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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 102

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

102 SYNODICAL REPORTS

pointment by the President of the Synod of ad hoc committees to
address special problems as necessary.

The Task Force continues to believe that the dispute resolution
process of the Synod is a valuable, effective, and God-pleasing
process for resolving conflict within His church. The Task Force
continues to pray God’s blessing upon it and especially upon those
who serve as reconcilers, that His name may be glorified by a
Synod that is marked by a peace and harmony that is made more
possible by sincere and mutual efforts to address conflict situations
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Albert Marcis, Chairman

R7-08
Commission on Structure

At its 1998 convention the Synod adopted Res. 7-01 empower-
ing the Board of Directors “in consultation and mutual concurrence
with the President of the Synod, to appoint a Commission on Struc-
ture (to) ... draft revisions to the format and content of the Synod’s
Constitution and Bylaws (Handbook) which will eliminate incon-
sistencies and make the Handbook more usable for the Synod.” It
also spoke of a need to “clarify ambiguities” and to identify content
“which could be better handled as board manuals and/or policy
statements.”

Members appointed to the Commission on Structure were Don-
ald Brosz, former member of the Board of Directors of the Synod;
Bradford Hewitt, Chief Administrative Officer of the Synod; Low-
ell Schoer, former member of the President's Blue Ribbon Com-
mittee on Structure and the President’s representative to the Board
for Higher Education; Walter Rosin, former Secretary of the Synod
and Chairman of the Commission; David Thomas, school adminis-
trator and former member of the Board of Directors of the Missouri
District; Richard Thompson, former chairman of the Board of Di-
rectors of the Synod; and Raymond Hartwig, Secretary of the
Synod and staff for the Commission.

In carrying out its assignment the Commission gave attention
primarily to the Bylaws of the Synod, reordering and relocating
them to make the Handbook more user-friendly, also introducing
minor changes when helpful to simplify, clarify, or eliminate in-
consistencies. It has provided a report of its work in two parts, (1) a
marked version of the 1998 Handbook, which carefully provides a
record of all changes made, and (2) a proposed version of the
Handbook, which incorporates the changes made.

For purposes of simplification and order, the proposed version
of the Handbook differentiates between two categories of Bylaw
material: (1) those paragraphs essential to the overall] purpose, struc-
ture, and functions of the Synod (identified by decimal numbers)
and (2) those policy and procedure paragraphs that provide order
for the everyday operations of the Synod and its agencies that are
to be included in policy manuals (identified by letters and numbers
in parentheses). Both categories of Bylaw material are the result of

2001 Convention Workbook

convention action, are therefore binding for all synodical entities,
and will require convention action if changes are to be made.

A preliminary report was provided to all congregations of the
Synod in July 2000. The Commission also shared its work with the
Commission on Constitutional Matters. Based upon the sugges-
tions received and concerns identified, the Commission has made
what, in its view, are appropriate modifications. The results of that
work will now be provided to the convention delegates and made
available to the Synod to accompany this final report.

In the course of carrying out its assignment, the Commission
concluded that a number of substantial changes to the Bylaws
would also be beneficial to the Synod as it moves into the future.
Included among them are the following:

* To Move Property Ownership Bylaw to Constitution

* To Add New Bylaw to Govern the Dissolution of Synodwide
Corporate Entities

To Include Policy and Procedure Bylaw Sections in Policy Man-
uals

¢ To Change Bylaw re Relationship of Congregations to Synod

* To Separate the Calling and Service of Clergy from Other
Church Workers

To Clarify Authority for Amendment of Worker Benefit Plans

To Clarify Responsibilities for Officers and Agencies

To Clarify What Is Included in the Doctrinal Position of the
Synod

* To Change Process for the Adoption of Doctrinal Resolutions
¢ To Change Membership of Commission on Doctrinal Review
* To Phase Out Consecrated Lay Workers Category

To Establish a Permanent Commission on Structure

These changes are being proposed in separate overtures for con-
sideration by the convention. If adopted, they will be incorporated
into the final edition of the proposed Handbook.

The Commission also identified several other changes it be-
lieves would be useful to the work of the Synod and has forwarded
these to the appropriate entities for their consideration. These mat-
ters may or may not be brought before the convention for consid-
eration, depending upon actions taken by these entities.

As the Commission on Structure provides this final report, it will
also provide to all delegates to the convention revised copies of its
two-part report of the Synod to provide ample time for study and
for forwarding their reactions and recommendations to
the floor committee to which this report will be assigned. Additional
copies will be available to other interested persons upon request
from the Office of the Secretary of the Synod (e-mail:
Icmssec @aol.com; tel.: [314] 965-9000). It is the hope and prayer
of the Commission that its proposals will be of true benefit to the
Synod to carry out its mission and ministry in an effective and effi-
cient manner, that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ may be pro-
claimed more widely by the congregations and individual members
of the Synod as they work together to make disciples of all nations.

Walter Rosin, Chairman