LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1971, Page 162

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162 RESOLUTIONS

whose officers have their duties and _ responsibilities
defined, circumscribed, and limited to their respective
areas of responsibility; and

Wuereas, The said resolutions are directed to the
diminution and, in some instances, elimination of respon-
sibilities of the President of the Synod, whose responsi-
bilities are fixed by the Constitution; and

Wuereas, Such changes will have the effect of di-
verting the constitutional plan of cooperative super-
vision extending from the President of the Synod
through the District Presidents to the members of the
Synod; and

Wuereas, The purpose and intent of our church is
being served by the consultation between Presidents of
Districts and the President of the Synod; therefore
be it

Resolved, That we respectfully refer the overtures
numbered 5-44, 5-45, 5-46, 5-47, 5-48, 5-49, 5-55 to the
Committee on Organization for further study; and be it
further

Resolved, That we encourage the continuation and
expansion of the current practice of counseling between
the President of the Synod and the District Presidents
in the exercise of their respective responsibilities under
the present constitutional provisions, and that in making
appointments to boards and commissions, the President
and the Board of Directors of the Synod be encouraged
to seek the suggestions and advice of the District Presi-
dents for appointments from their respective Districts
so that the widest distribution of representation and
talent available may be obtained in such appointments;
and be it finally

Resolved, That we concur in the recommendation
of the ad hoc Committee on Organization in its pro-
posals for the further study of “the role and function
of the Council of Presidents, especially in their relation-
ship to the synodical administration and conventions,
to the Board of Directors, and an exploration of the
council’s role in interim decision-making” (U0, Pro-
posals for Further Study, par. 4, CW, p. 219), so that
there may be a more mature judgment established in
the various areas of responsibility suggested in the over-
tures herein reviewed,

Action: Adopted as revised above (17).

(The committee accepted the suggestions from the floor
to change the title from “To Decline Collegialism” and the
first resolved from “that we respectfully decline the over-
tures numbered . . . 5-55” to the form given above. The
committee also deleted the second-last whereas, which had
read:

“Wuereas, The aforementioned resolutions are submitted
at a time and under circumstances which, if given considera-
tion or are adopted, will 8ive credence to and support of
allegations of mistrust, lack of integrity, opportunism, schis-
matic activity, unfairness, repression, and dishonesty leveled
against the person of the current President and would en-
courage a procedure of constitutional change for the purpose
of controlling, directing, and chastising an incumbent
president.”)

To Thank Commission on Mission and
Ministry in the Church

RESOLUTION 5-22
Report 5-04 (CW, pp. 250—253)

Wuereas, The Commission on Mission and Ministry
in the Church has submitted its report to the conven-
tion; and

Wuereas, That report is printed in the 1971 Conven-
tion Workbook, pp. 250—253; and

Wuereas, The report is in the nature of a progress
report on the commission’s assignment to (I) evaluate
the past procedures of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, its resources, and the means and adequacy of
training Christian workers for the various and special
ministries as dictated by the needs of mankind; and
(2) consider and probe for new or adopted strategies,
resources, and procedures for enhancing the effective-
ness of the church’s mission; and

Wuereas, This progress report does not call for adop-
tion by the Synod in the report’s present state; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That we thank the Commission on Mission
and Ministry in the Church for its work thus far and
encourage it to continue to prepare its final report for
the Synod; and be it also

Resolved, That the commission be directed to seek
ways to share its final report with the church for study
prior to the next convention.

Action: Adopted (14).

To Adopt “Statement on Ethics”
RESOLUTION 5-23

Report 4-87; Overtures 2-71, 2-73, 2-74, 2-80, 2-88, 5-83
(CW, pp. 36—37, 70—74, 237—238, 273)

Wuereas, The Synod in its convention in Denver in
1969 expressed concerns regarding the activities and
methods used by various individuals and groups in so-
called politicking, and the Synod also expressed its con-
cerns that “politicking” may reflect adversely upon the
church (1969 Proceedings, pp. 112—113); and

Wuereas, The Synod in 1969 instructed the Council
of Presidents “to develop and publish a statement on
ethics and honorable and acceptable practices associated
with avenues of communication designed to inform the
Synod at large and convention delegates in particular”
(Proceedings, p. 113); and

Wuereas, Since the Denver convention, political ac-
tivity in the Synod has intensified with meetings of vari-
ous groups having been held throughout the country in
which attention was given to planning for the Milwau-
kee convention including attention to the selection of
task forces, formulation of strategy, the creation of com-
munications networks, as well as calling together seyv-
eral groups in an effort to form a coalition for co-
ordinated action at the convention; and