LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 173

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ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

4-21

To Hold 1989 Convention in Wichita

WHEREAS, The Kansas District will celebrate its 100th
anniversary in 1988; and

WHEREAS, Wichita, Kans., is about in the middle of the
United States; and

WHEREAS, The facilities in the city of Wichita are out-
standing, with ample space for meetings and ample housing
facilities at a very reasonable rate: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Kansas District of the LCMS graciously
invite The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, meeting in 1989
to come to Wichita, Kans., for its convention in July of that
year.

Board of Directors

Kansas District

George J. Bruening, President
Harvey Hanneman, Secretary

4-22
To Restrict Equalization to Travel Costs

WHEREAS, The 1977 Dallas Convention Res. 4-10-1 resolved,
“That the convention manager be instructed to prepare a
system to equalize convention travel costs on a District-by-
District basis”; and

WHEREAS, The 1981 St. Louis Convention Res. 4-14 an-
swered two overtures (4-33 & 4-34) which called for equalization
of convention travel costs, and Res. 4-14 referred to convention
travel expenses in the title and in the first “Whereas” and then
resolved: “That the Board of Directors be asked to effect such
equalization beginning with the 1983 convention”: and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s Board of Directors has gone bevond
the resolutions of the Synod by including other costs besides
the cost of travel (e.g., meals, lodging, operating costs, and
miscellaneous) and also has included the convention costs of
other synodical personnel to be borne by the Districts and
equalized among them on a per delegate basis; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Synod be asked
to devise and implement a plan whereby only the travel costs of
only the District delegates shall be equalized.

Board of Directors
North Dakota District
Paul A. Bunkowske, Secretary:

4-23
To Reduce Number of District Executives

WHEREAS, The Great Commission of our Lord (Matt. 28:19-
20) remains the primary mission of the church and ought
without question be the highest priority of the church: and

WHEREAS, A review of the efforts of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, as reported in the Statistical Yearbook, to
meet the challenge of the Great Commission reveals the
following:

foreign
missionarics

pastors
serving in
Diatrict
capacities

173

(In 1948 there were three times as many foreign missionaries
serving our Synod as there were pastors serving in District
capacities. In 1981 there were significantly more pastors
serving in District capacities than there were pastors sent
“into all the world” by the Synod, during which time the Synod
membership nearly doubled): and

WHEREAS, We thank God for every faithful and fruitful labor
with which pastors and their office secretaries served the
District in many God-pleasing ways as executives for youth
ministry, for stewardship, for education, etc., the priorities
given to the church by our Lord’s Great Commission cause this
congregation to petition the Synod to

Resolve, That the Great Commission cannot let us continue
our present course in which the number of pastors serving
as District staff continues to increase while the number of
pastors sent “into all the world” continues to decrease. We
acknowledge with gratitude every effort made to strengthen
the body of Christ, but we also live under the commission of
Christ to “go into all the world” and enlarge the body of Christ.
Wherefore we ask that the Synod in order to carry out the
priorities given to us by our Lord direct the Districts of the
Synod, in the unique relationship that the Synod has with the
Districts,

1. to establish relationships with neighboring Districts so
that two or three Districts can utilize the expertise and service
of one executive;

2. to reduce by one-half its staff personnel and urge congre-
gations affected by this loss of service to seek assistance from
synodical staff personnel and boards; :

3. to urge congregations and pastors to utilize their own
God-given talents, rather than relying on District programs,
many of which are not used by District congregations, to
establish their own parish programs that best serve the
kingdom of God in that place where He has called them;

4. to establish, where possible, the policy of having a parish
pastor serve as District President: and 7

5. to utilize the funds made available through these stepsin
the foreign mission program of the Synod.

St. Paul Lutheran Church
Brookfield, Ill.

Walter Hannenberg, Chairman
Mark Sitter. Secretary

4-24
To Utilize Computers More Fully

WHEREAS, The Michigan District has recently purchased a
Basic IV Computer; and .

WHEREAS, The use of microcomputers by congregations will
continue to increase and there is great advantage to congrega-
tions having compatible systems which can talk to each other
and use each other’s programs to share information, share
programs, and for continuing education etc.; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Michigan District utilize this technology
in making the best possible use of this resource in the area of
Professional Church Worker (i.e., pastor, teacher, DCE, lay
minister, and deaconess) placement; and be it further

Resolved, That the Michigan District request the Synod to
investigate the feasibility of the installation and use of a
Professional Church Worker personnel data bank to be avail-
able for use by all District Presidents; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Michigan District encourage the Synod
to determine and designate a microcomputer system that can
be used throughout the Synod if a congregation wishes to be
able to use all the resources available.

Michigan District,
Eldor F. Bickel, Secretary

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