# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S383
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

FLOOR COMMITTEE REPORTS AND OVERTURES ASSIGNMENTS

10. Stewardship: Funding the Mission
REPORTS
R1, R1.1, R1.2, R6
OVERTURES
(NONE)

11. Structure and Administration
REPORTS
R1, R1.1, R1.2, R4, R5, R8, R9, R10, R56, R57, R58,
R60, R61, R62, R64, R65
OVERTURES
11-01

To Review LCMS President’s Authority
Whereas, The structure of the Synod over her years had become
large and cumbersome and in need of restructuring for the sake of
efficiency; and
Whereas, The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and
Governance provided proposals for this restructuring to the 2010
LCMS convention; and
Whereas, The 2010 convention voted to accept these proposals; and
Whereas, The President’s Office, working in concert with the
Board for National Mission and Board for International Mission (both
boards established by Task Force proposals and voted into existence
in 2010) have done a commendable job of implementation; and
Whereas, Some of the proposals have given unprecedented levels of authority to the presidential office; and
Whereas, Historically, the maxim has been found to be true:
absolute power corrupts absolutely; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention thank and commend
elected officials who have implemented the Blue Ribbon Task Force’s
structure proposals; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention thank and commend all
who have practiced restraint with the authority given them, namely
President Harrison and his office; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod establish a task force made up of the
regional vice-presidents to study the issue of this authority and seek
to find ways that would provide some system of checks and balances
to the presidential authority; and be it finally
Resolved, That this task force would report to the 2019 Synod convention with proposals to be implemented upon convention approval.
Litchfield Circuit
Minnesota South District
11-02

To Review Powers of Synod President, Secretary,
CCM, and District Presidents
Whereas, Concern has been expressed for many years about
the constant restructuring of the Synod, which has over the years
enhanced the powers of the Synod’s President, Secretary, CCM, and
district presidents (see, e.g., George F. Wollenburg, “An Assessment
of LCMS Polity and Practice on the Basis of the Treatise,” Concordia
383

Theological Quarterly 49:2–3 [April–July 1985]: 87–116, available at
http://media.ctsfw.edu/Text/ViewDetails/2076; and John C. Wohlrabe
Jr., “On Our Way to Episcope,” available at https://web.archive.org/
web/20041204103522/ http://www.consensuslutheran.org/downloads/wohlrabemelrosepark2004.pdf; accessed Sept. 18, 2015); and
Whereas, Such enhancement of powers not only is contrary to the
democratic spirit of the United States, in which our Synod works and
has thrived, but is also contrary to the intention of the founders of our
Synod and, indeed, Jesus Himself when He said: “The kings of the
Gentiles exercise lordship over them. But not so with you; rather, let
the greatest among you become as one who serves” (Luke 22:25−26;
quoted by Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope, 8; Tappert,
320−21; Kolb-Wengert, 331; McCain et al., 320−21); therefore be it
Resolved, That the national convention elect a seven-member task
force to serve for three years to (1) review the powers of the Synod
President, Synod Secretary, CCM, and district presidents in light of
the Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and C. F. W. Walther’s book
Church and Office (Kirche und Amt); (2) review the congruence of
the Bylaws of the Synod with its Constitution, understanding the
Constitution to be the higher canonical authority; and (3) make specific recommendations to the 2019 convention for revisions to the
Bylaws, and if necessary the Constitution, so that our Synod and
district offices remain offices of service under the lordship of Christ
alone; and be it further
Resolved, That the election of this convention task force shall
proceed as follows: (1) the election of task force members shall take
place at the 2016 convention with time provided to prepare nominations from the floor; (2) floor nominations shall be made only from:
(a) persons who are already in the “nominations pool,” i.e., persons
whose nomination forms and information were received by the 2016
Committee for Convention Nominations and who indicated agreement to serve for at least one position, (b) persons who are presently
serving in a Synod office or on a board or commission, and who
were originally elected by the national Synod, and (c) persons who
are completing their term of office without reelection, after serving
in a Synod office or on a board or commission, and who were originally elected by the national Synod; (3) such floor nominations shall
have written, or other appropriate, authorization for willingness to
serve on this task force; (4) rules about holding multiple offices will
not apply to service on this task force; (5) those elected shall include
at least one ordained minister, one attorney, and one layman; and
(6) those elected shall be inducted into office in the regular manner,
according to Bylaw 3.2.4.
Holy Cross, Albany, OR; Christ, Trego, WI
11-03

To Amend Bylaw re Responsibilities
of Commission on Constitutional Matters
Whereas, Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 states: “The Commission on
Constitutional Matters shall examine the articles of incorporation,
bylaws, and policy manuals of every agency of the Synod to ascertain whether they are in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and
resolutions of the Synod.
(a) Agencies intending to make amendments to articles of incorporation
or bylaws shall make such intentions known and receive approval
from the commission in advance.
(b) The commission shall maintain a file of the articles of incorporation,
bylaws, and policy manuals of all agencies of the Synod.”

and
2016 Convention Workbook