LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 126

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126

RESOLUTIONS
necessary to meet expressed District and congregation
needs and develop policies to guide the staff in providing assistance in meeting them.
The Board for District and Congregational Services
exists to serve with Districts in assisting congregations
in arranging and carrying out a comprehensive and effective program of Christian education—especially
counseling that the most effective education agencies
available to the church for equipping children and
youth for ministry are the Lutheran early childhood
centers and full-time Lutheran elementary and secondary schools, so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may
become even more effective in the life of the individual
Christian and of the congregation;

and be it further
Resolved, That the 1998 Handbook Bylaws 3.825 (Conference Membership) and 3.827 (Functions) be deleted as
follows:
B. CONFERENCE
3.825 Membership
35 a representative from a congregational services
related board in each District selected by the District Board of Directors following the District convention (an alternate representative should also
be selected)
5 youth of the Synod elected by their peers at a
Lutheran Youth Fellowship Delegate Assembly,
who shall not be younger than 15 years of age nor
older than 18 years of age at the time of their
election
4 District staff persons, chosen by their peers
through their representative groups, one each
from the Council of Presidents (COP), Conference
of District Education Executives (CONFEDEX),
and conferences for District Stewardship Executives and District Evangelism Executives
2 a representative from the practical department
of each seminary appointed by the seminary
president
2 faculty representatives from the colleges/universities appointed by the Concordia University System Board of Directors
11 synodically elected Board for Congregational Services members
6 one national staff representative (or designee),
from the Board for Black Ministry Services; two
from the Asian ministry area (rotating between
Asian communities); one Hispanic and two atlarge ethnic ministry areas to be identified by
each group in cooperation with the Congregational Services service area director assigned to
the area of ethnic ministries
10 executive director of Board for Congregational
Services and director (or designee) for each service area and the executive director of the Commission on Worship
75 Total
The term of office for District representatives,
youth representatives, District staff, seminary
and college/university representatives, and ethnic representatives shall be three years. All representatives may be appointed to no more than
three successive three-year terms except for
youth representatives. Youth representatives
serve one term of three years.
3.827 Functions
The Conference of Congregational Services meets at
least annually to provide future-oriented, shared vision
in congregational services and communicates the same
to its respective constituencies.

200l Convention Proceedings

The Conference will
1. gather information and feedback from Districts
and congregations on needs, expectations, and trends;
2. review Board activities and submit appropriate
recommendations to the Board;
3. help integrate the operations of the Congregational Services service areas to meet the expressed
needs of Districts and congregations;
4. receive communications from the Districts regarding their plans and those of their congregations,
and share synodical plans with them.
Action: Adopted as amended (6)
(The resolution as presented by the floor committee was
adopted in session 4 of the convention [yes: 928; no: 97]. In session
6 a motion to reconsider the resolution carried [yes: 664; no: 358].
The resolution was amended by restoring much of the former wording of Bylaw 3.823, 8, as a new third paragraph under the revised
Bylaw 3.823, also adding the words Lutheran early childhood centers and before the word full-time and deleting the proposed new
wording at the end of the paragraph: including Lutheran early
childhood centers, elementary and secondary schools. The resolution was adopted as amended [yes: 996; no: 46].)

To Develop a Pastoral Strategic
Plan to Address RSO Schools
RESOLUTION 2-02A
Overtures 2-23–33 (CW, pp. 140–44); Report 2-07
(TB, pp. 22−30)
Background and Rationale
A Recognized Service Organization (RSO) is a Lutheran
not-for-profit, tax-exempt service organization that exists
to extend the mission and ministry of the congregations of
the Synod and acts in harmony with the purposes and programs of the Synod.
“Recognized Service Organization status may be granted
to a service organization (other than an auxiliary) that extends the mission and ministry of the Synod but is not part
of the Synod as defined by its Constitution and Bylaws. The
granting of recognition by the Synod signifies that a service
organization, while independent of the Synod, fosters the
mission and ministry of the church, engages in program activity that is in harmony with the programs of the boards of
the Synod, and respects and does not act contrary to the
doctrine and practice of the Synod” (Bylaw 14.03 a).
Resolution 2-06A (1998) made the following observations:
1. Many of these associations are of a long-standing nature, having
been entered into when altar and pulpit fellowship [with the
American Lutheran Church 1969-1981] permitted such relationships; and
2. Great blessings have often resulted from such associations; and
3. Recent ecumenical directions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America may jeopardize the doctrine and practice of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregations participating
in RSOs (i.e. instruction of the Christian faith, chapel services,
and theological supervision).

The Board for Congregation Services (BFCS) is responsible for granting or removing RSO status for schools operated by associations. In order to receive and maintain RSO
status, a school association must agree to certain criteria
including, among other provisions, the following:
The organization states in its constitution, bylaws, and/or public purpose or mission statement, that it respects and will not act contrary to
the doctrine and practice of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod