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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 466

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

466

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

•

Each board of regents will be responsible for appointing its
own members from within a pool of candidates consisting of
the members of member congregations of the Synod;
• Each board of regents will include among its members:
• the president of the Synod district in which the college
or university is located;
• a regent who resides in the geographic region of the
university, appointed by the President of Synod;
• a regent who resides in the geographic region of the
university, appointed by the Synod Board of Directors;
• a minimum of two regents who are members in good
standing on the Synod roster of ministers of religion—
ordained;
• a minimum of two regents who are members in good
standing on the Synod roster of ministers of religion—
commissioned;
and be it finally
Resolved, That the Commission on Handbook be directed to
make the appropriate changes to the bylaws of the Synod in
accordance with Bylaw 3.9.4.2 (b).
Trinity
Roselle, IL
Ov. 7-06

To Provide Regional Support
for Our Concordia Universities and Colleges
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has
been blessed by our Concordia colleges and universities for more
than 100 years; and
WHEREAS, All Concordia University System (CUS) schools
have renewed their commitment to Lutheran higher education by
signing the Lutheran Identity Statement; and
WHEREAS, Our CUS colleges and universities continue to
provide the highest quality of education and faith development in
the midst of a highly competitive higher education market; and
WHEREAS, All members of the boards of regents of each school
are to be members of LCMS congregations; and
WHEREAS, For election purposes, the Synod is divided into five
geographic regions; and
WHEREAS, Each Concordia is located in a unique part of the
United States and faces legal challenges, cultural opportunities and
economic diversity which may differ from other Concordias;
therefore be it
Resolved, That we give thanks to God for the blessings we have
received through our CUS colleges and universities; and be it
further
Resolved, That the bylaws of the Synod be amended to restrict
Board of Regents members elected by the district or Synod in their
respective conventions be limited to LCMS members who reside in
the region of the university.
Trinity
Roselle, IL

2019 Convention Workbook

Ov. 7-07

To Affirm Balanced Governance
for Concordia University System Institutions
WHEREAS, The Concordia University System (CUS) schools are
treasures of the entire Synod, built by God’s grace with the people’s
offerings, bequests, and tuition, that serve to educate students from
throughout the country—and increasingly, from around the world—
for service both in church work and in society at large; and
WHEREAS, Today’s complex higher education environment
means that each Concordia is competing, not only locally, but
nationwide and even globally, for students, faculty, and financial
resources; to succeed, each Concordia must avail itself of leadership
and personnel not only locally or regionally, but from throughout
the Synod; and
WHEREAS, No Concordia serves merely a district or a region, but
serves the whole Church, and accordingly must avoid limiting itself
to a narrow or myopic geographically based focus; and
WHEREAS, A significant number of the overtures relating to
governance issues for CUS institutions were submitted for
consideration by the 2016 Synod convention, including overtures
seeking to create regional-only or self-perpetuating boards, that
would deprive the congregations of the Synod, or of districts, the
right to elect board members; and
WHEREAS, A self-perpetuating board at Concordia University
Edmonton (CUE), originally founded by The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS) in 1921 for the purpose of training
teachers and seminary candidates, chose to renounce its Christian
mission, sever all ties with the Lutheran Church Canada (LCC), and
become an entirely secular, non-Lutheran and non-Christian
institution, and as a result the LCC has been deprived not only of
the use of the institution for training its church workers but also of
the value of the CUE property; and
WHEREAS, The Synod in convention wisely rejected overtures to
upend the current balanced governance system for CUS institutions,
and instead, by an overwhelming vote of 731–48 (94%), approved
2016 Resolution 7-02B, “To Preserve Concordia Colleges and
Universities as Institutions of the Church and Strengthen Their
Structural Bonds with Synod”; and
WHEREAS, The current governance system for the CUS schools,
as strengthened by the 2016 convention, ensures equal board of
regents representation from the district where the institution is
located (four elected members plus the district president or his
representative) and from the Synod at large (four elected members
plus a Praesidium representative), as well as allowing up to eight
members to be appointed by each board itself to best meet the
unique mission and needs of each institution; and
WHEREAS, The selection of highly qualified regents is ensured
by 2013 Res. 5-05B, which improved the governance process for
CUS boards of regents by imposing specific requirements for
qualifications of regents, and by requiring boards of regents to
document to the CUS Board of Directors various key factors
including financial stewardship and faithfulness to the church, and
verifying that elected and appointed regents have educational
backgrounds suiting them for service on the governing boards of
complex and sizeable institutions, which requirement has been
implemented successfully for the benefit of each CUS school; and
WHEREAS, The current governance system for the CUS schools
also ensures continuity of leadership, because board of regents