# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S214
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

214 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

The primary thrust of the Committee for Reorganization has
been to study the utilization of our present opportunities, our
current available talents and all other resources, and our present
obligations in order to more effectively proclaim the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, not principally to reduce the size of the staff and
operations nor to make changes for change’s sake, but to ready
the church in its vital mission in these last days before the Lord's
return.

The committee has worked with the principle that our basic
structure can be improved without changing the fundamental
concepts of keeping the Synod a federation of congregations
intimately joined together to do those things in concert which
could not be done separately.

In beginning its study of the Constitution, the committee
reviewed each article in depth. In the review of Article III
(Objects), the study revealed that there is a need for a refine-
ment of the mission, purpose, and aim which might serve as
a guide in suggesting organizational structure.

The study of Article III also revealed that the Synod now
operates with almost 40 separate boards and commissions that
are responsible directly to the convention and to the President.
However, they are also responsible to the Board of Directors
in relationship to their fiseal, legal, and budgeting matters. The
large number of boards and the overlapping responsibilities was
viewed by the committee as possible deterents to the attainment
of objects.

These two needs, refinement of mission, purpose, and aims,
and clarity of organizational relationships, emerged as concerns
of the committee’s study of the Constitution and Bylaws. A great
deal of time and energy of the full committee was devoted to this
subject, especially the organizational relationships, during the
past biennium. In attempting to find guidelines for future
direction, the committee examined several models of administra-
tion. The models of government, corporate structure, academic,
etc., were all reviewed for possible assistance and suggestions
to help the Synod in the attainment of its objects. The models
of other churches, particularly The American Lutheran Church
and the Lutheran Church in America, were studied in con-
siderable depth. However, the committee found the studies
of administrative structure difficult to reconcile into a framework
that could be offered because of the need to first refine a state-
ment of mission, purpose, and aims that flows from Article III
of the Constitution.

Among the several fundamental conclusions and findings that
emerged from the work of the committee, we list especially six:

1. That the synodical family, in its endeavor to walk together,
ministers to the members of the family within and without the
structure through the precious Gospel of salvation through
Christ and that the membership of the Synod (congregations,
pastors, teachers) is united under the Constitution on the basis
of the acceptance of the confession of faith as set forth in Article
II of the Constitution.

2. That the member congregations have historically been
the basic unit within the Synod and must continue in the same
capacity.

3. That the democratic process of decision making, under the
Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, must prevail.

4. That a strong synodical structure continues to be neces-
sary, and that the current structure has been found to be
basically strong, including the convention and the boards and
commissions. However, there is a need for refinement, so that
the total structure may carry out the purposes and objects for
which the Synod was formed, thereby enabling the congrega-
tions to achieve those tasks jointly which none can accomplish
separately.

5. That the Synod, though distinctly not a federation of Dis-
tricts, must continue to utilize geographical subunits in which
the congregations are the center as participants and recipients
of the services rendered so that their challenges can be met
effectively. (Also of interest is a continued study of the relation-
ships between the synodical and District Presidents.)

6. There is a need to refine the mission, purpose, and aims
as articulated in Article III of the Constitution and provide for
an organizational structure that can better attain them.

The organizational refinements required to equip the Synod
to move forward in the future ought to be part of an integrated
program rather than attempting to “‘patch” at the risk of destroy-
ing internal consistency.

The committee recommends that the Synod in convention at
Anaheim direct the formation of a task force on reorganization,
charging it with two responsibilities:

1. To lead the church in an intensive study and refinement

of its mission, purpose, and aims:

2. To suggest to the church an organizational structure by
which the Synod at a member, congregational, District,
circuit, and synodical level might best achieve its mission,
purpose, and aims.

The committee further recommended that:

1. The task force on reorganization consist of 18 persons
chosen from a list of nominees solicited from the members of
the Synod through an announcement in the Lutheran Witness
placed by the Secretary of the Synod. The nominees are to be
evaluated by a committee of six, two from the Council of Presi-
dents, two from the Board of Directors, and two from the Council
of Administrators, the election being undertaken by the Board
of Directors.

2. The task force be broadly representative of the church,
with consideration given to the inclusion of clergy and lay
persons, persons from various regions of the country, and people
with professional and experiential background in the organiza-
tional structure of the Synod.

3. The Board of Directors of the Synod provide budgetary
allocations to the task force to enable it to secure appropriate
staff and to carry out its objectives.

4. The task force be directed to utilize a pattern of operation
which would call for maximum involvement of the administra-
tive units of the church at all levels in the discussions and in the
feedback of the information related to its objectives.

5. The task force be directed to proceed with dispatch and to
provide in its report to the 1977 convention:

a. A refined statement of mission, purpose, and aims:

b. A suggested refinement of the LCMS organizational
structure that will assist the Synod in more effectively
attaining its mission, purpose, and aims under Article II
of the Constitution.

In addition to Article III, there are other issues which the
committee feels require additional studies, such as the status
and function of the circuits with a possible view of strengthening
them: a re-examination of the definition of membership in the
Synod: the role and function of the Council of Administrators
and the divisional structure of the Synod: and the entire budget-
setting procedures within the Synod. The committee would
welcome suggestions and recommendations from the delegates
in order to give it a sense of direction for the next biennium.

Resolution 5-28 details the vastness of the assignments given
to the committee by the New Orleans convention. As the resolu-
tion itself points out, the convention did not anticipate the
completion of the committee’s work during one biennium. Res.
5-28 stated:

WHEREAS, The Constitution of the Synod has served well in
providing a solid base of direction for our Synod for 125 years, and
its Bylaws have spelled out specifics for the concepts contained in
the Constitution, thus indicating that any changes in the Constitution
itself should be made very cautiously and deliberately: and

WHEREAS, The CTCR intends to complete its document on the
mission of the church before reviewing the revision proposed by the
CMMC (1969 Proceedings. Res. 1-15A): and

WHEREAS, There have been requests for continued study, evalua-
tion, and revisions: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Directors be directed to appoint
a task force for an ongoing study of the Constitution and Bylaws and
that this task force be directed to consider:
1. A study of the Constitution itself to determine whether possible
clarification or additional articles are necessary:
2. A study of the Bylaws for clarification, better coordination, and
simplification:
3. A study of the Synod’s organization and structure: and be it
further

Resolved. That this task force bring its recommendations to the
1975 convention, and in succeeding conventions (Proceedings, 1973,
pp. 172—73).

According to this resolution, the committee felt that all pro-
posals and concepts of reorganization must begin with an in-
depth study of the Constitution itself. The studies the committee