LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 195

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4. ADMINISTRATION

4-01
The President’s Report
4-02
Report of First Vice-President

This is going to be the last report this particular Vice-
President of the Synod is going to render, and therefore it may
take a little different form than those formerly produced.

As you probably know, after age 70 I thought it incumbent
upon me to quit cluttering up the place. Hampered by a stroke,
my activity has become limited since the Dallas convention in
1977. I had fully intended to resign after that stroke, but Dr.
Preus, the President of the Synod, graciously consented to keep
me in this position during my term of office. This term is now
drawing to its close, and I would like to thank all of the people
at synodical headquarters for their kindness during these
years when my activities were a bit curtailed because of that
stroke and my advancing years.

I also want to thank the Synod for allowing me 12 years of
service as a Vice-President of the Synod, beginning in 1969 and
continuing until now.

The Lord has been very good to me in my lifetime, allowing
me to serve in His kingdom since 1935 as a parish pastor, as a
board member in the District, as a president of the Michigan
District for four years, and finally the work I’ve been doing for
the Synod since 1969, especially these last eight years as First
Vice-President.

I have had much joy and happiness in the service of the
Lord over these years, and I expect to do what I can in the
future as conditions allow it. ;

Most of my time these last four years has been spent in
working with the colloquy program for the pastoral office in
our church, We can now report that in the last biennium 127
men have been placed into the pastoral ministry by colloquy.
There are those who think that is too many, but we will not
want to forget that among these men there are some very fine
parish pastors who have decided later in life to become pastors
in our church and are doing a tremendous piece of work in
preaching the Good News of our salvation in Jesus Christ our
Savior and loving the people they serve. This is not to
downgrade in any way those who have come through our
system of colleges and seminaries in the meantime; they will
always form the backbone of our ministry because of the
thorough training they receive during their attendance at our
schools and seminaries. This is still the best way that a man
can prepare himself for service in God’s kingdom and withouta
doubt will always remain the best way to get it all done and to
prepare thoroughly for the important work of the ministry.

The office of the First Vice-President is full time, and he
occupies an office at the headquarters of the Synod.

Besides the First Vice-President, the Synod has four Vice-
Presidents who spend part of their time as Vice-Presidents and
serve in other capacities to earn a living. These fine men are Dr.
Guido Merkens, Second Vice-President; Dr. Walter A. Maier,
Third Vice-President; Dr. Robert C. Sauer, Fourth Vice-Presi-
dent; and Dr. George Wollenburg, Fifth Vice-President. These
men perform yeoman services for the Synod in their capacity
as representatives of the President of the Synod in meetings
that he is not able to attend because hs is overwhelmed by the
sheer number of meetings. The Synod owes them many thanks
for their work, which is not as a rule publicized to a great
degree.

Besides his other duites, Dr. Wollenburg serves on the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations, and Dr.
Robert Sauer is the administrative assistant to the President,
working at synodical headquarters full time.

It has been my pleasant duty during these years to serve in
various capacities. I have been an advisory member to the
Board of Directors with a voice but no vote. Also, the First
Vice-President is part of the Council of Administrators and
serves as liaison for the President with the Board for Missions
and the Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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Also, he meets with the Commission on Constitutional Matters
and the Commission on Theology and Church Relations.

It has been a good biennium for me and for the Synod, and
we ask the Lord’s blessing upon the future of His church among
us sothat the purpose for which we are united in the Synod may
be furthered by everyone connected with it. We wish to pay
tribute also to the thousands of faithful people who serve our
parishes and the colleges and seminaries of our church. In the
faithful discharge of their duties they certainly are Kingdom-
builders, and we wish to acknowledge that before the Lord and
before the church so that in all things their work will be
undergirded by our 2.7 million laypeople who form The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. And now farewell, and
may the Lord bless and keep you all and grant you much joy
and peace in believing and in spreading the Good News of our
salvation everywhere in the world.

I want to thank in particular President Preus and Dr. Robert
Sauer, with whom I have been closely associated these years
and who have been most kind, compassionate, and under-
standing to let me function even though handicapped to a
degree by failure of bodily strength and health. I thank our
great and wonderful God for letting a poor, miserable sinner be
His servant for more than 45 years in His kingdom and
blessing the small talent so that it could become useful in
building His kingdom. May the Lord bless you all, to His glory
and for the benefit of His church.

E. C. Weber, First Vice-President
4-03

Report of Secretary of Synod

The Secretary of the Synod is one of the principal officers of
the Synod, listed in its Constitution immediately after the
President and Vice-Presidents (Article X, A). Together with the
other constitutional officers the Secretary serves the Synod in
a support capacity to achieve its objectives as servant of the
congregations of the Synod.

Already several decades ago the position of synodical
Secretary had become, for all practical purposes, a full-time
position. For that reason the incumbent for many years was
given assistance in the form of a full-time vicar and secretarial

elp.

In 1962 the Synodical Survey Commission concluded that
the position should indeed be made full-time and be filled at
synodical headquarters. After the present incumbent had
completed his first four-year term on the previous basis,
serving also as a parish pastor, it was concluded in 1969 that
the change should finally be made. At that time the Board of
Directors in its resolution stated: ‘The office of the Secretary
should remain a separate and distinct office and not be a staff
position.”

This decision of the Board of Directors asking the incumbent
to move the office to St. Louis was subsequently reviewed and
approved by the Milwaukee convention in 1971. The decision
seems to have been a wise one. If anything, the work has
multiplied still more during the past decade.

* * *

Since the question is often asked as to what the respon-
sibilities of the synodical Secretary really are, we feel that a
report in answer to that question is again in order.

By prescription of the Constitution and Bylaws of the
Synod the synodical Secretary fills essentially four secretarial
positions:

1. Secretary of the Synod. Involved here are most of the
customary duties of a corporation secretary with respect to the
development and custody of documents, the handling of much
correspondence, telephone calls, etc. Many hours are spent
consulting with other officers and staff at synodical head-
quarters and especially with District Presidents in the field.
Involved here are also the extremely detailed responsibilities
with reference to the biennial conventions of the Synod. The
Secretary is in charge of all preconvention registration pro-