LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 39

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
missioned ministers after receiving colloquy certification, for a recent average of 62 teacher colloquy placements per year. However,
a considerable number of additional teachers in our LCMS schools
complete colloquy coursework—and perhaps even the certification
process—but then choose not to accept a divine call or be placed
for various reasons, including financial. This recent annual average
of 62 teacher colloquies compares with an annual average of 86
teacher placements (with a Lutheran Teacher Diploma) from our
CUS schools each year. In other words, from 2019–2022, teacher
colloquy accounted for 42 percent of all new rostered teachers each
year.
As of January 2023, 39.4 percent of the 8,152 active teachers
in LCMS elementary schools were rostered as ministers of religion—commissioned. Accounting for early childhood schools and
high schools, that percentage was 27.5 percent of the 15,222 active
teachers in all of our LCMS schools. Since the last major colloquy
reforms that were adopted at the 2004 Synod convention, the percentage of LCMS rostered teachers has decreased by 6.4 percent.

Conclusion
The CCCM hopes it is clear from this report that the committee
has listened much during this triennium and worked hard to understand the commissioned colloquy process and to lay the foundation
for significant improvements. We sense the urgency! And yet we
also understand that we are only one small part in the long history
of commissioned colloquy that has been served by a great many
dedicated and faithful servants. All of this, of course, is to better
equip the thousands of schoolteachers and servants in several commissioned categories who proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified
in thousands of schools, congregations, and agencies throughout
our Synod. “We Preach Christ Crucified” so that many more may
know Him and be blessed by the treasures He gives through His
Holy Word.
Peter K. Lange, First Vice-President, Chairman
R3

Praesidium
The Praesidium of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
consists of the Synod President, the First Vice-President, and five
regional vice-presidents, each of whom represents the geographical
region in which he lives. The five regional vice-presidents serve
in a part-time capacity and, together with the First Vice-President,
are responsible to the President for the performance of their duties
(Bylaw 3.3.2.3). The First Vice-President is a full-time executive
of the Synod (see Report R2). Four members of the Praesidium
are full-time parish pastors and two are assistant pastors. The vicepresidents advise the President and, upon his request, represent the
President and assist him in discharging his responsibilities (Constitution Article XI C 1; Bylaw 3.3.2). They are ranked by vote of
the Synod convention to determine the order in which they would
assume the presidency should that office be vacated (Const. Art. XI
C 2; Bylaw 3.3.2.1). At present, the Praesidium includes

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Third Vice-President Scott R. Murray, Houston, Texas, representing the West-Southwest Region;

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Fourth Vice-President Nabil S. Nour, Sioux Falls, S.D., representing the Great Plains Region;

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Fifth Vice-President Christopher S. Esget, Alexandria, Va.,
representing the East-Southeast Region; and

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Sixth Vice-President Benjamin T. Ball, Hamel, Ill., representing the Central Region.

The Praesidium and the 35 district presidents comprise the
Council of Presidents (COP) which, in recent years, has met four
times per year for three and a half days each time to carry out the
duties assigned in Bylaws 3.10.1.2–3.10.1.4. During this triennium,
due to COVID-19, four consecutive, abbreviated meetings were
held via Zoom between April 2020 and April 2021. In addition,
beginning in March 2020, there were weekly Zoom “check-ins”
of the COP, which decreased in frequency as the months passed.
In addition to serving on the COP, the vice-presidents assist the
President by attending district conventions to report and advise in
fulfillment of Const. Art. XI B 6 and Bylaw 3.3.1.3 (a). Generally,
the regional vice-presidents attend the district conventions in their
region, together with the President and/or the First Vice-President,
as travel schedules allow. At these conventions, the President and/
or vice-presidents preach at the primary worship service, report
on the state of the Synod, observe convention sessions, visit with
attendees, and install the district president (if not at a later date).
During this triennium, President Harrison attended all or part of 26
district conventions, and the vice-presidents attended 34 district
conventions. Of the 35 district conventions, 20 of them took place
during June 2022.
Another duty of the vice-presidents is to assist the President
with district visitations as part of the President’s responsibility of
ecclesiastical supervision (Bylaw 1.2.1 [j] and 2013 Res. 7-01A).
Normally this visitation is with each district’s board of directors,
though occasionally it is in conjunction with a district pastors conference, circuit visitors conference, etc. During this triennium, over
the course of all district visitations conducted, the vice-presidents
were very active in assisting the President, appearing 45 times. In
some cases, two vice-presidents participated in the same visitation.
In the case of three district visitations, one vice-president, representing the President, conducted the visitation on his own under the
direction and guidance of the President. In total, 10 of the visitations were conducted in person, and 20 by Zoom, with five still to
go as of February 2023.

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President Matthew C. Harrison, St. Louis, Mo.;

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First Vice-President Peter K. Lange, Valley Park, Mo.;

Appointed membership to the boards of various agencies of
the Synod is another way in which vice-presidents may serve. One
vice-president is designated by the President of the Synod for each
seminary board of regents (Bylaw 3.10.5.2 [2]). This triennium,
First Vice-President Lange served as a regent for Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Third Vice-President Murray served as a regent
for Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, which board
he also chairs. In addition, Fifth Vice-President Esget was appointed by the Praesidium to serve as a regent for Concordia College—New York (Bylaw 3.10.6.2 [5]) and Second Vice-President
Wohlrabe served as President of the Concordia Historical Institute
Board of Governors and Editor in Chief of the Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly.

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Second Vice-President John C. Wohlrabe Jr., Milwaukee,
Wis., representing the Great Lakes Region;

Besides these regular and ongoing types of service, there are
numerous occasional ways in which vice-presidents represent the
2023 Convention Workbook