# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S172 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 172 SYNODICAL ADMINISTRATION VY. Recommendations A, General Editor. The Milwaukee convention directed the board in Res. 2-20 to study the proposal to establish the office of General Editor. The board recommends that this proposal be declined at this time in view of the fact that the new procedures for doctrinal review have been adopted by the Synod only recently and may prove to make such a po- sition unnecessary. B. Committee on World Hunger. About a year ago the board urged the Committee on World Hunger to complete its work by the time of the New Orleans convention. The board recommends that this area of the Synod’s activity now be assigned to the Board of Social Ministry and World Relief since world hunger should be an ongoing concern of the church. C. Commission on Mission and Ministry in the Church. When the Synod in 1965 adopted the Mission Affirmations it also created the Commission on Mission and Ministry in the Church, which was designed at least to a considerable ex- tent to foster and to help disseminate the affirmations. At that time the Board of Directors was placed into a special relationship to that commission. The Bylaws state that the commission's recommendations are to be made to the Board of Directors which shall be responsible for the implementa- tion of such counsel and suggestions. It is the considered judgment of the Board of Directors that the Commission on Mission and Ministry in the Church has now had adequate opportunity to fulfill its task. Much attention has been given to the implementation of the Mis- sion Affirmations in the church. The Synod at this time may well thank the commission for having stimulated boards and commissions to consider new methods of mission and min- istry to the church and to the world. It is the opinion of the Board of Directors that having effected such stimulation the commission has now served its purpose. The development of new means of mission and ministry should be the ongoing creative responsibility of all boards and commissions in the Synod and should not be delegated away to any special group. The Board of Directors therefore recommends that the Synod gratefully bring the work of the Commission on Mis- sion and Ministry in the Church to an end as of Jan. 1, 1974. and accordingly rescind Bylaw 2.111, which governs this commission's service, and all other pertinent Bylaw references. D. Commission on Social Concerns. The board recom- mends that the work of this commission be assigned to the Commission on Theology and Church Relations not as a sub- committee of that commission but as an added responsibility of the CTCR through the addition of a new Bylaw paragraph under “Duties” of the CTCR. E. Retirement. Under the omnibus resolution of referral the board was asked to study Res. 4-46 which contained a proposal for amending the Bylaws covering retirement and further service of staff members. The board proposes the following amendment to existing Bylaw 2.105: PRESENT WORDING 2.105 Retirement Policies 1. Each such person may retire at age 65, but shall be retired on the first day of the month fol- lowing the month in which his 70th birthday oc- curs. PROPOSED WORDING 2.105 Retirement Policies 1. Each such person may request early retire- ment under the applicable provisions of the Con- cordia Retirement Plan, but he shall be retired at the end of the calendar year in which his 65th birthday occurs. Any further service beyond this mandatory date shall be on a specific project con- tract basis not to exceed one year in duration, upon medical certification, with a provision for annual renewal to age 70. F, Assumption of Office. The Council of Presidents has requested that the date on which the President, Vice-Presi- dents, Secretary, Treasurer, and members of the Board of Directors assume office be changed from the last Sunday of September to the fourth Sunday of September in order to avoid confusion in those years in which September has five Sundays. The Board of Directors therefore proposes that Bylaw 2.06 c be changed as follows: c. The President. Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, and members of the Board of Directors shall assume office on the fourth Sunday of Sep- tember following their election. Members of other elected boards.... G. Statistical Yearbook. Because of rising costs and limited use the board recommends that free distribution be limited and therefore proposes the following revision of By- law 11.25: PRESENT WORDING f. Concordia Publishing House shall, at the ex- pense of the Synod, mail a copy of the Statistical Yearbook to every active and retired pastor and every active and retired male teacher of the Synod for his own and his congregation's information and use. PROPOSED WORDING f. Concordia Publishing House shall, at the ex- pense of the Synod, mail a copy of the Statistical Yearbook to every member congregation. Copies shall be made available for sale to all clergymen and teachers at cost. H. Participation in LCUSA. Milwaukee Resolution 3-18 called for an interchurch study to evaluate LCUSA. It also provided that after that study was completed the Board of Directors should in consultation with the Missouri Synod representatives on that committee make recommendations to the next convention regarding the future participation of the Synod in the activities of the Council. The Board's recommendations are incorporated in a separate report to the convention. I. Removal from Office (Faculties). Resolution 6-01 which contained detailed proposed Bylaws for procedure when faculty members are accused was referred to the Board of Directors for study. In the meantime the St. Louis seminary was placed on probation by the AATS accrediting agency. This prompted the synodical President to appoint a special task force to deal with this problem. That special task force has also been looking at the procedures for due process. Although the board appointed a task force of its own (Dr. Albert Meyer, Dr. Paul Streufert, Dr. Alvin Mueller) which did make proposals for several changes in the Bylaws pro- posed in Milwaukee Resolution 6-01, your board recom- mends that the convention adopt the Bylaw proposals (con- cerning removal from office) of the AATS Task Force which incorporate and expand upon the recommendations of the board’s own task force. J. Synodical Service Commission. The board has decided to propose what it considers a more efficient method of appointing executives to replace the Synodical Service Com- mission functions. Briefly, the board is of the opinion that boards may well be permitted to select their executives without the necessity of a screening committee as long as other safeguards are kept intact (e.g., Synodwide solicita- tion, approval of synodical President, involvement of the Personnel Dept.). The board hopes to have proposed By- laws ready for convention consideration. K. Bylaws for Budget Preparation. The board has found Bylaws 9.01 to 9.17 unworkable with respect to budget preparation. It therefore proposes Bylaw revisions in a separate overture. L. Bylaws for Staff Services: Additional Bylaw Pro- posals Re Administration: Milwaukee Resolution 4-25 in- structed the Board of Directors to recommend additions to the Bylaws outlining the structure of the Division of Gen- eral Staff Services. While carrying out this assignment the board concluded that additional refinements in the admin- istration of the Synod should be suggested. These are in- corporated in the following proposals: