LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 219

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PROGRAM AND FINANCE 219

program, and mission and for providing Synod information to the
church’s various publics; and

WuereAs, The Information Services unit of General Services
currently provides the technical development and support for the
Synod’s Web site for all corporate Synod departments, boards, and
commissions; and

WHEREAS, The Information Services unit also operates the
LCMS Church Information Center, which uses other media, in-
cluding a toll-free telephone number, e-mail, and fax, in addition
to the World Wide Web, to provide Synod information to, and
communicate with, the church’s various publics; and

WHEREAS, The Information Services unit currently operates
under the Department of General Services, whose stated purpose
is “developing and administering building, office, information and
electronic support services to the entities of the LCMS International
Center properties and other corporate organizations of the church in
their support of the LCMS mission and ministry objectives” (2001
Convention Workbook, p. 79); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Information Services unit of General Ser-
vices, including its responsibility, for the Synod’s Web site, be
transferred along with its budget from the Department of General
Services to the Board for Communication Services; and be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That Bylaw 3.813 be amended by adding, “i. have re-
sponsibility for the Synod’s public communications activities
through electronic media such as the Internet and World Wide
Web, including the Synod’s Web site.”

Board for Communication Services

4-40

To Encourage Church-Worker Support
and Increase Funding for Commission
on Ministerial Growth and Support

WHEREAS, The Synod’s church workers are called to serve well
the people of God; and :

WHEREAS, The continuing education of church workers con-
tributes to their vocational development, which in turn positively
influences their ability to serve well; and

Whereas, The personal (i.e., physical, relational, emotional,
and spiritual) well-being of church workers and their family mem-
bers significantly impacts the performance of their ministerial vo-
cations; and

WuerEAS, The vocational development and personal well-being
of church workers and their families promote church workers’ sat-
isfaction with and retention in ministry; and

WHEREAS, The Synod invests thousands of dollars in the re-
cruitment and training of each of its church workers, but much less
in support of the ongoing vocational development and personal
well-being of its church workers; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support
advocates and facilitates care and support for the continuing edu-
cation, vocational development, and personal well-being of the
church’s workers and their family members through efforts such as
the Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support (PALS) initia-
tive and Coaching Principals program, resources such as the Wel-
coming New Teachers material and Church Worker Growth and
Support Newsletter, and research projects that aim to improve the
satisfaction and retention of our workers; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support
has been forced to reduce some of its efforts to support church
workers due to a lack of financial resources; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, reaffirm its commit-
ment to encourage and support church workers’ continuing educa-
tion, vocational development, and personal well-being; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, direct the Board of
Directors of the Synod to give top priority to the increase of Synod

funding of the Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support in
order to allow for the acquisition of a full-time Executive Director
who, among other responsibilities, will actively seek grants and
outside funding to enable the commission to continue its work of
advocacy and support of church workers.

Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support

4-41

To Delegate Responsibility for Radio Station KFUO
to Board for Communication Services

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, meeting in
convention, delegated authority for Synod-owned radio station
KFUO to the Board for Communication Services (1986 Res. 1-12);
and

WuereEAS, The Board for Communication Services is mandated
to “authorize and supervise the production of the necessary print
and broadcast materials for the church and its publics” (Bylaw
3.813 b); and

WHEREAS, In recent years funding for the mission and ministry
of the Synod at large has been severely restricted; and

WHEREAS, KFUO AM-FM radio serves primarily a small geo-
graphical area; and

WHEREAS, The Board for Communication Services has deter-
mined that there are additional opportunities for KFUO to serve the
national church body and its international ministry to its publics;
and

WHEREAS, The Board for Communication Services in its meet-
ing of Jan. 19-20, 2003, exercised its responsibility by alerting the
Board of Directors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to
serious concerns about using limited Synod funds to operate KFUO
AM-FM radio; and

Wuereas, The Board of Directors voted at its Feb. 27—March 2,
2003, meeting to “immediately assume all responsibilities for the
management of KFUO radio”; and

WHEREAS, The Board for Communication Services acknowl-
edged the action of the Board of Directors to assume said respon-
sibilities but did not voluntarily relinquish the authority for the
radio station delegated to it by the Synod in convention; and

WuerEAS, The Commission on Constitutional Matters has is-
sued a binding opinion that states, “Absent a voluntary relinquish-
ment of authority from the Board for Communication Services to
the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors may not reverse the
delegation of authority as described” (CCM 03-2357), a reference
to delegation of authority to the Board for Communication Services
by the Synod in convention; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, affirm !986 Res. 1-
12 delegating authority for Radio Station KFUO AM-FM to the
Board for Communication Services; and be it further .

Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, restore all responsi-
bilities for the management of Radio Station KFUO AM-FM to the
BCS, as described by Res. 1-12 (1986) and by CCM Opinion 03-
2357, effective no later than Aug. 2, 2004; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, reaffirm the mission
of the BCS to the entire church and encourage the Board in their
work to explore a more effective and expanded role for KFUO.

Board for Communication Services

4-42

To Contribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial

WHEREAS, The Civil Rights Movement of the mid-twentieth
century effectively abolished the horrible stain of legal racial seg-
regation and discrimination in the United States, both in church and
society; and

WHEREAS, The elimination of the legal underpinnings of racial
segregation and discrimination has enabled our nation to become
a leader on the world stage as related to human rights; and