# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S242 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 242 STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 2.14.2 Consecrated lay workers are not members of the Synod and shall be under the supervision of the congregation, entity, or agency that they serve. (a) Consecrated lay workers shall be solemnly pledged to the Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God and the Symbolical Books of the Lutheran Church as a true exposition of the Scriptures. (b) Rites of consecration and installation should be in accor- dance with forms and practices developed by the Synod for such purpose and should take place in the presence of the appointing congregation or other appointing body, except that in the case of lay missionaries appointed by the Synod, members of a fac- ulty of a synodical institution, or institutional church workers, the rite should take place in an appropriate setting. Commission on Structure 7-13 To Establish a Permanent Commission on Structure Rationale Following a major revision of the Handbook, the 198] national convention of the Synod established a Commission on Structure to provide for “modifications in the Constitution, Bylaws, or struc- ture of the Synod to the next and succeeding conventions” (1981 Res. 2-22). Eleven years later, the 1992 convention, “having now proposed a Mission and Ministry Council, which would be respon- sible for many of the functions presently carried out by the Com- mission on Structure,” eliminated the Commission ou Structure as a commission of the Synod (1992 Res. 5-15). The 1998 convention, due to the large size and other duties of the Council on Mission and Ministry which did not permit it “to take over responsibility previously covered by the Commission on Structure,” authorized the formation of a new Commission to “draft revisions to the format and content of the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws (Handbook) which will eliminate inconsistencies and make the Handbook more usable for the Synod” (1998 Res. 7-01). This Commission, appointed by the Board of Directors with the concur- rence of the President of the Synod, completed its task by dissem- inating its preliminary report to the Synod one year prior to the 2001 synodical convention for review and refinement and by proposing a revised Handbook to the convention. The Commission on Structure recognizes that the Handbook will require constant refinement as new actions are taken by the Synod. The Commission therefore recommends that a standing Commission on Structure be established and proposes the follow- ing action to the 2001] convention. Resolved, That the 2001 convention of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod again establish a perinanent Commission on Struc- ture; and be it further Resolved, That a Commission on Structure be included in the list of commissions contained in proposed Bylaw 1.2.2; and be it further Resolved, That the convention adopt the following proposed Bylaw 3.8.7 to govern the purpose, membership, and function of this Commission on Structure: Commission on Structure 3.8.7 The Commission on Structure serves the members of the Synod in convention by providing direction for ongoing mainte- nance and management of the Handbook: the Articles of Incorpo- ration, Constitution, and Bylaws of the Synod. 3.8.7.1 The Commission on Structure shall consist of seven members: 1. Five members appointed by the President of the Synod from a list provided by the Board of Directors of the Synod, these ap- pointments to be made in conjunction with the first meeting of the Board of Directors following each national convention of the Synod; and 2001 Convention Workbook 2. The Secretary and the Chief Administrative Officer of the Synod who shall serve as ex officio members. 3.8.7.2 The Commission on Structure shall assist the conven- tion in maintaining the Handbook of the Synod by identifying and recommending modifications to areas of concern in the Handbook and by further ordering the Handbook to promote its ease of use and thereby to enable the Synod most effectively to accomplish its mission. ‘ Commission on Structure 7-14 To Distinguish Bylaws from Policy and Procedure Rationale The Commission on Structure has rendered a valuable and much-needed service to the Synod by reorganizing and clarifying the synodical Handbook. Their work is recognized with thankful- ness. In addition to reorganizing the synodical Handbook, the Com- mission on Structure has clarified the text by improving the layout of the document. Material in larger bold print is Bylaw, and mate- rial indented in smaller print is policy or procedure. Contrasting Bylaws with policies and procedures will make the Handbook easier to understand and apply, because the key princi- ples (Bylaws) will be distinguished from implementation methods (policies and procedures). Therefore be it resolved: 1. That the format of the proposed synodical Handbook distrib- uted as a Preliminary Report by the Commission on Structure (July 2000, “Proposed New Text and Cross-References to 1998 Hand- book’) be adopted; and 2. That the Secretary of the Synod be directed to publish the Handbook with Bylaws in larger bold print and the policy and pro- cedure sections in indented smaller print; and 3. That this task be completed by January 2001; and finally 4. That the Secretary of the Synod be directed to bring the syn- odical Handbook into conformity with this resolution. Board for Higher Education/ Concordia University System 7-15 To Require Convention Action for Amendments to Policy and Procedure Materials WHEREAS, The Commission on Structure has proposed signifi- cant changes in the 1998 Handbook in its preliminary report of July 2000; and WHEREAS, The preliminary report separates material from the Bylaws of the 1998 Handbook into “bylaw material” and “policy and procedure material”; and WHEREAS, The preliminary report states: “This has been done with the understanding that all of the content of the present Hand- book has been adopted by convention action and, whether identi- fied as bylaw or policy and procedure material, will in the future re- quire convention action for any amendment, modification, or elimination” (preliminary report, “Cover Letter,” p. 1); and WHEREAS, The new chapter 7 of the proposed Handbook re- quires convention action for any amendment to the Bylaws; and WHEREAS, There is no present requirement for convention ac- tion for any amendment, modification, or elimination of the pro- posed “policy and procedure materials”; therefore be it Resolved, That the 2001 convention of the Synod adopt a Bylaw requiring convention action for any amendment, modification, or elimination of policy and procedure materials. Messiah Parker, AZ