LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 137

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
but not always required. Sometimes a shorter, less formal
internship is assigned.
Call
Call and Ordination: Almost all applicants for colloquy to the
general pastor roster are ordained when they apply. We do
not reordain them, but we do install them according to our
Lutheran Church orders. LLDs are ordained at the conclusion of the colloquy process, after they have been certified,
called, and placed.
Ministry Context: Generalist, upon final placement (the window
of time for LLDs to apply for colloquy to the SMP roster
has closed).
Supervising Pastor Required? If So, How Selected? Supervising
pastor or mentors may be required, depending on the needs
of the candidate.
R61

2019 Res. 7-03 Committee to Propose a
New Governance Plan for the Colleges
and Universities of the Synod
The 2019 Synod convention adopted Res. 7-03, “To Direct a
Collaborative Process to Propose a New Governance Plan” (Proceedings, 171) with the following objectives:
•

strengthen all Concordia University System (CUS) institutions’ connection to the Synod;

•

strengthen the confessional Lutheran identity of all CUS institutions;

•

review the composition, size, and selection of boards of regents;

•

review the process for selecting presidents of institutions;
and

•

review the overall governance of CUS and the Board of Regents of the CUS institutions.

2019 Res. 7-03 also instructed a review of the financial models
for the institutions.
2019 Res. 7-03 requires the Synod Board of Directors to propose a new governance plan for consideration by the 2022 (now
2023) Synod convention that fulfills the stated objectives. This new
governance plan is to be prepared with the active involvement of
the President of the Synod, the CUS Advisory Council, the CUS
Board of Directors, the president of CUS, and the CUS institutions’
boards of regents and with the concurrence of the CUS Advisory
Council and the CUS Board of Directors.
The assignment given by 2019 Res. 7-03 involves work that
has been ongoing for more than a decade, including action by two
previous LCMS conventions. It involves critical governance issues that affect CUS, the LCMS Concordia institutions, and other
LCMS entities. The 2013 LCMS convention adopted Res. 5-01A,
which directed the Synod President to appoint a task force that
would report to the 2016 LCMS convention addressing the same
objectives as 2019 Res. 7-03, as well as studying and reporting on
confessional Lutheran identity. The 2013 Res. 5-01A Task Force,
along with CUS and the institution presidents, made progress in
preparing written Lutheran Identity Statements that were adopted

137

by the CUS institutions. The Lutheran Identity Statement for CUS
institutions was formally adopted by the 2016 LCMS convention in
Res. 7-01A. The 2013 Res. 5-01A Task Force also recommended
some relatively minor changes to LCMS bylaws relating to the
composition of each CUS institution’s board of regents, the term
of the president of each CUS institution, and other matters. These
recommendations, with some amendments, were adopted by the
2016 LCMS convention.
But the 2013 Res. 5-01A Task Force did not complete its assignment. The 2016 LCMS convention accordingly adopted Res.
7-02B, which directed the Synod President to renew the appointment of the task force members and instructed them to continue
their work toward accomplishing the objectives of 2013 Res.
5-01A. The 2016 Res. 7-02B Task Force was directed to report to
the 2019 LCMS convention.
The 2016 Res. 7-02B Task Force made progress, but it also
did not complete its assignment. It recommended changes to
certain bylaws governing CUS and the boards of regents. The
recommended changes, with some amendments, were adopted by
the 2019 LCMS convention in resolutions 7-01A, 7-03, and 7-04A.
These bylaw changes, although addressing and resolving issues
relating to the prior approval process in the selection of CUS institution presidents, were otherwise relatively minor considering the
overall broad task that had been assigned to the 2016 Res. 7-02B
Task Force and previously to the 2013 Res. 5-01A Task Force.
The consistent focus of 2013 Res. 5-01A, 2016 Res. 7-02B, and
2019 Res. 7-03 helps define the scope of Res. 7-03. It is important
to consider this consistency and the specific items addressed in order to emphasize what is and what is not included within Res. 7-03.
Under Res. 7-03, it is the responsibility of the Synod Board of
Directors to propose a new governance plan for consideration by
the 2023 convention. Thus, ultimately, it is the Synod in convention that must adopt a new governance plan. No other body in the
Synod has this authority. And the responsibility to propose a new
governance plan for consideration by the 2023 Synod convention is
appropriately given to the Synod’s Board of Directors, with active
participation of others within the Synod with extensive knowledge,
experience, and interest in strengthening the CUS institutions’ connection to Synod and confessional Lutheran fidelity, and the corresponding governance issues.
Thus, the new governance structure directs the Board of Directors to propose a new governance structure that will effectuate an
overall governance change to CUS and the Concordia institutions.
The new governance structure must strengthen the connection of
the institutions to the Synod and strengthen the confessional Lutheran identity of the institutions. When preparing and proposing
a new structure, consideration is to be given to the selection of
boards of regents, the selection of the CUS institution presidents,
the relationship between CUS and the universities, the relationship
between the boards of regents and the presidents, and the authority
and responsibility of all involved.
2019 Res. 7-03 does not direct consideration of administration, management, or operations. However, these factors have been
considered in detail and influenced preparation of a proposed new
governance structure. 2019 Res. 7-03 also does not direct the preparation of a plan to execute bylaw and other governance changes
that might be adopted by the 2023 Synod convention. But what
will be involved in the execution also has been considered in detail
2023 Convention Workbook