# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1975_S378
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

378 PARISH SERVICES

effective approach to helping youth clarify their Christian wit-
ness and to provide structured opportunities for them to practice
witnessing to their faith: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod recommend the Gospel Communi-
cation Clinic to District and parish youth and evangelism pro-
gram leaders: and be it further

Resolred. That the Synod provide adequate budget funds
to the Board of Youth Ministry and the Board for Evangelism
to train Gospel Communication Clinic leaders.

Recommendation 7: To Train Synodical and District Leaders
as Consultants in Organization Development

WHEREAS. It is desirable and expedient for parish program
activities to be developed at District and local parish levels:
and

WHEREAS. An approach to planning called Organization
Development (which involves persons affected by the planning
in the planning process) is being effectively utilized in business
and voluntary organizations: and

WHEREAS. The Board of Youth Ministry staff has effectively
utilized the Organization Development approach in its con-
sulting role with District Youth Boards: and

WHEREAS, The synodical Coordinating Committee for Parish
Services has recognized the value in training staff members
in this approach: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Coordinating Committee for Parish Ser-
vices be authorized to secure funding for comprehensive train-
ing in Organization Development for all synodical and District
Parish Service personnel.

Recommendation 8: To Provide More Youth Staffers for the
Synod

WHEREAS. The Youth Staffer program has provided avail-
able people resources in youth ministry: and

WHEREAS, Youth Staffers help congregations with planning
and programming in youth ministry: and

WHEREAS. Youth Staffers serve as resource persons to the
District's Youth Committee and help implement areawide
youth programs within the Districts: and

WHEREAS. The Youth Staffer program equips voung people
for leadership in the church: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod encourage the congregations and
the Districts of the Synod to utilize the Youth Staffer program:
and be it further

Resolved. That the Synod provide adequate budget funds
and the necessary staff personnel to facilitate this program on
the synodical level.

M. J. Stelmachowicz. Chairman
Ben Eggers, Executive Secretary

7-03

Report of Board for Public Relations

The Board for Public Relations and its staff are committed
to assuring open and effective communication at all levels of
the church. both internally and in relation to the various publics
that interact with the church. Never has this aim been more
arduously pursued than during the period since the last synodi-
cal convention, despite limitations such as insufficient time and
personnel and a continued fragmentation of the total communi-
cations function of the Synod.

Board and Staff

Gratitude is due the following members who faithfully served
on the board during the past biennium: Rev. Victor C. Rickman
(chairman), Chicago: Mr. Ray Dankenbring (vice-chairman),
St. Louis; Mrs. Jean Garton (secretary), Pennsauken. N.J.:
Dr. George Beto, Huntsville. Tex.: Rev. James W. Rassbach,
Le Mars, Iowa; Mr. James O. Rice Jr., Conover, N. C.: and Mr.
George Robey. Gahanna. Ohio.

Mr. Victor W. Bryant has served as director of the depart-
ment since his appointment in 1972. In 1974 he was also ap-
pointed chairman of the Division of Communications.

In April 1974 the board decided to give full-time employment
status to Mr. Joe Isenhower. who had been serving as adminis-
trative assistant since February 1973 on a temporary basis. His
responsibilities remain primarily in writing. Along with Mr.
Bryant and Mr. Isenhower. the department includes two
secretaries, Mrs. Alice Turk (full-time) and Mrs. Patti Ferro
(part-time).

Parish Public Relations

A source of strength in the Synod’s public relations system
is the District directors in each of the 38 North American Dis-
tricts. These people. who contribute their time and talents
on a voluntary basis, can do much to promote the public rela-
tions of our church on the local level.

One of the department's responsibilities is to give encour-
agement, assistance, training, and resources to the District
directors to enable them to carry out their responsibilities.
A public relations workshop is held for the directors, and they
are encouraged to hold similar seminars in their respective
Districts. The department is also concerned with positive public
relations on the parish level. It encourages the formation of
parish public relations committees and stands ready to give
guidance and assistance.

The department recommends a basic handbook of public
relations for Lutheran churches, Telling the Good News. with
a leader's guide, Go and Tell. plus a 40-project workbook for
circuits and congregations. The Handbook on Church Public
Relations. published by the Religious Public Relations Council.
is another helpful tool. Also designed to assist the parishes is
the film Story. which gives professional insight into publicity
and contact with the media. The film. along with a manual that
serves as a supplementary guide. is available through the
District public relations directors.

The department also has available a brochure that outlines
the historical background and present work of our church. This
material serves as a useful introduction to the Synod for those
outside the church and is a concise source of information for
those within the church.

Although much more needs to be done in the area of parish
public relations, the department is sensitive to the needs of the
congregation and stands ready to give whatever assistance it
can.

Ongoing Services

It is probably valid to suppose that no church body in this
country has received more media coverage during the past 2
years than The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. Reflecting
this. the Religion Newswriters Association voted the doctrinal
controversy the “top religious news story” of 1973, for the
second consecutive year. and named it the number-two story
of 1974. Newspapers throughout the nation, especially in areas
where Lutherans constitute a high percentage of the population.
carried accounts of the events related to the controversy, with
many running in-depth articles on the synodical situation.

The doctrinal conflicts in our church and the resulting events
of the past 2 years hardly make happy reading, listening. and
viewing. especially for members of the Synod. But the board
feels that the public has been well served through the material
that has been made available about the LCMS from the depart-
ment. It has seemed that as conscientious journalists continued
to relate the complex situation within our church, their knowl-
edge of the Synod and its predicaments increased, so that as
further developments caused interest they were by and large
reported with accuracy and fairness.

The board continues to strive to earn the respect of the
media. The board was pleased when the religion editor of the
Associated Press. George W. Cornell, speaking on the topic
“The Right to Know the Truth,” said “its intrepid public rela-
tions man, Victor Bryant, has continued to supply the secular
press with honest information. . . .”’ We will continue to do our
best to be deserving of such accolades.

However, an unfortunate situation has been created by un-
official agencies representing factions in the synodical con-
troversy that have become involved in their own information-
sharing ventures. Quite often the church and the public, through
such outlets, have received a distorted account through opinions