LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 139

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4. LIFE TOGETHER
ecclesiastical oversight of an RSO’s operations within
his district. Association schools, governed
exclusively by Synod congregations (which do not
require RSO status to receive any benefit status
could offer), should as soon as possible be
transitioned to simple district recognition—
reducing overhead and improving connections
with the appropriate district.
• The nature of calls by RSOs—especially by those
not governed exclusively by members of Synod
member congregations—should receive careful
attention. RSOs will be able to call if they agree to
conditions similar to those for other Synod calling
organizations, including resolution of call-related
disputes through the Synod dispute resolution
process.
• A revitalized program should include increased
interaction and opportunities for crosspollination among the RSOs and Synod ministries.
The task force suggests investigation of triennial
RSO conferences or other opportunities, without
dictating a specific, untried course.
• A revitalized program should include the
possibility of granting offices recovering a portion
of their administrative costs through appropriate
fees, sharing mutually with the organizations the
cost of a mutually valuable relationship.
The task force’s proposals were presented in brief to the
Council of Presidents and Board of Directors of the Synod in
November 2018. Comment was also sought from Concordia
Plan Services, the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, and a
representative swath of various types of RSOs across the
five regions of the Synod, with comments incorporated into
the final report of the task force in January 2019. The task
force feels that its proposal shows a way forward supported
by a broad consensus of Synod and RSO constituents and is
grateful for much fruitful and hopeful conversation in the
course of its work.
These proposals together, offered by consensus of the
convention task force membership at the conclusion of its
work, with direction given in the report for further
development of policy and procedure by responsible
boards and offices, propose a revitalization of the RSO
program that can be expected—with the Lord’s blessing—
to strengthen the relationships between the Synod (and the
Synod’s congregations, schools, and agencies) and the
incredible variety of recognized organizations, and to
increase the benefit of the program to both.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That the report of the Res. 4-03B Task Force on
RSOs, as included as R-61 in the 2019 Workbook, be
approved as guidance for revitalization of the program by
the appropriate boards and offices of the Synod, and that
those boards and offices be directed to proceed with
Resolutions

development of policies and procedures required for its
implementation; and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 6.2.1 be amended, to consolidate the
basic program definition, to clarify that congregations may
form RSOs, to clarify ecclesiastical supervisory and
oversight (cf. Bylaws 1.2.1 [k] and [o]) relationships
between the RSOs and relevant district presidents, to make
explicit Synod’s expectations of RSOs coordination in
mission (both domestic and foreign), and to clarify that
Synod does not endorse or assume financial liabilities for
the organizations (long part of policies but heretofore
omitted from the bylaws), as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
6.2.1
The granting of recognized service organization
status by the Synod signifies that a service organization,
while independent of the Synod, fosters the mission and
ministry of the church, engages in program activity that
extends the mission and ministry of the Synod, is in
harmony with the programs of the boards of the Synod, and
respects and does not act contrary to the doctrine and
practice of the Synod.
(a) Under the governance and policies of its own board,
a recognized service organization operates with freedom
and self-determination as a ministry organization,
structurally independent of the Synod or districts or
member congregations of the Synod and its agencies, in
the establishment and evaluation of its own objectives,
activities, and programs, in organization and
administration, and in financial matters.
(b) The Board of Directors of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod shall adopt common policies for
granting recognized service organization status.A
recognized service organization respects the rights and
obligations of Synod’s members, individual and
congregational.
Respecting
proper
evangelical
supervision, counsel, and care of church workers and
congregations, a recognized service organization accepts
and agrees to facilitate the respective district president’s
ecclesiastical supervision of its rostered workers and his
role in the recognized service organization’s call process.
A recognized service organization recognizes a
congregation’s right and duty to regularly call its own
pastor and agrees not to extend pastoral ministry to a
congregation without the specific consent of the
congregation and the congregation’s district president.
(c) Each other granting office or agency may also adopt
policies and criteria approved by the Synod’s Board of
Directors to assure that that the office or agency’s unique
needs are met.A recognized service organization respects
the authority of Synod’s districts. A recognized service
organization working within a geographical district, or
with a congregation of a non-geographical district,
accepts and agrees to facilitate the ecclesiastical
oversight of the respective district’s president over the
organization’s activities within his district. The
overseeing district president shall report unresolved

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 139