LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 246

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246 STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION

to

. The revisions more clearly and accurately reflect the commis-
sion’s current responsibilities for the vocational growth and per-
sonal well-being of the church’s workers, and for meeting the
changing and increasing needs of the church in the care and sup-
port of its workers.

3. The revisions make more effective use of advisory tnput and use
better stewardship of time by not requiring advisory members to
sit through entire commission meetings but by calling upon their
advisory function when their area of expertise comes into view
and by allowing flexibility to solicit advice as the needs dictate.

4. The revisions incorporate a specific function of coordination (ob-
rare

jective “e’’) to fulfill the goal of coordination previously envi-
sioned as taking place through advisory members.

Rationale for Restructuring Board Membership

1. The revisions incorporate a reduction in the total number of
members from fourteen (nine voting and five advisory) to thir-
teen (thirteen voting and no advisory) members.

Ww

. The revisions increase the active decision-making power and
representative character of the commission by increasing the
number of voting members through restructuring without in-
creasing the total number of commission members.

3. The revisions increase the representative character of the com-
mission by matching the number of lay members (three) to the
number of parish pastors (three) and to the number of commis-
sioned ministers (three) through restructuring without increasing
the total number of commission members.

4. The revisions strengthen congregational involvement in the sup-
port of church workers by increasing the number of lay mem-
bers through restructuring without increasing the total number
of commission members.

5. The revisions conform more closely to the other commissions
and boards which do not designate particular advisory members.

6. The revisions assume a modified way of using advisory input
which accomplishes a better stewardship of time by not requiring
advisory personne] to sit through entire commission meetings
but which calls on their advisory function when their area of ex-
pertise comes into view, and which allows flexibility to solicit
advice as the needs dictate.

7. The revisions incorporate a specific function of coordination (ob-
jective “e’’) to fulfill the goal of coordination previously envi-
sioned as taking place through advisory members.

Bylaw Recommendation

CURRENT WORDING
3.913 Membership

The Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support shall
consist of nine members, who shall be appointed by the Presi-
dent of the Synod: three ordained ministers, two commissioned
ministers, one layperson, one college representative, and one
representalive from each of the two seminaries. At least two of
the above shall be parish pasiors, one of the above a District
President or executive. The executive director of the Board of
Higher Education (or his designee), lhe executive director for
the Board for Congregational Services (or his designee), the
President of the Synod (or his designee), the director of Human
Resources of the Synod, and Director of Ministerial Health/
Health and Healing Ministries shall be advisory members.

3.915 Functions

The commission shall assist the mission and ministry of the
Synod and its congregations by

a. providing opportunities and settings for all professional
church workers to continue growing in Christ and in the knowl-
edge, attitudes, skills, and personal well-being they need to serve
Him in His church;

b. helping professional workers develop personal and pro-
fessional growth plans on a continuing basis for more satisfy-
ing and effective ministry;

2001 Convention Workbook

c. building a local and regional support system through the
Districts for the care and growth of professional workers;

d. assisting congregations and professional workers to as-
sess needs in the area of professional care and growth and enlist
the aid of appropriate synodical institutions, boards, and agen-
cies in meeting those needs;

e. developing and supervising a system of granting Continu-
ing Education Units (CEUs) and encouraging the Synod through
its Districts to monitor the credits of individuals and record such
credits as reported by the individual worker for inclusion in the
personnel file;

f. developing a system for reporting and evaluation of min-
isterial-growth programs in the Synod;

g. assisting Districts in building an ongoing structure for
ministerial growth, providing them with resources and support
services, and helping them establish liaisons with centers of ed-
ucation as wel] as with the commission;

h. developing programs of ministerial growth and well being
through the Districts;

i. encouraging the development of continuing-education
models in Districts and other appropriate entities and agencies
that have potential for synodwide use;

j. seeking out, identifying, coordinating, and publicizing the
current programs of ministerial growth offered by the schools,
Districts, boards, and agencies supported or sponsored by the
Synod;

k. assisting colleges, universities, seminaries, boards, and
agencies by supporting effective existing programs and in their
planning of new ministerial-growth programs;

1. developing and sponsoring ministerial-growth programs
of general value to the Synod, using the resources of the Synod,
including Concordia Publishing House;

m. seeking grants from outside sources for continuing edu-
cation funding and the Continuing Education Endowment Fund;

n, encouraging Disiricts and congregations to make full use
of available preventive and therapeutic care for professional
church workers and their families.

PROPOSED WORDING

The Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support exists
to provide opportunily for the continuing educational and voca-
tional growth of the church’s workers, to advocate and facilitate
care and counsel for the church’s workers to support them in the
performance of their official duties, and to advocate and facili-
tate support for the personal well-being of the church’s workers
and their family members.

The Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support shall
consist of thirteen members: three ordained ministers who shall
be parish pastors, three commissioned ministers (two teachers,
one other than a teacher), three laypersons (one of whom shall
be a parish pastor’s wife), one District President, two seminary
faculty members (one from each seminary), and one Concordia
University System faculty member. The members shall be ap-
pointed by the President of the Synod. The members shall be
active in their designated vocations.

The Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support shall
fulfill the following objectives:

a. It shall assist and encourage the church's workers in the
planning of their continuing educational and vocational growth
and the personal well-being of them and their family members.

b. It shall assist and encourage congregations in assessing
and promoting the continuing educational and vocational growth
of the church’s workers and the personal well-being of them and
their family members.

c. It shall assist and encourage Districts in the development
of support systems for the continuing educational and vocational
growth of the church’s workers and the personal well-being of
them and their family members.

d. It shall provide opportunities and settings for the church’s
workers to continue to grow in Christ and in the knowledge, at-
titudes, skills, and personal well-being they need to serve Him in
His church.