LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 232

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232

Synod Structure and Governance

Whereas, The Synod would do well to proceed with prayerful and
appropriate care in considering any changes; and
Whereas, Recommendation 5 in the task force’s final report of
October 15, 2009, has far-reaching and significant import; and
Whereas, This recommendation will reduce the voice of the commissioned ministers and deprive the Synod of their vast experience;
therefore be it
Resolved, That Our Savior Lutheran Church of Muscatine, IA,
memorialize the Synod NOT to change Article V of the Synod’s
Constitution.
Our Savior, Muscatine, IA; Zion, Wilton, IA
8-31

To Reject Any Proposed Changes re Voting
Delegates to Synod Conventions
Whereas, The President of the Synod in 2005 appointed a Blue
Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance (BRTFSSG)
to “do a thorough, zero-based assessment of the entirety of the system
of governance and organizational structure” and provide “recommended improvements [that] … suggest a form of structure and
governance for the decades ahead”; and
Whereas, The BRTFSSG has brought forward the following for
consideration and discussion: “Elect national convention delegates
at district conventions”; and
Whereas, If adopted, this new procedure for electing national
convention delegates at district conventions would necessarily eliminate the current procedure whereby national convention delegates
are elected by electoral circuits; and
Whereas, Under the current procedure, congregations have
a direct and immediate voice in the election of their delegates to
national conventions; and
Whereas, Under the new procedure put forward by the BRTFSSG
for consideration and discussion, congregations would have a more
indirect and less immediate voice in the election of their delegates to
national Synod conventions; and
Whereas, Under the new procedure put forward by the BRTFSSG
for consideration and discussion, delegates to national conventions
would in effect be representing their districts rather than their electoral circuit congregations; and
Whereas, Under the new procedure put forward by the BRTFSSG
for consideration and discussion, the potential exists for the development of “voting blocs” within the districts, thereby fostering
unnecessary division and discord; and
Whereas, Under the new procedure put forward by the BRTFSSG
for consideration and discussion, a “majority bloc” with a very narrow
voting margin over a “minority bloc” could, in effect, be in a “winner
take all” position with regard to the makeup of a district’s delegation
to a national Synod convention, thereby effectively disenfranchising
members within the “minority bloc”; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Minnesota North District convention memorialize the 2010 LCMS convention to reject any proposal of the
BRTFSSG that provides for a congregation to be represented in any
other way than by one pastor and one lay delegate at the circuit forums
which elect one pastoral and one lay delegate for the national conventions of the Synod.
Minnesota North District

8-32

To Reject Proposed Change re Voting Delegates
to District Conventions
Whereas, The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and
Governance (BRTFSSG) has submitted “Walking Together—The
LCMS Future: Proposals and Possibilities for Consideration and
Discussion” to each congregation of the Synod; and
Whereas, The BRTFSSG has stated that these “proposals/possibilities are not final by any means” and therefore seeks the input of
the local member congregations of the Synod; and
Whereas, Several parts of the proposals/possibilities of the
BRTFSSG could lead to an uneven balance of congregational representation on the district level; and
Whereas, Larger congregations are not better or more important
to Christ, and smaller congregations are not inferior or less important to Christ and His mission; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Minnesota North District convention memorialize the 2010 LCMS convention to reject any proposal of the
BRTFSSG that each parish in a district be represented at the district
conventions of the Synod in any other way than by one pastor and
one lay delegate.
Minnesota North District
8-33

To Reject “Associate Members” Recommendation
Whereas, The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and
Governance (BRTFSSG), in its final report, lists as Recommendation
2 the proposal to combine ministers of religion—ordained and ministers of religion—commissioned as “associate members” (p. 22; cf.
Appendix I, pp. 1.4–1.5; 1.12); and
Whereas, The proposal for “associate members” implies that ministers of religion—ordained and ministers of religion—commissioned
are of equal status and suggests that their role is somewhat interchangeable; and
Whereas, Such an implication or suggestion is not reflective of the
historic LCMS definition of Word and Sacrament ministry as maintained by C. F. W. Walther’s theses on ministry—especially Thesis
VIII, which maintains that the pastoral office is the highest office in
the church and that all other offices stem from it; and
Whereas, The ministry of Word and Sacrament is identified as the
“ministry” proper, which describes the pastoral office (AC V), and
the marks of the church are the Word and Sacraments (AC VII); and
Whereas, Historically, the LCMS has consistently maintained
that congregations should be represented by one pastor and one lay
delegate (LCMS Constitution, Art. V); therefore be it
Resolved, That Recommendation 2 and its proposal for “associate members” be rejected; and be it further
Resolved, That resolution of the important issue of representation on the part of ministers of religion—commissioned flow from a
different approach that does not imply or suggest the equality of the
pastoral office with those offices that “stem from it.”
Circuit 2
Southeastern District

2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 232

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