# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S42
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

42

SYNOD REPORTS

R1-3-02

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Board for International Mission
Introduction

At its July 2010 convention, the Synod realigned the Board for
Mission Services, the Board for World Relief and Human Care,
and other program boards into two independent policy-providing
boards—the Board for International Mission (BIM) and the Board
for National Mission. The Synod also established two offices for the
implementation of the respective boards’ policies and the mission
and ministry emphases set by convention—the Office of International
Mission (OIM) and the Office of National Mission, with both offices
being responsible to the Office of the President through the Chief
Mission Officer of the Synod. The Board for International Mission’s
authority and responsibility is set forth in Bylaw 3.8.3.
The BIM has been delegated four responsibilities: (1) to determine policies for the OIM; (2) to assist the Office of the President
in identifying goals for the OIM; (3) to act as the only Synod sending agency through which workers and funds are sent to the foreign
mission areas of the Synod; and (4) to monitor, through oversight,
outcomes from the policies and goals implemented through the OIM.
Board Members of the Board for International Mission
The 2010 LCMS convention elected 10 persons to serve on the
BIM for six-year terms according to regions determined at the convention. The President of the Synod also appointed a representative
to the BIM, thereby comprising an 11-member board. The members
elected and appointed:
Adle, Ms. Rose E.
(Great Lakes Region)
Almstedt, Mr. Kermit W.
(East Region)
Bruns, Mr. David
(South Region)
Edson, Mr. John W., Vice Chair
President’s Representative
Gonzalez, Rev. Juan A.
(East Region)
Lange, Rev. Michael
(West Region)
Magness, Mr. Phillip A., Secretary
(Great Lakes Region)
Peacock, Ms. Lois
(West Region)
Seter, Rev. Bernhard M., Chair
(Great Plains Region)
Temple, Rev. John F.
(South Region)
Van Gundy, Mr. Robert
(Great Plains Region)
The Report
This report will provide an update on the activities of the newly
formed BIM, which currently has a schedule of three meetings each
year (some in joint session with the Board for National Mission).
The meetings generally are held in the months of February, June,
and September.
At its first meeting in September 2010, the BIM elected its officers for the triennium of July 2010 through July 2013:
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Reverend Bernhard M. Seter, Chairman
Mr. John W. Edson, Vice-Chairman
Mr. Phillip A. Magness, Secretary

By its June 2011 meeting, the BIM was prepared to adopt its
internal self governance policies, i.e., the Board for International
Mission (Self Governance) Policy Manual. At its February, May, and
September 2012 meetings, the BIM undertook discussion and then
adoption of its policy directives (through the establishment of boundaries, parameters, and principles) for implementation by the OIM. As
may be seen, the BIM has outlined 12 broad policy areas for which
it is obliged to determine appropriate “ends” for implementation.
Those areas are as follows:
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Overall guiding principles

2013 Convention Workbook

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Safeguarding the rights of our partner churches with and through which
our international missionaries work
Working with the Synod’s colleges, universities, and seminaries
Working with the Office of the President
Human care and associated efforts
Military chaplaincy
International schools of the Synod and those aligned with partner or
associated churches
Providing for spiritual edification and growth for LCMS called and
appointed missionaries and for LCMS members living abroad
Providing strong missional leadership
Training of LCMS missionaries
Calling and withdrawing of called and appointed missionaries
Working with LCMS auxiliary organizations, RSOs, and districts and
congregations

The BIM has adopted self-governance policies to guide its work in
accordance with the 2010 Constitution and Bylaws and has approved
Policy Ends and Principles which outline the general purposes of the
work to be carried out by the OIM. The OIM staff is developing metrics and objectives toward meeting these ends. The BIM has drafted
policies to govern this work and has received a draft of metrics and
objectives from the OIM staff, which are under mutual review in
anticipation of being finalized at the BIM’s May 2013 meeting. In
fulfillment of the 2010 convention mandate for monitoring policy
implementation, the OIM is already working under and with these
policies as they proceed with their work in fraternal collaboration
with the BIM, pending final review, revision, and approval by the
Commission on Constitutional Matters.
The one non-policy directive mandated by the Synod at its 2010
convention was the authority of the BIM to act as the “only sending
agency through which workers and funds are sent to the foreign mission areas of the Synod, including the calling, appointing, assigning,
withdrawing, and releasing of missionaries … and other workers for
the ministries in foreign areas” (Bylaw 3.8.3). The BIM has been
actively calling and releasing missionaries as appropriate and necessary, in response to recommendations by the OIM.
The members of the BIM express their thanks to our gracious
Lord and to the members of the Synod for the opportunity and privilege of serving our Lord through His Church in this important area
of authority and responsibility.
Bernhard M. Seter, Chairman
R1-3-03

Lutheran Women’s Missionary League
“The mission of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League
(LWML) is to assist each woman of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod in affirming her relationship with the Triune God so that she
is enabled to use her gifts in ministry to the people of the world.”
(LWML Mission Statement)
The LWML is the official women’s auxiliary of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The year 2012 marked our 70th
year as we continue to “Serve the Lord with Gladness” (LWML
motto, based on Psalm 100:2). As Lutheran Women in Mission (our
“doing business as” name adopted in 1998), we have thousands of
women who daily are dedicating their lives to serve the Lord, share
the Gospel, and make a difference where He has placed them.
Significant activities and programs since our 2010 report:
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The Board of Directors meeting in Peoria, Illinois, in January 2011 was
canceled because of a blizzard. This cancelation resulted in the first
LWML WebEx meeting. Since this first WebEx meeting, hundreds of
such meetings have been held by LWML committee members, saving