vice-President shall adhere to the following procedure: 1. Take private counsel (and, if necessary, private reprimand) with such executive director. 2. If step 1 fails, report to the respective board. 3. If step 2 fails, bring an official report to the Synod via the Convention Workbook. St. Paul Milford Center, OH 8-72 To Provide for Orderly Transition for District and Congregational Services Whereas, God desires all people to be saved (1 Tim. 2:3–4); and Whereas, The LCMS has developed numerous programs to support districts and congregations as they empower God’s saints in the proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ; and Whereas, The Board for District and Congregational Services (DCS) has faithfully created, implemented, and managed these programs in the areas of schools, youth, families, children, and stewardship, which have helped congregations lead people through the work of the Holy Spirit to saving faith in Jesus Christ; and Whereas, The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance has proposed that “the Commission on National Mission be responsible for coordinating the national office ministry directed toward or serving domestic ministries, especially congregations and schools through their districts” (Report, p. 40); and Whereas, Some districts have programs ready to continue vital work in the these ministry areas, but many districts do not have the resources to provide congregational support in one or more of these ministry areas; and Whereas, Districts may be realigned in the future with smaller or larger staff structures; therefore be it Resolved, That, in the event the LCMS adopts the plan for a newly formed Commission on National Mission, the convention encourage that commission to partner with districts and DCS staff to create a strategic plan that includes consideration of the following: • DCS ministries requiring a national presence versus ministries that can be transferred to districts; • Additional ministries that could benefit the LCMS by having national or district leadership; • Plans for transferred ministries to move smoothly from a national to a district or regional presence; • Structures that would allow districts to partner together when they do not have the financial means to support all transferred ministries; • A network to grow and share ministry resources for the entire LCMS; and • Continued funding necessary for LCMS personnel to implement this strategic plan. Board for District and Congregational Services 2010 Convention Workbook 2010 Convention.indb 245 4/15/10 2:40 PM