LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 299

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

NATIONAL/DISTRICT SYNOD RELATIONS 299

WHEREAS, The 1998 convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod called for the establishment of a task force to study the
issue of National/District Relations (Res. 7-02A) and to prepare a
report for the 2001 convention; and

WHEREAS, The number of Districts within The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod is 35, with some areas having multiple
Districts (for instance, Illinois has three Districts; California, Min-
nesota, lowa, and Wisconsin each have two Districts) and two Dis-
tricts being nongeographical (English, SELC), which find sister
congregations of different Districts across the street from each
other; and

WHEREAS, Our Synod has been struggling with inadequate in-
come; and

WHEREAS, Significant portions of offerings from congregations
are utilized for the expenses of our Districts; and

WHEREAS, Reducing the number of Districts will make possi-
ble an increasing amount of congregational offerings to reach the
synodical treasury; and

WHEREAS, Improved communication and transportation facili-
ties make possible effective mission and ministry in larger geo-
graphical areas; and

Wuereas, Both the Synod and the Districts have continued a
trend toward larger and more diversified staffs to operate both sep-
arate and joint ventures; and

WuerEAS, This expansion and development has not been
heretofore coordinated to any great degree, and a resultant dupli-
cation of effort, confusion over responsibility, unnecessary expen-
diture, and increased cost for maintenance, equipping, housing, and
staffing of these multiple operations has occurred; and

WHEREAS, The members and congregations would be more eq-
uitably represented at the synodical level; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Texas District memorialize Synod in con-
vention to consolidate Districts to achieve better utilization of per-
sonnel and fiscal resources.

Texas District

8-48

To Decline Task Force Recommendation
to Amalgamate Nongeographic Districts

Wuereas, The Preliminary Report of Task Force on Na-
tional/District Synod Relations (“TF” hereafter) recommends the
possible dissolution and amalgamation of the English and SELC
Districts of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, offering with-
out any substantiation as its rationale four assertions: “(a) the cost
of operating nongeographic Districts; (b) the absence of any com-
pelling reason to continue nongeographic Districts; (c) clear prior
intent on the part of the Synod to carry out such dissolution and
amalgamation long ago; and (d) changed capabilities to serve con-
gregations with advances in technology”; and

WHEREAS, The SELC District operates at less cost than average
for Districts and the English District’s administrative costs are
equal to the average of geographic Districts; and

WHEREAS, There are compelling reasons to continue nongeo-
graphic Districts such as their flexibility for mission outreach in
areas where the Synod is underrepresented or geographic Districts
lack resources; their ability to act as liaisons between geographic
Districts in various mission enterprises; and their ability to serve
as a microcosm of the Synod because of their transnational and
even international (Canadian) membership; and

WHEREAS, Previous proposals to dissolve the nongeographic
Districts were declined by the Synod in convention, both in recog-
nition of the continuing value of nongeographic Districts and be-
cause of the Jegitimate concern that proposals to dissolve the non-
geographic Districts should originate with the Districts themselves;
and

Wuereas, Technological advances provide greater ease and ef-
ficiency of operation for nongeographic Districts, rather than pro-
viding any reason to dissolve them; and

Wuereas, The legitimacy of the Synod’s dissolution of Dis-
tricts without the Districts’ agreement is itself a highly debatable
constitutional question, particularly in the instance of Districts that
the Synod did not establish (both the English and SELC Districts
were autonomous synods prior to merger with The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod); and

WHEREAS, For all of these reasons, the convention of the Eng-
lish District has petitioned The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
to refrain from any attempt to dissolve or amalgamate the English
District, and the SELC District Board of Directors has expressed
the same sentiment about its District; therefore be it

Resolved, That the convention of The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod respectfully decline any recommendation to dissolve
and amalgamate the English and SELC Districts; and be it further

Resolved, That the congregations and missions of the English
and SELC Districts of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod be
encouraged to continue their work and to pursue faithfully and vig-
orously the mission our Lord gives to his church to “make disci-
ples of all nations.”

Board of Directors. English District; Assembly of Christ,
Phoenix, AZ

8-49

To Reject Dissolution and Amalgamation
of Nongeographic Districts

WHEREAS, Any move toward amalgamation of the congrega-
tions of the English District and the SELC into geographical Dis-
tricts should originate within those Districts; and

Wuereas, The English District and the SELC do not wish to be
dissolved or amalgamated into the geographical Districts; and

WHEREAS, The English District at its last convention passed a
resolution to communicate to Synod its desire to remain a District
of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, English District roots predate the Saxon immigration
to Perry County, MO (1820); and

Wuereas, A 1923 resolution states that if dissolution would
take place, it “should come from the English District”; and

WHEREAS, There is no evidence that the Synod would save
money by dissolving its nongeographic Districts; and

WHEREAS, The English District provides the LCMS a way to
connect with its 1 congregations in Canada, who without the Eng-
lish District and its Canada Corporation would, in all likelihood,
cease to be members of the LCMS; and

Wrereas, God has blessed the English District and the SELC
with rich heritages of service to the Lord and His church and con-
tinues to bless the English District and the SELC as viable institu-
tions in faithfulness, mission, and service; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod reject
the Task Force proposal to dissolve and amalgamate the English
District and the SELC; that the English District and the SELC re-
main intact; and that the English District and the SELC be com-
mended for their faithful service to the Lord and His church.

Messiah
Princeton, NJ

8-50

To Reject Task Force Recommendations
re District Realignment

WHEREAS, The statement of the task force of a clear and prior
intent on part of the Synod to carry out the dissolution and amalga-
mation of its nongeographical Districts long ago is inaccurate and
cannot be substantiated by our history; and

2001 Convention Workbook