LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1989, Page 132

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132 RESOLUTIONS

sequently be renewed on a three-year basis. Decisions for
termination of recognition shall also be the responsibility
of the appropriate board according to procedures as here-
inafter described. Decisions to grant, deny, renew, or ter-
minate recognition shall be reported for information
purposes in the quarterly activity report to the Board of
Directors.

In order for an entity to be initially considered for rec-
ognized-service-organization status, and in order that con-
tinuation of that status once granted may be considered,
the entity shall do the following:

1. Be involved in program activities that extend the
mission and ministry of the church and that are in har-
mony with and complement the program(s) of the board(s)
of the Synod to which the application has been referred.

2. Identify itself with the Synod but not be a part of the
Synod’s constitutional structure.

3. Respect and not act contrary to the doctrine and prac-
tice of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) as
set forth in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions
and the applicable resolutions of the Synod. (It is self-
understood that LCMS personnel serving recognized ser-
vice organizations as well as recognized service organi-
zations that are exclusively for LCMS, will honor and
uphold the doctrines and resolutions of the Synod.)

4. Operate with freedom and self-determination as a
ministry independent of the Synod in the establishment
and evaluation of its own objectives, activities, and pro-
grams, in its organization and administration, and in fi-
nancial matters.

5. Be an organization or part of an organization that
has been classified by the Internal Revenue Service as a
501(c\(3) organization. Normally, members of the organi-
zation shall be member congregations or judicatories of the
Synod. However, in organizations of a regional or national
nature, membership of individuals may be allowed.

6. With respect to pan-Lutheran organizations where
membership includes individuals or congregations who are
not members of the Synod, receive voluntary financial sup-
port from congregations or individuals who are members
of member congregations of the Synod and provide for ap-
propriate LCMS representation on its governing board.

7. In accordance with the criteria approved by the syn-
odical Board of Directors, provide a mutual letter of agree-
ment that defines the manner in which the organization
complements the program of the board to which it relates
indicating that it is responsible for its own debts and lia-
bilities and assuming that it will so indicate in all of its
agreements of a financial nature, statements of ownership,
bylaws, financial offers, and other legal documents, agree-
ments, promotional materials, and all other communica-
tions of a financial nature, so that it is clear that being
recognized by the Synod as a service organization is not
regarded as a synodical endorsement of its organization
and administration or as a guarantee on the part of the
Synod for the fiscal solvency of, or any financial respon-
sibility for, the organization or for services explicitly or
implicitly offered.

Boards that have granted recognition to service orga-

nizations are responsible to the Synod for the regular mon-
itoring of those organizations. The staff of the board which
grants recognized-service-organization status shall moni-
tor compliance with the letter of agreement and report, on
a regular basis, to the granting board on any areas of
concern.

8. Seek to coordinate and communicate its programs
with and to the Synod and to implement efforts to coop-
erate with the Synod, through the appropriate board or
commission.

9. Provide the appropriate board or commission with an
annual program report.

10. Except with respect to fund-raising efforts that are
intended to reach only its own constituency, have the priv-
ilege and responsibility of consulting with the appropriate
board or commission with respect to its special fund-rais-
ing efforts and conform to the stipulations of Bylaws 9.11—
9.15.

Recognized-service-organization status may be termi-
nated at any time, with or without cause, by a service
organization or by the Synod acting through the appro-
priate board or commission, in accordance with the Board
of Directors’ policy. However, the effective date of termi-
nation by the Synod shall be not earlier than 90 days after
the organization has been notified in writing of the intent
to terminate, thus allowing that organization an oppor-
tunity to seek a continuation of its recognition by the
Synod. Recommendation to terminate shall be referred to
the Board of Directors for review before final action is
taken. There shall be no right of appeal of such termination
by the Synod to a synodical convention or otherwise.
Promptly after the effective date of any termination, the
Synod shall publish a notice in an official periodical that
the organization is no longer recognized by the Synod as
a recognized service organization.

A recognized service organization shall be listed as such
in The Lutheran Annual, provided that such listing shall
be prefaced by a statement that recognition is not a guar-
antee on the part of the Synod for the fiscal solvency of
the recognized service organization or any financial re-
sponsibility for such organization or for services expressed
or implied.

Ordained or commissioned ministers of the Synod serv-
ing recognized service organizations shall be included on
the active membership rosters of the Synod, if otherwise
eligible, under Bylaw 2.15 j.

Any reports on these organizations to the conventions
of the Synod will be made through the boards to which
they relate.

To Extend 1986 Convention Action
Regarding Auxiliaries
RESOLUTION 5-10
Overture 5-14 (CW, pp. 226-27)

Background. The 1986 convention of the Synod in Res.
5-21 revised Bylaw 14.01 to expand auxiliary membership
eligibility to allow for all of The Lutheran Church—-Mis-
souri Synod (LCMS) auxiliaries to also be auxiliaries of