LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1986, Page 176

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176 RESOLUTIONS

lete Bylaw 6.53 c and d referring to retired college and
seminary presidents.

11. In order to provide for corrected and additional defi-
nitions and to allow for representative membership on
boards, amend the following Bylaws:

2.51 Definitions

b. An appointed program board is...

c. A standing committee is a small group of special-
ists, specified in the Bylaws and appointed by .. -

f. An office is an officially established unit normally
consisting of staff and an advisory committee appointed
by an officer with the approval of the President and after
consultation with the Board of Directors or Council of
Presidents, as appropriate, in order to provide special
expertise or services in a specific area of work that would
be useful to the officers, boards, commissions, and other
agencies of the Synod. Membership may include mem-
bers of other boards and staffs which have a particular
interest in the services rendered.

g. (reletter present f through i)

F. APPOINTED PROGRAM BOARDS
1. Board for Communication Services
3.401 Membership

The Board for Communication Services shall consist
of seven members who shall be appointed by the Board
of Directors: three clergymen, at least one of whom shall
be a parish pastor, one teacher, three laypersons.

3. Board for Social Ministry Services
3.421 Membership

The Board for Social Ministry Services shall consist
of seven members who shall be appointed by the Board
of Directors: three clergymen, at least one of whom shall
be a parish pastor, one teacher, three laypersons.

K. OFFICES
3.751 Office of Government Information
An Office of Government Information, attached to

the office of the synodical President, shall be maintained
in Washington, D.C. The functions of the office shall be

a. gather needed information on public policy issues
for use by the President and other synodical officials;

b. serve members of the congregations of the Synod
by providing information on issues with moral or insti-
tutional importance;

c. communicate LCMS policy positions to appropri-
ate government entities,

d. maintain communications between the Synod and
Washington-based religious and issue-oriented organi-
zations.

12. Resolved, That wherever the word general or the
word national is used in the Bylaws to distinguish a syn-
odwide board, commission, committee, council, or depart-
ment, or a synodwide program or project, from one that is
not synodwide (e.g., from a district board), that word shall
be changed to “synodical.” To be sure, however, that this
is not taken to suggest that boards, etc., other than those
so designated as “synodical” are not “of the Synod” if they
are related to agencies of the Synod, such as districts, sem-
inaries, and colleges, the following shall be added to pres-
ent Bylaw 1.37:)

k. Use of the word synodical to distinguish a syn-
odwide board, committee, commission, council, or de-
partment, or a synodwide program or project, from one
that is not synodwide (e.g., from a district board) does

not express or imply that boards, committees, commis-
sions, councils, departments, programs, or projects

other than those designated as “synodical” are not “of
the Synod” if they are related to agencies of the Synod.

Action: Referred to Board of Directors in consultation
with Commission on Structure for study.

To Revise Nominations Process
RESOLUTION 5-03

Reports 5-01, 5-09, L (CW, pp. 170, 211); Overtures 5-
11A-5-20, 5-163 (CW, pp. 213-20, 278-79)

PREAMBLE

Resolution 2-12 (1981) called for a new process for nom-
inations. Membership on the Committee for Convention
Nominations was to be comprised of one representative
from each district, elected at the district convention in the
year preceding the synodical convention. The purpose of
the new process was to provide better representation from
throughout the Synod, both on the Committee for Conven-
tion Nominations and on the election slates, and more
qualified candidates for potential service in the Synod

Although it is true that the process has been followed
for only two conventions, and some might suggest that we
retain the process while attempting to improve it and re-
solve the difficulties, there are two major objections to the
process: (1) the high cost of conducting Committee for Con-
vention Nominations meetings, and (2) the short time span
available for this committee to do its work effectively.

The following resolution is offered to help resolve some
of the questions that have been raised and to propose a
revised process for nominations:

Wuereas, Many questions have been raised regarding
the nominations process in effect since 1981; and

WHEREAS, It is difficult to demonstrate that the current
process has provided more qualified candidates for elec-
tion; and

Wuereas, It is also difficult to demonstrate that the
current process has provided a more balanced distribution
of candidates for election from the synodical districts; and

Wuerkas, The current process does not guarantee that
members of the committee will be acquainted with all can-
didates proposed for nomination from their respective dis-
tricts; and

Wuereas, More time is needed by the Committee for
Convention Nominations to become acquainted with its
task and to do it properly; and

Wuereas, Funding for a smaller committee will be
spread over three fiscal years and will permit more meet-
ings to be held at no greater cost to the Synod; and

Wuereas, A Committee for Convention Nominations
elected by the Synod at convention will be more directly
responsible to the Synod in convention; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod resume its pre-1981 practice
of electing the Committee for Convention Nominations at
this 1986 convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the following changes in the Bylaws be
approved:

2.941 Committee for Convention Nominations
a. Fifteen persons—two district presidents, five par-