LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 242

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242 STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION

2.14.2 Consecrated lay workers are not members of the
Synod and shall be under the supervision of the congregation,
entity, or agency that they serve.

(a) Consecrated lay workers shall be solemnly pledged to
the Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God and the
Symbolical Books of the Lutheran Church as a true exposition
of the Scriptures.

(b) Rites of consecration and installation should be in accor-
dance with forms and practices developed by the Synod for such
purpose and should take place in the presence of the appointing
congregation or other appointing body, except that in the case
of lay missionaries appointed by the Synod, members of a fac-
ulty of a synodical institution, or institutional church workers,
the rite should take place in an appropriate setting.

Commission on Structure

7-13
To Establish a Permanent Commission on Structure

Rationale

Following a major revision of the Handbook, the 198] national
convention of the Synod established a Commission on Structure to
provide for “modifications in the Constitution, Bylaws, or struc-
ture of the Synod to the next and succeeding conventions” (1981
Res. 2-22). Eleven years later, the 1992 convention, “having now
proposed a Mission and Ministry Council, which would be respon-
sible for many of the functions presently carried out by the Com-
mission on Structure,” eliminated the Commission ou Structure as
a commission of the Synod (1992 Res. 5-15).

The 1998 convention, due to the large size and other duties of
the Council on Mission and Ministry which did not permit it “to
take over responsibility previously covered by the Commission on
Structure,” authorized the formation of a new Commission to “draft
revisions to the format and content of the Synod’s Constitution and
Bylaws (Handbook) which will eliminate inconsistencies and make
the Handbook more usable for the Synod” (1998 Res. 7-01). This
Commission, appointed by the Board of Directors with the concur-
rence of the President of the Synod, completed its task by dissem-
inating its preliminary report to the Synod one year prior to the
2001 synodical convention for review and refinement and by
proposing a revised Handbook to the convention.

The Commission on Structure recognizes that the Handbook
will require constant refinement as new actions are taken by the
Synod. The Commission therefore recommends that a standing
Commission on Structure be established and proposes the follow-
ing action to the 2001] convention.

Resolved, That the 2001 convention of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod again establish a perinanent Commission on Struc-
ture; and be it further

Resolved, That a Commission on Structure be included in the
list of commissions contained in proposed Bylaw 1.2.2; and be it
further

Resolved, That the convention adopt the following proposed
Bylaw 3.8.7 to govern the purpose, membership, and function of
this Commission on Structure:

Commission on Structure

3.8.7 The Commission on Structure serves the members of the
Synod in convention by providing direction for ongoing mainte-
nance and management of the Handbook: the Articles of Incorpo-
ration, Constitution, and Bylaws of the Synod.

3.8.7.1 The Commission on Structure shall consist of seven
members:

1. Five members appointed by the President of the Synod from
a list provided by the Board of Directors of the Synod, these ap-
pointments to be made in conjunction with the first meeting of the
Board of Directors following each national convention of the
Synod; and

2001 Convention Workbook

2. The Secretary and the Chief Administrative Officer of the
Synod who shall serve as ex officio members.

3.8.7.2 The Commission on Structure shall assist the conven-
tion in maintaining the Handbook of the Synod by identifying and
recommending modifications to areas of concern in the Handbook
and by further ordering the Handbook to promote its ease of use
and thereby to enable the Synod most effectively to accomplish its
mission. ‘

Commission on Structure

7-14
To Distinguish Bylaws from Policy and Procedure

Rationale

The Commission on Structure has rendered a valuable and
much-needed service to the Synod by reorganizing and clarifying
the synodical Handbook. Their work is recognized with thankful-
ness.

In addition to reorganizing the synodical Handbook, the Com-
mission on Structure has clarified the text by improving the layout
of the document. Material in larger bold print is Bylaw, and mate-
rial indented in smaller print is policy or procedure.

Contrasting Bylaws with policies and procedures will make the
Handbook easier to understand and apply, because the key princi-
ples (Bylaws) will be distinguished from implementation methods
(policies and procedures).

Therefore be it resolved:

1. That the format of the proposed synodical Handbook distrib-
uted as a Preliminary Report by the Commission on Structure (July
2000, “Proposed New Text and Cross-References to 1998 Hand-
book’) be adopted; and

2. That the Secretary of the Synod be directed to publish the
Handbook with Bylaws in larger bold print and the policy and pro-
cedure sections in indented smaller print; and

3. That this task be completed by January 2001; and finally

4. That the Secretary of the Synod be directed to bring the syn-
odical Handbook into conformity with this resolution.

Board for Higher Education/
Concordia University System

7-15

To Require Convention Action for Amendments
to Policy and Procedure Materials

WHEREAS, The Commission on Structure has proposed signifi-
cant changes in the 1998 Handbook in its preliminary report of July
2000; and

WHEREAS, The preliminary report separates material from the
Bylaws of the 1998 Handbook into “bylaw material” and “policy
and procedure material”; and

WHEREAS, The preliminary report states: “This has been done
with the understanding that all of the content of the present Hand-
book has been adopted by convention action and, whether identi-
fied as bylaw or policy and procedure material, will in the future re-
quire convention action for any amendment, modification, or
elimination” (preliminary report, “Cover Letter,” p. 1); and

WHEREAS, The new chapter 7 of the proposed Handbook re-
quires convention action for any amendment to the Bylaws; and

WHEREAS, There is no present requirement for convention ac-
tion for any amendment, modification, or elimination of the pro-
posed “policy and procedure materials”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2001 convention of the Synod adopt a Bylaw
requiring convention action for any amendment, modification, or
elimination of policy and procedure materials.

Messiah
Parker, AZ