LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1967, Page 116

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116

composed of members. or nonmembers, as it may require
from time to time.’

8.17 Meetings of the Board

a. The board shall meet in regular session at least quar-
terly each year.

b. The principal administrative officer of the staff of the
board shall attend all meetings of the board in an advisory
capacity. He shall at the board’s direction ask other staff
members to attend board meetings and to participate in re-
ports and presentations.

Action: Adopted.

To Provide Administrative Relief in Case
of Ministerial Incapacity
RESOLUTION 4-46

Overture 4-53 U (URO, p. 48)

Wuereas, The synodical Constitution has long since
included as one of its objects “the protection of pastors,
teachers, and congregations in the performance of their
duties and the maintenance of their rights”; and

Wuereas, This provision has led through the decades
to the development of the program of the Board of Sup-
port and Pensions and even the Board of World Relief
and recently of the Concordia Plans (by these devices
the Synod has indicated the desirability, if not necessity,
of providing synodically for the fostering and the
maintenance of positive health among professional
church workers to the extent that this can be done) ; and

Wuerzeas, There is, however, no established way in
which an individual, on his own initiative, or that of his
family, or that of his congregation or other ecclesiastical
employer, or at the initiative of his District President,
can be honorably removed and retired from ministerial
authority and responsibility because of mental, emo-
tional, or physical disability preventing the proper per-
formance of his duties; therefore be it

Resolved, That this synodica] convention establish a
general policy, with subsequent suitable Handbook pro-
visions to be inserted by the Commission on Constitu-
tional Matters, granting authority to the synodical Presi-
dent and each District President to appoint a standing
commission on ministerial health consisting of two pas-
tors, one teacher, and two lay persons, at least one of
whom shall be a physician or a psychiatrist; and be it
further

Resolved, That the synodical Commission on Ministe-
rial Health shall develop standards and procedural
guidelines; and be it further

Resolved, That the District commission shall be
charged with the responsibility of receiving, investiga-
ting, and considering petitions from or complaints con-
cerning the alleged disability of a professional church
worker; these requests may be initiated in writing by
the worker, by an adult member of his family, by the
board of elders or the church council of his congrega-
tion, or by the synodical or District board which is his
ecclesiastical employer; and be it further

Resolved, That the District commission shall be au-
thorized to use the professional consultative services

CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

needed to establish the facts in the situation; subject to
prevailing legal limitations regarding the necessary con-
sent of a party to comprehensive or special medical ex-
aminations, the commission may secure a prognosis and
recommend a program of remedial or supportive care;
the commission may propose vocational redirection or
guidance into a more suitable work situation; and be it
further .

Resolved, That the District commission shall have the
authority to recommend to the District President specific
courses of action; and be it further

Resolved, That the Board of Managers of the Concor-
dia Plans, the Board of Support and Pensions, and the
Board of World Relief, respectively, may be asked to
offer assistance and support in the care of the worker
and the dependents in an individual case; and be it
finally

Resolved, That reports on individual cases should be
made annually to the synodical Personnel Director, who
may also refer individual cases of appeal from the deci-
sion of a District commission to the synodical Commis-
sion on Ministerial Health similarly constituted by the
synodical President.

Action: Adopted in corrected form.

To Accept President’s Report

RESOLUTION 4-47

Report 4-01

Resolved, That the Synod gratefully accept the report
of its President; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod urge all its congregations
to continue regularly to include President Harms, his
advisers, and his aides in prayer to the God of all grace;
and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod by a standing vote ac-
knowledge and commend the deep pastoral concern
which Dr. Oliver R. Harms has-shown for the doctrine
and life of the church during the biennium.

Action: Adopted.

5. CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

To Accept into Membership Certain
Congregations, Pastors, and Teachers

RESOLUTION 5-01

Overture 5-63 U (URO, p.53)

Whereas, Certain congregations, pastors, and teach-
ers have, in accordance with Article V of the Constitu-
tion, applied for membership in the Synod:

Congregations

Christ, Shakopee, Minn. (Minn. S.)

St. Mark’s, Grand Rapids, Mich. (Mich.)
Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo, Mich. (Mich.)
Gloria Dei, Hudson, Ohio (Ohio)

Good Shepherd of the Deaf, Toledo, Ohio (Ohio)
Resurrection, Orlando, Fla. (Fla.-Ga.)

Holy Trinity, Walnut, Dl. (N. TL.)

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