LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 283

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8. BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE

8-01

To Adopt Report and Recommendations
of Blue Ribbon Committee

WHEREAS, The March 1995 Commission on Constitutional Mat-
ters ruled that the provisions of 1992 Res. 8-01A were invalid and
of no effect; and

WHEREAS, This has left the matter of the relationship between
Synodwide corporate agencies and the Synod unresolved; and

Wuereas, A high percentage of members on most of the gov-
erning boards of the Synodwide corporate agencies, as well as a
number of the Synod’s program boards, are not elected by the syn-
odical convention; and

WHEREAS, There is a lack of clarity among a number of execu-
tives who serve on these agencies and boards about their account-
ability to the synodical Board of Directors and synodical President;
and

Wuereas, There is also a lack of clarity about the proper roles
of Synod's officers and other key officials in relation to each other
and to the synodical President and Board of Directors; and

WHEREAS, The Blue Ribbon Committee has issued a report to
the Synod in October 1997 thoroughly explaining these problems
and proposing constitutional and Bylaw changes to resolve them;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod hereby adopts the Blue Ribbon Com-
mittee report and its constitutional and Bylaw changes.

Christ, Oak Park, IL; Trinity, San Jose, CA; Holy Cross, Anita,

IA; Our Redeemer, Forsyth, IL; Our Redeemer, Peekskill, NY:

St. Paul, Brookfield, IL; Bethany, Fort Wayne, IN

8-02

To Adopt Report and Implement
Recommendations of Blue Ribbon Committee

WHEREAS, The Committee on Constitutional Matters has ruled
that the provisions of 1992 Res. 8-01A were invalid and of no ef-
fect; and

WHEREAS, This ruling has left the matter of the relationship be-
tween synodwide corporate agencies and the Synod unresolved;
and

WHEREAS, The present lines of administration and governance
between and among Synod and its entities are a hindrance to our
church properly and efficiently carrying out its work in furthering
the kingdom of God; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod hereby adopt the Blue Ribbon Com-
mittee’s report and implement its recommended changes to our
synodical Constitution and Bylaws.

St. Paul
Lockport, IL

To Urge Revision or Restudy of Report
of Blue Ribbon Committee on Structure
Preamble

In a day when management gurus like Peter Drucker and War-
ren Bennis speak of empowerment of the leadership in organiza-
tions and national corporations are listening, we are dismayed to
see the Blue Ribbon Committee suggesting greater control, espe-
cially by the office of the President, as a major component of its
recommendations. When the congregations and Districts of our
church are finally absorbing the findings of many denominational
studies—among them those sponsored by our own Synod—and
they are moving toward decentralizing both structures and the ad-
ministration of ministries, we are sorely disappointed to see the
Blue Ribbon Committee moving in the direction of greater central-
ization of power.

While we appreciate the recommendation to eliminate the
“chief executive officer” language in describing the duties of the
President, many of the examples we now cite push the functions of
the President’s office strongly in the CEO mode.

Examples

The dramatic expansion of Art. XI B, “Duties of the President.”
The power “to advise, admonish, and reprove” and the “use of all
means at his command to promote and maintain unity of doctrine
and practice in all the Districts of the Synod” would become a
much stronger description of “administrative oversight” in the new
proposal ... “to oversee all officers and employees of the Synod and
its agencies, the individual Districts and all District Presidents ...”
(p. 27).

The recommendation that the First Vice-President (who serves
the President) serve as the chair of the Board for Higher Education
(p. 23).

The recommendation that personally or by way of representa-
tive, the President has the option to attend any or all of the meetings
of the various program boards and synodwide corporate entity
boards (p. 9).

The elimination of the Treasurer as an elected officer of the
Synod. The Treasurer would be replaced by a Financial Officer ap-
pointed by the Board of Directors in consultation with the Presi-
dent (p. 11).

The recommendation of an administrative team led by the Pres-
ident and including the First Vice-President, the Secretary, and the
Administrative Officer and the Financial Officer (both of whom
are appointed with the concurrence of the President).

While revisions to meet contemporary needs are appropriate in
all organizations, we believe there was great wisdom in the separa-
tion of power and authority, the checks and balances of our
Synod’s early organizational structure. Election of boards and com-
mittees by synodical conventions and the election of ministry ex-
ecutives by the appropriate board or committee served to empower
creativity and ministry with minimum control by the Board of Di-
rectors or the President’s office. The Blue Ribbon Committee
seems to see such lack of control as the problem to be rectified.

We would like to see a greater emphasis on setting direction for
the mission of the church and Gospel motivation toward commit-
ment and unity rather than on micromanagement of the program
boards and agencies. It seems especially important for the Presi-
dent of Synod to model pastoral and servant leadership because too
many parish pastors are tempted to adopt more autocratic leader-
ship styles in their congregations.

Granted, some current coordinating groups seem cumbersome
and need revision, and granted that the relationships between the
Synod and the five incorporated entities mentioned in the report
need to be clarified, there are surely ways to accomplish these ob-
jectives without resorting to greater control and centralization
mechanisms.

In view of our concerns, we submit the following resolution:

Resolved, That we urge revision or restudy of the structural is-
sues dealt with in the Blue Ribbon Report with the view to resist
greater control and to model decentralization of structure with ap-
propriate checks and balances.

Board of Directors
Northern Hlinois District

8-04

To Reject Blue Ribbon Committee Report

WHEREAS, The Blue Ribbon Committee report seeks to change
Bylaw 3.101 a and remove the title “chief executive officer” from
the President of the Synod, stating on pages 8-9 of the report, para-
graphs 33 and 34, that the term CEO is “borrowed from business
and industry” and can be “a source of misunderstanding and con-
troversy”; and

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