LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 44

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

44 TASK FORCE

The 1979 St. Louis convention also asked the Task Force to
study the size of synodical conventions. Here again, Task
Force I] concluded that the voting participation of the member-
ship should not be reduced or restricted in any way, but that,
since a reduction in the size of the convention was seemingly
desired, the only other alternative would be to reduce the
number of advisory delegates. This should not prove to be a
source of contention, for if the convention adopts the recom-
mendations of Task Force II with respect to broadening the
franchise of the congregation, most advisory members of the
Synod would be eligible to be chosen as voting delegates by the
congregations.

The triennial cycle of conventions immediately introduces
the question of the length of terms of officers and board
members. Shall terms be for three years or for six years? Shall
there be any limitation on tenure? If so, what shall that
limitation be? The Task Force finally concluded that in order to
have the elected officers of the Synod very sensitive and
responsive to the wishes of the Synod, their terms should be for
three years. On the other hand, the Task Force believes that
this principle should not be applied to boards and commissions
since the possibility of having an entire board unseated at one
convention is too great. The Task Force is therefore recom-
mending tht officers be elected for three-year terms and elected
board members for staggered six-year terms. The full-time
elected officers would not be subject to any limitations of
tenure, while others would be limited to two terms of six years
each unless stipulated otherwise in the Bylaws.

Task Force II makes the following specific recommenda-
tions in this area:

1. That the essential functions of synodical and
District conventions remain unchanged;

2. That the members of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod meet at least once each year to plan and
work as participants in the Synod: the first year in
general convention; the second vear in a Circuit gather-
ing, at the discretion of the Circuit; the third year in
District conventions;

3. That this cycle be introduced with the 1983 synod-
ical convention (1982: Districts; 1983: Synod—as pre-
viously scheduled; 1984: Circuits; 1985: Districts; 1986:
Synod; etc.).

4. That the present voting membership provisions
for synodical conventions (present Bylaw 1.51) be con-
tinued, but that the following reductions be made in
various advisory categories:

Advisory clergymen: one for every 60 (instead of 30)

Teachers: one for every 60 (instead of 30)

Elected boards: one member (instead of two)

Board staff: one member (instead of one for every five
staff members)

CTCR: same as above (instead of unlimited regis-
tration)

Faculties: one for every 30 members of the Synod on
the respective faculty (instead of one for every 20
faculty members)

Mission areas: one for each area, not to exceed 10
areas (instead of unrestricted number of areas)

All “advisories” would be eligible for participation and
selection in only one category of ‘‘advisories”;

5. That the terms of full-time officers, elected and
appointed, be three years, the terms of elected boards
and commissions six years, and the terms of appointed
boards, commissions, and standing committees three
years, unless specified to the contrary in the Bylaws;

6. That full-time officers have unlimited tenure but
that board and commission members be limited to two
terms of six years or to three terms of three years as
provided for in the Bylaws, unless expressly exempted in
the Bylaws, with one-half or more of a term being
counted as a full term;

7. That the officers be elected at this convention fora
two-year term; that approximately one-half of the board
members be elected for two years and the other half fora
five-year term, with regular six-year terms being intro-
duced with the 1983 elections.

{ B. Reduction in the Number of Boards

Repeatedly suggestions have been offered that the number
and size of boards and commissions in the Synod should be
reduced in the interest of economy, efficiency, and effective-
ness. Task Force II was given the directive to determine what
was needed to perform the Synod’s business. In trying to arrive
at some determinations the Task Force also devoted itself to
the directive of the convention to define the functions and
responsibilities of the boards and their executives.

Another area of concern which surfaced is that of termi-
nology. In order to facilitate clarification, the Task Force
decided upon a set of definitions which are included among the
recommendations in this section.

The size of the various boards and commissions occupied
considerable time and attention, as well as the question of
election versus appointment.

In addressing itself to the role of operating boards, Task
Force II concluded that there is a logical division between (1)
those units which serve in support of the congregation directly
and (2) those units which serve on behalf of the congregation.
The conclusion therefore was to recommend one program
board to serve ‘in support of the congregation” (the Board for
Congregations Services) and two program boards to serve “‘on
behalf of the congregation” (the Board for Missions and the
Board for Professional Education). The functions of all other
present program boards and commissions accordingly would
be integrated into these three program boards.

Furthermore, the Task Force came to the conclusion that
there are certain areas of responsibility which can best be
served by so-called “support services boards.” The title is
descriptive. These are the boards which serve virtually the
entire synodical membership or administrative apparatus of
the Synod and require specialists in certain well-defined areas
rather than generalists. Included here are the proposed Board
for Communication and Board for Social Ministry Services.

Another separate category delineated by Task Force II:
those commissions which have deliberative and research func-
tions, such as the Commission on Adjudication, the Commis-
sion on Appeals, the Commission on Constitutional Matters,
the Commission on Doctrinal Review, the Commission on
Health and Healing, the Commission on Ministerial Health,
and the Commission on Theology and Church Relations.

A fourth category consists of those entities which seem to be
somewhat separate in their operation, whether separately
incorporated or not, such as Concordia Historical Institute,
Concordia Publishing House, Lutheran Church Extension
Fund—Missouri Synod, The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod Foundation, Radio Station KFUO, and the Worker
Benefit Plans. The Task Force proposes to retain those Bylaws
in the Handbook which are necessary and to eliminate pro-
visions which could be more properly included in the bylaws of
the corporation itelf. Such bylaws of these corporations and
amendments thereto must, however, be approved by the synod-
ical Board of Directors.

It is recognized that by combining several boards and
commissions into a single board the scope and purview of that
board is considerably broadened. The Task Force has therefore
come to the conclusion that standing committees should be
called into being by various boards with the approval of the
convention. These standing committees should be rather small
in number, should consist of specialists in their assigned area,
and should carry out primarily a counseling function, although
a board may delegate certain programmatic functions to a
standing committee while retaining supervision.

The Task Force realizes that if the convention approves the
new boards being proposed here, the existing slates of nominees
for various boards need to be altered. The Task Force has
requested the Committee for Convention Nominations to be
prepared to offer slates for the boards which are being pro-
posed. It should also be noted in this connection that
incumbents of various boards whose terms do not expire at this
convention are also eligible to be considered as nominees for
the new boards which are being proposed.

The Task Force recommends:

1. Thatin addition to the Boards of Regents (Control)
of our various colleges and seminaries the following

elected program boards be constituted: