LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 188

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188 RESOLUTIONS

forward the call to the Synod’s Board for Higher
Education. If an open call cannot be filled, itis returned
to the calling body. The candidate receiving the call will
respond directly to the calling body. A declined call may
be submitted again as an open or designated call.

Option: Extending a Designated Call

Call List Development. A call list may include the
names of candidates any time during the year. Candi-
dates’ names may be submitted by any individual
and/or secured through the District office. The District
also has the option of referring the calling body to one or
more of the directors of placement for names of qualified
candidates.

If even more information is required, the credentials
of specific candidates may be requested. However, a
placement office can provide a set of credentials only
with the consent of the candidate. Credentials may
contain student-teaching reports, recommendations, and
related materials. Credentials may never be passed on
to a third party.

Calling bodies may make direct contact with a
placement director. The appropriate District official
will be advised of the inquiry and the information
shared.

Contacts Between Candidates and Calling Bodies.
Direct contacts generally are not encouraged. A candi-
date may be contacted only through the placement
director at a given college. Contact may be mde by
telephone at the location of the calling body ( preferably),
on the college campus, or other locations, with all
expenses to be borne by the calling body.

Candidates and calling bodies may request informa-
tion directly from each other. They may discuss the
details of a specific call and determine if there would be
any unusual circumstances which would prevent
prayerful consideration of the call. A promised accep-
tance may not be solicited or given prior to the extension
of a call.

Delivery of a Designated Call. After prayerful
deliberation, the calling body may agree to call a
specific candidate. Names should not be entered on
documents. The documents are sent to the District
President for his signature. The District office forwards
the call to the Board for Higher Education. The Board
for Higher Education sends the call to the appropriate
college. Calls are not to be sent to the candidate.

The director of placement delivers the call to the
candidate and discusses its details, as well as the ethics
of handling a call. Candidates will not be allowed to
play several calls against each other, nor will they be
allowed to decline a call which they have previously
accepted in order to accept a subsequent call which they
feel they may receive. After accepting a call acandidate
will not be eligible to receive another call. The accepting
of a call actually removes the candidate from the listing
of available candidates.

After the placement director delivers the call, the
District office and the calling body are notified that the
call has been extended. The candidate will notify the

calling body directly regarding his/her decision. Ap-
propriate information will also be communicated to the
District office. All assignments are approved by the
Council of Presidents acting as the synodical assign-
ments committee.

Initial Entrance into the Educational Ministry. All
initial calls to candidates are subject to successful
completion of a synodical college program, faculty
approval for entrance into the teaching ministry of
LCMS, and ratification by the Board of Assignments.
After these conditions have been met, placement
directors inform District Presidents of the candidates’
eligibility for installation. Calling bodies are subse.
quently granted permission to install by the District
President.

After accepting a call, the candidate applies to the
District President for membership in the Synod and
admission to the teacher roster of the Synod. Upon
installation by the calling body and admission to the
roster, the candidate has officially entered the church’s
public educational ministry.

Procedure for Extending a Call to S ynodically Trained
Educators Already in Ministry

Should the educator chosen be synodically trained
(or colloquized) and already engaged in ministry
(category two), asolemn call should be extended directly
to the person. A solemn call is to be extended by the
voting body of a congregation, which may, however;
authorize the board of education to carry out this
function on behalf of the total parish, especially when
extending nontenured calls. Other designated calling
bodies may be boards of directors, college electors,
delegates of school associations, etc.

Calls extended to men and women may be permanent
(continuous, with tenure) or temporary (noncontinuous,
without tenure). The calling body should notify the _
District office to whom the call was extended and its
resulting acceptance or declination. The person accept-
ing the call should request a peaceful release from the.
current position and also request the District office for a
transfer to the District of the calling body. The newly
arrived educator should be installed into the new -
position of ministry after authorization has been
requested and received from the District President.

Procedure for Engaging
Nonsynodically Trained Educators

In the event a nonsynodically trained person (cate-.
gories three or four) is selected, an offer to engage th
person, with or without tenure, is to be extended direct
to the person. Most congregations authorize the boar
of education to extend such offers upon the advice of th
principal and their own considered judgment.

Upon acceptance of an offer the new employee
classified as a “lay educator” (teacher, director of edu
tion, etc.) and may be publicly installed into office. T
District office should be notified of the acceptance and
installation by the organization. Lay educators should