# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S204
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

204 PROGRAM AND FINANCE

Board for Communication Services, comply with the Constitution,

Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod, pursuant to the above Bylaw
authorizing the President of the Synod to exercise executive power,
having consulted with the vice-presidents of the Synod, as required
by bylaw, and having received their unanimous affirmation for this
action, I am hereby exercising executive power in directing the
Board for Communication Services (BCS) of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod and the Executive Director of Human
Resources to hold in abeyance the filling of any staff position under
the BCS until related Constitutional and Bylaw questions of con-
sequence regarding such positions can be answered by the Com-
mission on Constitutional Matters of the Synod”; and

WHEREAS, In October of 2005, the President of Synod re-
sponded to the request of the Board for Communication Services
(BCS) to allow the board to proceed with filling the position of
DNIS as follows: “However, in order to expedite the desired ob-
jective of properly securing additional BCS staff, an objective with
which I certainly concur, I encourage you to submit to the Novem-
ber meeting of the Council of Presidents the list of individuals who
have been properly nominated for the position of Director of News
and Information Services, in accordance with 2004 LCMS Bylaw
3.8.5.2.3. That way there will be no delay in moving forward with
the filling of.this important position following receipt of the re-
quested opinions from the CCM”; and

WHEREAS, The BCS had prepared a list of qualified candidates
(including both pastors and laymen) for the DNIS position, which
was sent to the Council of Presidents (COP) for action at their No-
vember 2005 meeting, at which meeting the council voted to reject
the entire list of names; and

WHEREAS, Actions of the Synod Board of Directors (BOD) and
of the Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) having re-
solved the concerns of relationships of agencies of the Synod and
the Human Resources Policies, and following proper procedure,
the BCS developed a second list of qualified candidates at their
July 2006 meeting and submitted it to the COP for action at their
September 2006 meeting; and

WHEREAS, The COP chose to table action on the second list at
their September 2006 meeting and have not acted on the list at their
November 2006 meeting or at their February 2007 meeting,
thereby effectively halting any further submission of lists by the
BCS, as there was still a list of names in front of the COP; and

WHEREAS, It is both unfair and uncharitable to the candidates
who have allowed their names to stand for approval by the COP, to
be held in limbo, without an up or down vote, and that the passage
of some 27 months is an excessive amount of time for the Com-
munication Department to be without a Director of News and In-
formation Services, a crucial staff member; and

WHEREAS, The approved procedure for filling staff positions on
boards and commissions of Synod is contained in Bylaw 3.11.1 (a),
(b), and (c), which states:

“(a) Members of the Synod who are appointed to positions requiring
an ordained minister or a commissioned minister shall receive a solemn
call.

(b) Other ordained or commissioned ministers appointed to posi-
tions in the Synod shall be affirmed by the respective board or com-
mission through a solemn call.

(c) All positions requiring called ministers shall be filled in consul-
tation with the President of the Synod subject to all appropriate provi-
sions of the Constitution and Bylaws as well as the respective board of
director’s policy manual”;

and

WuerEAS, The position of Director of News and Information
Services is the only staff position of a Synod board or commission
that requires the approval of the Council of Presidents, and it is
clear that the current procedure is not working; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention amend Bylaw 3.8.5.2.3
(c) by striking the, words [from a list prepared by that board and
approved by the Council of Presidents], and by adding the words
[in accordance with Bylaw 3.11.1], so that the Bylaw 3.8.5.2.3 (c)
will read: “The Director of News and Information Services, who
also serves as executive editor of the Synod’s official periodicals,
shall be appointed by the Board for Communication Services in
accordance with Bylaw 3.11.1”; and be it finally

Resolved, That the amended resolution be effective upon approval
by the Synod in convention.

Board for Communication Services

4-37

To Allow Pastors to Serve as District Treasurer
Wuereas, Bylaw 4.3.2 states that “Each district shall have a
treasurer who shall be a layperson”; and
Wuereas, The origin of this provision reflected upon pastors
seldom having a financial background and experience in financial
matters; and
WHEREAS, Some pastors do have such fiscal competency and
experience; and
WHEREAS, A pastor may be the most qualified person on the dis-
trict board to serve as treasurer; therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 4.3.2 be changed to allow a pastor to hold
the office of district treasurer.
Board of Directors
Northwest District