LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 71

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SYNOD REPORTS
result of the CCM’s efforts to conduct a systematic review of
the governing instruments of all Synod agencies.
• As a voting member of the Board of Governors of Concordia
Historical Institute (the Synod’s official Department of
Archives and History), I have participated in the board’s oversight responsibilities and challenges during the past triennium,
including the relocation of the CHI Museum in the Synod’s
International Center. As the board member most available to
the museum site, I was able to assume a coordinative role in
the construction phase of the museum.
• As a member of the Commission on Structure, I have met regularly with the commission as it has evaluated the need for
revision or amendment of certain sections of the Handbook,
brought to its attention by previous conventions and various
entities of the Synod. The commission is bringing several
significant proposals to the 2010 convention, including the
restating of the Synod’s Articles of Incorporation and the introduction of a bylaw section to govern the removal of board and
commission members.
Other Work Pertaining to the Office
Bylaw 3.3.3.2 also allows for “such other work as the Synod in
convention, the President, or the Board of Directors may assign”
to the Secretary. This “other work” has provided opportunities for
involvement in matters not always secretarial in nature. During the
past three years:
• I have been privileged to serve on the AALC/LCMS
Commission on Fellowship that has been meeting regularly to work out agreements with the Synod’s newest
partner church body, the American Association of Lutheran
Churches. Agreements governing the movement of congregations and pastors between AALC and LCMS rosters, voting
representation, and ecclesiastical supervision under various
circumstances, necessary because of the close proximity of
LCMS and AALC congregations, have been reached and are
published elsewhere in this Workbook.
• At the beginning of the triennium, I was asked by the President
of the Synod to serve on the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod
Structure and Governance when he added several members
to the task force. I have appreciated the opportunity to be
involved first-hand in the task force’s discussions of proposed
changes to the Synod’s structure. If adopted by the convention, the implementation of those changes will present an
additional challenge to the post-convention responsibilities
of the Secretary’s Office.
• I continue to appreciate the opportunity to serve on the
President’s Church Relations Cabinet as its secretary. The cabinet meets regularly to review church relations matters and offer
advice to the President in their regard, matters often of great
significance as a result of our Synod’s ever-increasing role as
a leader of confessional Lutheranism worldwide.
• I have found very interesting the opportunity as an officer of the Synod to meet twice annually with the leaders of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to share current church body information and to discuss the theological
issues that continue to separate our two church bodies. The
ELCA’s recent action regarding human sexuality has given
these meetings new interest and purpose as the LCMS endeavors to determine the significance of the ELCA action for those
activities that our church bodies do jointly.
• I have been privileged as an officer of the Synod to participate
in meetings with representatives of Lutheran church bodies

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who express interest in a closer relationship with the LCMS,
in some cases altar and pulpit fellowship. The most recent case
was a meeting with representatives of the Siberian Evangelical
Lutheran Church.
• During the past triennium, due to my membership on the
CCM and my staff-related responsibilities with the Council
of Presidents, I have facilitated a review of the Standard
Operating Procedures Manual for the dispute resolution process and two of the four manuals that accompany our Synod
processes that govern removal from membership.
• I have worked with other staff and representatives of those
boards most involved in granting Recognized Service
Organization status to put in place a more orderly and uniformly monitored process for granting and renewing RSO
status. The Secretary’s Office plays a key role in receiving
applications and moving them forward through a very deliberate process intended to ascertain that such recognition will be
of benefit both to the Synod and to the recognized organization.
• Once each triennium I have been able to call together the elected
secretaries of the Synod’s 35 districts to provide orientation
regarding their important responsibilities in the Synod, especially during the delegate certification process for conventions
of the Synod. As a testimony to the recognized value of this
meeting, each district of the Synod contributed $500 toward
the cost of the meeting when it became evident that no unrestricted funding would be available for this purpose in the
Synod’s budget.
All of these duties have constituted one part of the activities of the
Office of the Secretary during the past triennium, specifically those
responsibilities articulated in the Synod’s Bylaws. The Bylaws, however, are silent regarding another important function of the office.
The Place to Call
Each day provides occasion for numerous contacts via telephone,
mail, or e-mail with other workers in the International Center who
have specific bylaw issues, district officials with procedural questions, parish pastors and church workers with constitutional questions,
parties with questions regarding dispute resolution procedure, leaders
of congregations with questions regarding their own constitutions and
bylaws, or just random people from around the globe who visit our
Synod’s Web site and find themselves left with not-frequently-asked
questions on their minds. Such contacts, while they add considerably
to the workload in our office, are a welcome reminder that the Office
of the Secretary is immersed in and is facilitating the walk and work
of a real live church body that has a critical message to get out to a
needy world. Such contacts also often add a refreshing personal and
even pastoral element to an office that is most closely associated with
boards and bylaws, decency and order.
As I have been privileged to carry out the responsibilities of
Secretary of the Synod for the past twelve years, I have often found
occasion to marvel at the unexpected direction that one’s life can take
under the hand of God. From parish pastor to the position of service
I currently hold has been an unforeseen journey with many unexpected turns, opportunities, and blessings. I thank God regularly for
this opportunity to serve as the Secretary of our beloved Synod, truly
“One People—Forgiven.”
Raymond L. Hartwig, Secretary
2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 71

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