LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 102

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6.1.1) and “[i]t honors and upholds the doctrine and practice of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod” (Bylaw 6.1.3 [g]); and
Whereas, To be recognized as an auxiliary, it is required to
“[c]oordinate plans and programs with those of the Synod through
regular sharing and contact with representatives of those boards
to which the Synod has assigned specific responsibilities (boards
of the Synod will share with the auxiliaries in a similar manner)”
(Bylaw 6.1.2.1 [d]); and
Whereas, “An auxiliary assumes the following responsibilities:
(a) It reports annually, through its chief elected officer, to the President of Synod and, upon his request, to conventions of the Synod.
(b) It provides the Synod, through its chief elected officer, with an
annual program report for sharing with appropriate boards. (c) It
keeps the Synod advised of any new program under consideration”
(Bylaw 6.1.3); and
Whereas, A recognized service organization (RSO), “while
independent of the Synod, fosters the mission and ministry of the
church, engages in program activity that is in harmony with the
programs of the boards of the Synod, and respects and does not act
contrary to the doctrine and practice of Synod” (Bylaw 6.2.1); and
Whereas, The President of the Synod “shall be the chief ecumenical officer of the Synod” (Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2) and is responsible for
official contacts with other church bodies, including the development of protocol documents between the LCMS and other church
bodies; and
Whereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has established protocol documents (agreements according to which we will
work together) with its partner churches in foreign mission fields;
and
Whereas, These protocol documents establish the relationships
between the LCMS and partner churches; and
Whereas, The agencies, auxiliaries, and recognized service
organizations benefit from the agreements between the LCMS and
her partner churches; therefore be it
Resolved, That for the sake of good order and unified practice,
the Bylaws of the LCMS be amended by adding the following paragraph (h) to Bylaw 6.1.3 and the following paragraph (d) to Bylaw
6.2.1:
PROPOSED WORDING
6.1.3

6.2.1

102

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(h) It operates with freedom and self-determination
in its mission independent of control by the Synod in
its organization and administration, while at the same
time it respects protocol documents that may exist
between The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and
her partner churches that have been made available to
the auxiliary.
(d) Operating with freedom and self-determination
in its mission independent of control by the Synod, a
recognized service organization also respects protocol documents that may exist between The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod and her partner churches
that have been made available to the recognized service organization.
2 0 1 3 C o n v e n t io n P r o c e e d i n g s

And be it further
Resolved, That any additional bylaw changes required by these
changes be addressed by the Commission on Handbook in consultation with the Commission on Constitutional Matters; and be
it finally
Resolved, That the President of the Synod establish regular dialog, at least biannually, between representatives of the Office of
International Mission, the Office of Church Relations, and the auxiliaries of the Synod.
Action: Adopted (3)
(Res. 1-06A was adopted as presented [Yes: 867; No: 119] after
discussion.)

To Support the Wittenberg Project
for the Quincentennial Celebration of the
Lutheran Reformation
RESOLUTION 1-07B
Overture L1-19 (TB, p. 31); Report 1-7 (CW, p. 18)
Whereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, walking
alongside its German partner church, the Independent Evangelical
Lutheran Church (SELK), and with Concordia Publishing House
through the International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg (ILSW),
seeks to honor its Lutheran heritage as it approaches the 500th
anniversary of the Reformation by nurturing and strengthening
the faith of Christians and introducing the Christian faith to nonChristians; and
Whereas, The time for Lutheran teaching is now for visitors,
scholars, and students—to journey to Wittenberg to learn the history, culture, and the effect of the Reformation; and
Whereas, Wittenberg welcomes the heirs of Luther’s legacy by
welcoming home those who claim Wittenberg and its famed friar
as the cradle of the great Reformation legacy; and
Whereas, The ILSW envisions a modern, renovated facility
serving as an historic center for confessing Lutherans worldwide;
and
Whereas, In 2006, the Synod’s Central Illinois District Church
Extension Fund helped to purchase a historic structure in Wittenberg’s town center, the Old Latin School (1564), making possible
a new era of Lutheran scholarship, outreach, witness, service, and
education; and
Whereas, The ILSW, under the name “The Wittenberg Project”
plans to renovate the Old Latin School and provide a comfortable,
welcoming space designed for educational and cultural programs; for short-term guest housing for visitors, scholars, teachers,
students, LCMS universities and seminaries; for research and theological writing; and as a platform for Gospel proclamation; and

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