# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S103 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 102 SYNODICAL REPORTS pointment by the President of the Synod of ad hoc committees to address special problems as necessary. The Task Force continues to believe that the dispute resolution process of the Synod is a valuable, effective, and God-pleasing process for resolving conflict within His church. The Task Force continues to pray God’s blessing upon it and especially upon those who serve as reconcilers, that His name may be glorified by a Synod that is marked by a peace and harmony that is made more possible by sincere and mutual efforts to address conflict situations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Albert Marcis, Chairman R7-08 Commission on Structure At its 1998 convention the Synod adopted Res. 7-01 empower- ing the Board of Directors “in consultation and mutual concurrence with the President of the Synod, to appoint a Commission on Struc- ture (to) ... draft revisions to the format and content of the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws (Handbook) which will eliminate incon- sistencies and make the Handbook more usable for the Synod.” It also spoke of a need to “clarify ambiguities” and to identify content “which could be better handled as board manuals and/or policy statements.” Members appointed to the Commission on Structure were Don- ald Brosz, former member of the Board of Directors of the Synod; Bradford Hewitt, Chief Administrative Officer of the Synod; Low- ell Schoer, former member of the President's Blue Ribbon Com- mittee on Structure and the President’s representative to the Board for Higher Education; Walter Rosin, former Secretary of the Synod and Chairman of the Commission; David Thomas, school adminis- trator and former member of the Board of Directors of the Missouri District; Richard Thompson, former chairman of the Board of Di- rectors of the Synod; and Raymond Hartwig, Secretary of the Synod and staff for the Commission. In carrying out its assignment the Commission gave attention primarily to the Bylaws of the Synod, reordering and relocating them to make the Handbook more user-friendly, also introducing minor changes when helpful to simplify, clarify, or eliminate in- consistencies. It has provided a report of its work in two parts, (1) a marked version of the 1998 Handbook, which carefully provides a record of all changes made, and (2) a proposed version of the Handbook, which incorporates the changes made. For purposes of simplification and order, the proposed version of the Handbook differentiates between two categories of Bylaw material: (1) those paragraphs essential to the overall] purpose, struc- ture, and functions of the Synod (identified by decimal numbers) and (2) those policy and procedure paragraphs that provide order for the everyday operations of the Synod and its agencies that are to be included in policy manuals (identified by letters and numbers in parentheses). Both categories of Bylaw material are the result of 2001 Convention Workbook convention action, are therefore binding for all synodical entities, and will require convention action if changes are to be made. A preliminary report was provided to all congregations of the Synod in July 2000. The Commission also shared its work with the Commission on Constitutional Matters. Based upon the sugges- tions received and concerns identified, the Commission has made what, in its view, are appropriate modifications. The results of that work will now be provided to the convention delegates and made available to the Synod to accompany this final report. In the course of carrying out its assignment, the Commission concluded that a number of substantial changes to the Bylaws would also be beneficial to the Synod as it moves into the future. Included among them are the following: * To Move Property Ownership Bylaw to Constitution * To Add New Bylaw to Govern the Dissolution of Synodwide Corporate Entities To Include Policy and Procedure Bylaw Sections in Policy Man- uals ¢ To Change Bylaw re Relationship of Congregations to Synod * To Separate the Calling and Service of Clergy from Other Church Workers To Clarify Authority for Amendment of Worker Benefit Plans To Clarify Responsibilities for Officers and Agencies To Clarify What Is Included in the Doctrinal Position of the Synod * To Change Process for the Adoption of Doctrinal Resolutions ¢ To Change Membership of Commission on Doctrinal Review * To Phase Out Consecrated Lay Workers Category To Establish a Permanent Commission on Structure These changes are being proposed in separate overtures for con- sideration by the convention. If adopted, they will be incorporated into the final edition of the proposed Handbook. The Commission also identified several other changes it be- lieves would be useful to the work of the Synod and has forwarded these to the appropriate entities for their consideration. These mat- ters may or may not be brought before the convention for consid- eration, depending upon actions taken by these entities. As the Commission on Structure provides this final report, it will also provide to all delegates to the convention revised copies of its two-part report of the Synod to provide ample time for study and for forwarding their reactions and recommendations to the floor committee to which this report will be assigned. Additional copies will be available to other interested persons upon request from the Office of the Secretary of the Synod (e-mail: Icmssec @aol.com; tel.: [314] 965-9000). It is the hope and prayer of the Commission that its proposals will be of true benefit to the Synod to carry out its mission and ministry in an effective and effi- cient manner, that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ may be pro- claimed more widely by the congregations and individual members of the Synod as they work together to make disciples of all nations. Walter Rosin, Chairman