LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 397

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STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
between conventions of the Synod and ultimately to the Synod in convention (Constitution Art. XI A 1–2)”; and
Whereas, Bylaw 1.4.6 states, “Each staff [of the Synod] develops procedures, recommends and reviews programs and ministries,
manages programs, and recommends policy and program modifications. Staff implements decisions in accordance with approved policy.
(a) Staff is responsible to the Synod at the national or district level
in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod at the
national or district level, resolutions of the respective convention, and
the policies of a district or any other agency to which it is responsible;
(b) Staffs ordinarily serve as the liaison between the national and district levels. Staffs at the national and district levels consult with one
another in developing program proposals; (c) Each chief executive
or executive director shall report on staff activities and recommendations to the national Synod, district, agency, or officer to which that
executive is responsible and, as requested, to the president of the district or of the Synod”; and
Whereas, Bylaw 3.4.3.1 states, “The Chief Mission Officer shall
provide staff and other resource(s) to the Board for National Mission
and the Board for International Mission” and serves as an advisory
representative at convention as the “principal staff person” for the
Board for National Mission and the Board for International Mission
(Bylaw 3.1.4.1 [a]); and
Whereas, Both the President and the Board for National Mission
recognize the important role played by both the Chief Mission Officer
and the executive director of the Office of National Mission at Synod
conventions and floor committee meetings and have recommended
that the Bylaws be revised to enable the executive director of the
Office of National Mission to serve as advisory representative at
Synod conventions; and
Whereas, The Board for National Mission has previously made
use of 2013 Bylaw 3.1.4.1 (c) (“Other exceptions must have the
approval of the Board of Directors of the Synod prior to each convention”) to request that the executive director of the Office of National
Mission be designated as an advisory representative of the Board
for National Mission to the 2013 and 2016 Synod conventions; and
Whereas, The Board of Directors of the Synod has responded to
the aforementioned requests and approved the granting of exceptions
allowing the Board for National Mission to designate the executive
director of the Office of National Mission as an advisory representative of the Board for National Mission at the 2013 and 2016 Synod
conventions, in accordance with Bylaw 3.1.4.1 (c); and
Whereas, The Secretary of the Synod has indicated that he
intends to bring a positive recommendation to the Commission on
Handbook concerning the ongoing designation of the executive director of the Office of National Mission as an advisory representative of
the Board for National Mission at future Synod conventions, with a
view toward a proposed bylaw revision to be considered at the 2016
Synod convention; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Commission on Handbook be requested to prepare bylaw revision language that establishes the executive director
of the Office of National Mission as a regular advisory representative of the Board for National Mission at all Synod conventions; and
be it further
Resolved, That the 2016 Synod convention be encouraged to adopt
the aforementioned revision of the Bylaws to be prepared and submitted by the Commission on Handbook.
Board for National Mission
St. Louis, MO

397

11-29

To Make Incumbent Members of the Board for
National Mission Eligible for Floor Nominations
Whereas, Bylaw 3.8.2.2 states, “The Board for National Mission
shall be comprised of eleven members,” ten of which shall be “1. Five
laypersons and five individual members of the Synod (one of each
from each region of the Synod) elected in the same manner as are
regional members of the Board of Directors of the Synod (Bylaws
3.12.1 and 3.12.2.7)”; and
Whereas, Bylaw 3.12.2.7 accordingly defines the procedure by
which, for instance, regional vice-presidents of the Synod, regional
members of the Board of Directors of the Synod, and regional members of the Board for National Mission are nominated and elected; and
Whereas, Bylaw 3.12.2.7 states that “(c) The names of the five
[laypersons or individual members of the Synod being elected to the
Board for National Mission] residing within the boundaries of each
geographic region who receive the most nominating votes shall form
the slate from which the Synod convention shall select by majority
vote each regional [Board for National Mission member]. (d) No
opportunity shall be provided for additional nominations from the
floor of the convention”; and
Whereas, While the process defined in Bylaw 3.12.2.7 may result
in an election slate that includes incumbent regional vice-president
nominees and incumbent regional members of the Board of Directors
of the Synod, nominees who have garnered a relatively larger total
number of nominating votes within their regions, the same might
not be anticipated for incumbent members of the Board for National
Mission nominees, especially laypersons, whose work on these boards
may be less “publicly visible,” who have lower “name recognition,”
and who may receive a relatively fewer total number of nominating votes; and
Whereas, Relatively fewer nominating votes for any nominee
would give proportionally larger weight to each nominating vote,
making it possible that an incumbent member of the Board for
National Mission with less public visibility or lower name recognition could be more susceptible to not receiving sufficient nominating
votes to be included in the election slate for a subsequent term, even
though the incumbent member of the Board for National Mission
might be otherwise eligible under the Bylaws and readily willing to
stand for re-election, possibly continuing in highly-valued service as
a member of the Board for National Mission; and
Whereas, Bylaw 3.8.2 states, “The Board for National Mission is
charged with developing and determining policies for the coordination
of and in support of district ministries which support congregations
and schools (Bylaw 1.2.1 [m]),” and that, therefore, the members
of the Board for National Mission carry out crucial activities in the
development of policy and the oversight of policy implementation for
the support, guidance, planning, and execution of core program ministries in the Synod’s witness, mercy, and life together; and
Whereas, Owing to the crucial nature of the work of the Board for
National Mission, continuity of board membership and the possibility of ongoing service of eligible members of the Board for National
Mission is a characteristic that appropriately ought to be placed before
the Synod in convention and taken into consideration when electing
members to the Board for National Mission; and
Whereas, In regard to the selection of candidates to be included
in the report (Bylaw 3.12.3.6 [b]) of the Committee for Convention
Nominations, the Synod has historically acknowledged the value
of continuity of service in elective offices and on elective boards
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