LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 142

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4. LIFE TOGETHER
(1) Educational service organization status is
evaluated by the geographical district in which the
school or camp is located, unless all voting members
of its Board of Directors are members of a nongeographic district, on the basis of an instrument
jointly developed by the Office of National Mission
and the Council of Presidents. The instrument,
completed by the organization and district, is
reviewed and approved by the Office of National
Mission. The status of schools is managed on a per-site
basis.
(2) Witness or mercy service organization status, if
the organization’s activity is entirely within a single
geographical district, may, if the policies of the Board
for National Mission permit, be evaluated by the
relevant district on the basis of an instrument
developed by the Office of National Mission. The
instrument, completed by the organization and
district, is reviewed, further investigated, if needed,
and finally approved by the Office of National Mission.
Until and unless such policies and instrument are
developed, applications for witness service
organization or mercy service organization status
shall be handled under (3) below.
(3) Status of all other organizations, and the
application therefor, is administered directly by the
Office of National or International Mission, as
appropriate, with district presidents exercising
ecclesiastical oversight of the operations of recognized
service organizations within their boundaries.
(b) Within the area of its responsibility and in
accordance with the Synod Board of Directors’
policypolicies and criteria developed by the Synod Board
of Directors, the respective mission board, and office,
each granting mission office or agency may shall
determine those to which organizations to which
recognized service organization status will be granted.
(c) Granting offices may be authorized to set and charge
application, renewal, and maintenance fees to recoup
the cost of administration, subject to policies set by the
Board of Directors of the Synod.

Action: Adopted (9)
Res. 4-06A was introduced by the committee. After Chief
Mission Officer Kevin Robson, chairman of the 2016 Res. 4-03B
Task Force, offered introductory remarks on the basis of an
infographic, both James Sanft, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Concordia Plan Services, and Kurt Senske, Chief
Executive Officer of Upbring (Lutheran Social Services of the
South, a recognized service organization in the mercy and
education realms) and member of the Board of Directors, urged
adoption. After discussion by the assembly, it was moved,
seconded, and carried to close debate [Yes: 632; No: 109]; Res. 406A was adopted [Yes: 699; No: 61].

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

To Commend Actions to Synod Boards and
Offices to Revitalize Synod’s Recognized
Service Organization Program
RESOLUTION 4-07
Overture 4-09 (CW, 414)

WHEREAS, Pending approval by the current 2019 Synod
convention, the report of the 2016 Resolution 4-03B Task
Force on Recognized Service Organizations (RSO), included
in the 2019 Workbook as Report R61 (CW, 329–43), provides
guidance for revitalization of the program by the
appropriate boards and offices of the Synod, and those
boards and offices will thus desire to proceed with
development of policies and procedures required for the
implementation of the report’s recommendations; and
WHEREAS, The 2016 Res. 4-03B Task Force, during the
course of its work and at various points in its report, noted
opportunities for a number of specific, anticipated, and
beneficial action items that will improve the Synod’s RSO
program and therefore could be carefully considered,
planned, and subsequently implemented by the
appropriate boards and offices of the Synod; and
WHEREAS, These anticipated beneficial action items fall
outside the direct purview of proposed amendments to
Bylaw section 6.2, which have been delineated in a separate
overture by the 2016 Res. 4-03B Task Force; therefore be it
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
(LCMS) Office of National Mission (ONM), Council of
Presidents and district staffs, over the 2019–2022
triennium, work together to create, document, and
implement standard practices that promote synodwide
uniformity and best practices in: (1) ecclesiastical oversight
of RSO relationships with the Church; (2) ecclesiastical
supervision of workers called by RSOs; and (3)
administration of the program by Synod and districts for
the support of RSOs; and be it further
Resolved, That as the aforementioned standard practices
are developed, consideration be given to the identification
of cost-effective means of gathering RSO, congregation,
district, and Synod representatives together (e.g., in
conference, webinar, or other formats) to enhance
communication, coordination, collaboration, and
cooperation between participants in mission and ministry
efforts; and be it further
Resolved, That the ONM consider and implement, with
the assistance of LCMS Communications, an improved RSO
“home presence” on the Synod’s website, including but not
limited to an effective public-facing RSO search engine and
an expanded clarification of the nature of the Synod’s
working relationship with RSOs; and be it further
Resolved, That the ONM and LCMS Communications
work cooperatively to develop an effective communication

Resolutions