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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 113

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 113

4.97 Provisions

a. Each District shall provide through its structure for the fol-
lowing functions:

¢ Adjudication

* Church Extension

* Communications

* Congregational Constitutions

* Congregational Services

* Human Care Ministries

* Missions

¢ Stewardship and Financial Support

b. A District may provide for the election or appointment of
such other boards and commissions as it deems necessary.

c. Unless otherwise specified or permitted by the Bylaws, ex-
ecutives and staff on the District level shall not be members of the
board or commission under which they serve.

4.101 Authorization [for District Staff]

Districts are authorized to engage full-time staff to assist offi-
cers, boards, and commissions in carrying on the work of the Dis-
trict. Unless Districts are able to have separate staff individuals for
each program of the District, the combining of responsibilities
should conform to the board structure.

4.103 Relationship to Synodical Staff

While relations with the general Synod are carried on primarily
through the District President, District staff persons should be in
close relationship to their synodical staff counterparts; serve as per-
sons to collect, collate, and communicate the needs and expecta-
tions of congregations; assist in the development of relevant Dis-
trict and Synod materials and programs; and in general act as
partners with fellow staff persons in the pursuit of appropriate syn-
odical programs.

4.105 Functions

In carrying out their functions at the District level, staff persons
shall be guided generally by the responsibilities for staff as detailed
in Bylaw 3.951.

Restructuring of the Synod’s Services

The Synod and its component parts, including its Districts and Circuits, “assist the congregations and their members in conserving and
promoting the unity of the faith and in carrying out their mission and ministry” (Bylaw 1.05 c). Continual monitoring of the division of
labor between national and District levels of the Synod is necessary to serve congregations in the most efficient way.

Concordia Publishing House. Concordia Publishing House. is a corporate entity “maintained and controlled by the Synod” (Bylaw
3.301 a) to serve the Synod “by publishing and distributing resources for all synodical agencies,” including “developing, producing, mar-
keting, and distributing products for use by members of the Synod” as well as other Christians and the public in general, “supplying pub-
lishing services for the agencies of the Synod as required” (Bylaw 3.301 b).

Changing times and conditions. Recent technological and societal changes have created conditions that have, in turn, changed how con-
gregations desire assistance in carrying out their mission and ministry and how the Synod is able to provide assistance. This has already
resulted in changes in staffing and services provided on the District level. For example, District-level production of resources has been on
the rise. A recent survey of our Synod’s Circuit Counselors, District Presidents, and a few District executives showed that 60 percent of
the respondents among Circuit Counselors and 77 percent of those among District personnel thought that great or much effort needed to
be devoted to developing church evangelism and new member programs at the District (not national!) level as the new century turned.
anere is clearly a need to evaluate how the national Synod can best provide services to and through its Districts, as well as through its pub-
ishing house.

As recently as its 1992 convention, the Synod authorized significant change in its structure to provide services to and through its Dis-
tricts, establishing a Board for Congregational Services to consolidate various boards, commissions, and councils and a Conference of Con-
gregational Services to monitor services in this area. The Board of Directors and management of Concordia Publishing House have also
demonstrated a readiness and willingness to evaluate its operations continually in the interest of growing to a new level of service to the
members of the Synod. For some years, CPH has been conducting “listening posts” throughout the Synod. Further, it has deployed re-
source specialists to improve communication between CPH and people in the churches for which it prepares resources.

The TF and its representatives have met several times with representatives of the Board for Congregational Services and of Concordia
Publishing House. The Board for Congregational Services has undergone a self-study project involving extensive person-to-person gath-
ering of data at the District level. Its detailed recommendations to the Synod will be included in its convention report. For the present, the
TF simply reiterates some of the general observations it made in its preliminary report:

1. Concordia Publishing House could be used cooperatively for resource development and exclusively for production and distribution at
the national level. Synodical subsidy would probably have to be provided to produce materials that are necessary for particular aspects
of church work but that might not “break even” financially.

2001 Convention Workbook