LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 244

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244

Synod Structure and Governance

meet the needs of the Haitians, and WRHC was among the first relief
organizations on the ground with a network of volunteer medical and
pastoral personnel (Will the restructuring plan improve the Synod’s
ability to initiate and nurture a sustainable network on the ground in
the United States and around the world that can be as responsive to
an earthquake, tsunami, flood, or hurricane as the current structure
has allowed?); and
Whereas, A significant portion of the work of WRHC involves
domestic grants to churches, pastors, church workers, and RSOs that
experience significant human care needs; and
Whereas, Responding to these needs requires experience and
resources (Will the restructuring plan improve the Synod’s ability
to attract, maintain, and foster the expertise and resources that have
been developed over the past several years?); and
Whereas, Domestically, the inter-Lutheran collaboration known
as Lutheran Services in America provides nearly $16 billion of service to communities and individuals with assistance that leadership
from the LCMS provided to this network; and
Whereas, LCMS RSOs depend upon this human care network
to improve quality and maintain and provide advocacy and care for
the most vulnerable citizens in America (Will the restructuring plan
improve the Synod’s ability to strengthen, oversee, encourage, and
advance this network and thereby serve increased needs as an expression of God’s love in Christ?); and
Whereas, In a rapidly shrinking world where global interaction
is increasingly common and long-standing values and cultural perspectives are being challenged and eroded, WRHC has been at the
forefront of discussions of and advocacy for life issues (Will the
restructuring improve the Synod’s ability to lead, speak, and partner in such a way that God’s plan for humankind is advanced and
He is honored?);
Whereas, WRHC has met external benchmarks established by
the Better Business Bureau regarding administrative and fund-raising
costs, receiving the best possible rating for combined administrative/communication expenses according to Charity Navigator (Will
the restructuring improve the Synod’s ability to meet these external
benchmarks?); and
Whereas, Disaster work, human care, mercy medical teams, life
ministries, and many other ministries of mercy are global and interconnected national and international efforts (Does splitting whatever
work of WRHC that remains after the restructuring into domestic mission and international mission advance the global work of mercy of
the church?); therefore be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2010 LCMS convention be
encouraged to prayerfully consider these questions when deliberating
upon “Recommendation #18: Realign the National Synod Ministries
around Two Mission Commissions.”
Board for Human Care Ministries
8-68

To Delay Implementation of BRTFSSG
Recommendation re National Office Structure
Whereas, In 2005, President Gerald Kieschnick appointed the
Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance; and
Whereas, Experience teaches that maximum attention must be
given to details and wording in making adjustments and/or changes
impinging on structure; and
Whereas, The Synod would do well to proceed with prayerful and
appropriate care in considering any changes; and

Whereas, Recommendation 18 in the task force’s final report of
October 15, 2009, has far-reaching and significant import; and
Whereas, It is not clear what areas of responsibility may/will be
transferred to districts and/or “other entities”; therefore be it
Resolved, That Our Savior Lutheran Church, Muscatine, IA,
memorialize the Synod to delay acting on this recommendation until
at least the 2013 national convention.
Our Savior, Muscatine, IA;
Zion, Wilton, IA
8-69

To Reject Proposal for Advisory Boards
Whereas, The BRTFSSG has proposed that all program boards on
the national level be advisory and function to encourage and support
a ministry rather than have any administrative role; and
Whereas, The BRTFSSG has proposed that all executive staff at
the national level report directly to the President of the Synod; and
Whereas, The BRTFSSG has not indicated how these executive
staff would be chosen, presumably by the President; and
Whereas, This proposal would be a significant centralization of
power; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Southern Illinois District in convention request
the Synod in convention to reject this proposal.
Southern Illinois District
8-70

To Consolidate Current National Boards
and Commissions
Whereas, In his response to the final report of the BRTFSSG,
President Kieschnick has pointed out that the national offices are
difficult to manage, expensive to operate, and programmatically
redundant; and
Whereas, There are several boards and commissions that perform
similar and overlapping functions; and
Whereas, In the interest of good stewardship of the financial
resources God has granted to our Synod, it would be prudent to eliminate such redundancy; therefore be it
Resolved, That the number of boards and commissions be reduced;
and be it further
Resolved, That the current boards and commissions be consolidated according to the following recommendations:
1. A Board for Higher Education, which would include supervision of
the seminaries, pre-sem programs, commissioned church-worker
training programs, universities, distance learning, and continuing
education, including the functions of the current Commission on
Ministerial Growth and Support;
2. A Board for Missions, which would include supervision over international missions, national ethnic missions and ministries, special
needs ministries, campus ministry, and armed forces ministry;
3. A Board for Human Care and Relief, which would include supervision over international and domestic relief, deaconess organizations,
coordination of social ministry organizations and RSOs, and work
with human rights organizations;
4. A Board for Parish Services, which would supervise Synod programs in the areas of evangelism, stewardship, fiscal management,
lay leadership training, parochial schools, youth, singles, worship
(including the current Commission on Worship), and Laborers for
Christ;
5. A Commission on Theology and Church Relations, which would
combine the current functions of the CTCR with the Commission

2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 244

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