# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S299 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) NATIONAL/DISTRICT SYNOD RELATIONS 299 WHEREAS, The 1998 convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod called for the establishment of a task force to study the issue of National/District Relations (Res. 7-02A) and to prepare a report for the 2001 convention; and WHEREAS, The number of Districts within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is 35, with some areas having multiple Districts (for instance, Illinois has three Districts; California, Min- nesota, lowa, and Wisconsin each have two Districts) and two Dis- tricts being nongeographical (English, SELC), which find sister congregations of different Districts across the street from each other; and WHEREAS, Our Synod has been struggling with inadequate in- come; and WHEREAS, Significant portions of offerings from congregations are utilized for the expenses of our Districts; and WHEREAS, Reducing the number of Districts will make possi- ble an increasing amount of congregational offerings to reach the synodical treasury; and WHEREAS, Improved communication and transportation facili- ties make possible effective mission and ministry in larger geo- graphical areas; and Wuereas, Both the Synod and the Districts have continued a trend toward larger and more diversified staffs to operate both sep- arate and joint ventures; and WuerEAS, This expansion and development has not been heretofore coordinated to any great degree, and a resultant dupli- cation of effort, confusion over responsibility, unnecessary expen- diture, and increased cost for maintenance, equipping, housing, and staffing of these multiple operations has occurred; and WHEREAS, The members and congregations would be more eq- uitably represented at the synodical level; therefore be it Resolved, That the Texas District memorialize Synod in con- vention to consolidate Districts to achieve better utilization of per- sonnel and fiscal resources. Texas District 8-48 To Decline Task Force Recommendation to Amalgamate Nongeographic Districts Wuereas, The Preliminary Report of Task Force on Na- tional/District Synod Relations (“TF” hereafter) recommends the possible dissolution and amalgamation of the English and SELC Districts of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, offering with- out any substantiation as its rationale four assertions: “(a) the cost of operating nongeographic Districts; (b) the absence of any com- pelling reason to continue nongeographic Districts; (c) clear prior intent on the part of the Synod to carry out such dissolution and amalgamation long ago; and (d) changed capabilities to serve con- gregations with advances in technology”; and WHEREAS, The SELC District operates at less cost than average for Districts and the English District’s administrative costs are equal to the average of geographic Districts; and WHEREAS, There are compelling reasons to continue nongeo- graphic Districts such as their flexibility for mission outreach in areas where the Synod is underrepresented or geographic Districts lack resources; their ability to act as liaisons between geographic Districts in various mission enterprises; and their ability to serve as a microcosm of the Synod because of their transnational and even international (Canadian) membership; and WHEREAS, Previous proposals to dissolve the nongeographic Districts were declined by the Synod in convention, both in recog- nition of the continuing value of nongeographic Districts and be- cause of the Jegitimate concern that proposals to dissolve the non- geographic Districts should originate with the Districts themselves; and Wuereas, Technological advances provide greater ease and ef- ficiency of operation for nongeographic Districts, rather than pro- viding any reason to dissolve them; and Wuereas, The legitimacy of the Synod’s dissolution of Dis- tricts without the Districts’ agreement is itself a highly debatable constitutional question, particularly in the instance of Districts that the Synod did not establish (both the English and SELC Districts were autonomous synods prior to merger with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod); and WHEREAS, For all of these reasons, the convention of the Eng- lish District has petitioned The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to refrain from any attempt to dissolve or amalgamate the English District, and the SELC District Board of Directors has expressed the same sentiment about its District; therefore be it Resolved, That the convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod respectfully decline any recommendation to dissolve and amalgamate the English and SELC Districts; and be it further Resolved, That the congregations and missions of the English and SELC Districts of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod be encouraged to continue their work and to pursue faithfully and vig- orously the mission our Lord gives to his church to “make disci- ples of all nations.” Board of Directors. English District; Assembly of Christ, Phoenix, AZ 8-49 To Reject Dissolution and Amalgamation of Nongeographic Districts WHEREAS, Any move toward amalgamation of the congrega- tions of the English District and the SELC into geographical Dis- tricts should originate within those Districts; and Wuereas, The English District and the SELC do not wish to be dissolved or amalgamated into the geographical Districts; and WHEREAS, The English District at its last convention passed a resolution to communicate to Synod its desire to remain a District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and WHEREAS, English District roots predate the Saxon immigration to Perry County, MO (1820); and Wuereas, A 1923 resolution states that if dissolution would take place, it “should come from the English District”; and WHEREAS, There is no evidence that the Synod would save money by dissolving its nongeographic Districts; and WHEREAS, The English District provides the LCMS a way to connect with its 1 congregations in Canada, who without the Eng- lish District and its Canada Corporation would, in all likelihood, cease to be members of the LCMS; and Wrereas, God has blessed the English District and the SELC with rich heritages of service to the Lord and His church and con- tinues to bless the English District and the SELC as viable institu- tions in faithfulness, mission, and service; therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod reject the Task Force proposal to dissolve and amalgamate the English District and the SELC; that the English District and the SELC re- main intact; and that the English District and the SELC be com- mended for their faithful service to the Lord and His church. Messiah Princeton, NJ 8-50 To Reject Task Force Recommendations re District Realignment WHEREAS, The statement of the task force of a clear and prior intent on part of the Synod to carry out the dissolution and amalga- mation of its nongeographical Districts long ago is inaccurate and cannot be substantiated by our history; and 2001 Convention Workbook