LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 108

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108

SYNOD REPORTS

There are three categories of men eligible to apply for colloquy
into the ministerium of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod: (1)
ordained pastors with sufficient education who are presently actively
serving a congregation of another synod, who desire to colloquize
into the LCMS (normally, we seek to have them bring their congregation along with them into the Synod); (2) men who are graduates
of a seminary program of sufficient academic standards leading to
ordination who have been members of LCMS congregations for at
least two years (often, these are men who have left congregations in
other synods and have joined LCMS congregations); and (3) licensed
deacons of the Synod’s districts who have served in the full Word
and Sacrament ministry of a congregation under license by a district
for at least 10 years. The Colloquy Committee is empowered by the
policy manual, at the request of the sponsoring district president, to
make some exceptions to the minimum requirements in categories
2 and 3. All others, including commissioned ministers of the Synod,
are directed to the alternate route programs at one of our seminaries.
During the course of the triennium, the Colloquy Committee met
12 times to examine applications, conduct interviews with various
applicants (no applicant is ever certified without a personal interview), and transact business monitoring the progress of the various
applicants. In the work of interviewing applicants, the committee
often draws upon other ordained men from the staff of the Synod
to help with the interviews. As of this writing, 43 men were certified during this triennium for placement in a call in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod.
The men who apply come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Many come from other Lutheran churches here and abroad. Others
were ordained in churches of other confessions but have been attracted
to the truth of the confession our Synod holds. All are thoroughly
examined and, where necessary, given more work to do to prepare
(often including further interviews and examination), so that when the
Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry certifies them, to the
best of our knowledge, they are ready to serve in our midst as faithful
Lutheran pastors. We thank God for these gifts to His Church, many
of whom have come to us at no little personal cost. Even though they
may have been trained in another church body, they come because
they are convinced by the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions
to commit themselves to carrying out ministry in our midst according to that confession we share. To God be the glory!
Herbert C. Mueller Jr., First Vice-President
R6-02

Secretary
The Office of the Secretary has been kept busy throughout the
2010–13 triennium. Managing the workload has been possible only
with the faithful and diligent labor of Executive Assistant Pam Weeke,
the part-time assistance of the Chief Financial Officer’s Executive
Assistant Marie Muhlke, and the ready cooperation of other executive
staff and departments in the International Center—especially the regular support provided by the leadership and staff of the Departments
of Rosters and Statistics and Communications.
This will be a report in four parts: (1) customary duties; (2)
responsibilities relating to conventions of the Synod; (3) other work
pertaining to the Office of Secretary; and (4) other duties assigned by
the 2010 convention and during the course of the triennium (Bylaws
3.3.3ff.).
1. Customary Duties of a Corporate Secretary

As provided by Bylaw 3.3.3, I have served as a voting member and
the secretary of the Board of Directors of the Synod, participating in
all meetings and keeping all minutes of those meetings. For a time,
2013 Convention Workbook

until budgetary considerations caused it to be discontinued, I provided a recap of important board business in a Reporter insert called
“Board Briefs.” In its place, I now to provide a brief summary of each
meeting’s more significant actions on the board’s Internet Web page.
In addition, I have signed numerous corporate documents, provided testimony on behalf of the Synod before the courts, and
participated in discussions with the Synod’s legal counsel regarding
legal and bylaw issues.
2. Responsibilities Relating to Conventions of the Synod

During any triennium, as soon as the business of one convention has been handled, including the publication of the Convention
Proceedings and a revised Handbook, the nominating process for
the next-following convention begins. Given the structure and governance changes adopted by the 2010 convention, however, business
from that convention has largely continued unabated as changes have
been put into practice spanning the entire triennium.
To help the Synod at-large to adapt to a new way of doing things
and to prepare for the 2013 convention, a post-card mailing campaign
was developed to provide congregations with timely information
regarding their opportunities and responsibilities. By the end of the
current triennium, a series of 18 postcards will have been sent to all
congregations, prompting them regarding circuit responsibilities, district convention requirements, nominating and voting processes, the
submission of business to the 2013 convention, and more.
Nomination and Election of President

New to the 2010–13 triennium is the pre-convention election of the
President of the Synod for the 2013–16 triennium. The bylaws require
the Secretary to “provide a secure and verifiable method that will
offer opportunity to every congregation of the Synod to submit nominations” (Bylaw 3.12.2 [b]) and “a secure and verifiable method …
for two voting delegates from each congregation in attendance at the
previous district conventions … to vote for one of the candidates for
President” four weeks prior to the 2013 convention (Bylaw 3.12.2.3).
The nominations process for President did not change from previous elections. Ballots were mailed to all congregations in early
October 2012, and they were received back by February 20, 2013. A
total of 1,745 nominating votes were received (as compared to 2,007
in 2010), and the required three nominees with the most votes who
indicated their willingness to serve if elected have been identified
(see “Biographical Synopses and Statements of Nominees” booklet
accompanying this Convention Workbook); the election takes place
four weeks prior to the 2013 convention.
The greater challenge has been to develop and maintain the voters
list comprised of the 8,200 delegates who attended the 2012 district conventions and who will be entitled to vote in the election of
President. This has been quite expensive in terms of time, labor, and
finances. While electronic means for communicating and electing are
the only way to meet bylaw time-expectation requirements, obtaining
and maintaining an up-to-date list of usable email addresses will have
required nine months of ceaseless effort by the time the vote is taken.
The services of Election-America, a company with a good record
of assisting organizations with electronic balloting, have been
acquired for the actual conduct of the election process in June 2013.
Election-participation materials will be provided to the voters in early
June via regular mail and email, so that all who are on the voters’ list
will receive the materials. The actual balloting will take place via the
Internet shortly thereafter—with the election results to be announced
two weeks prior to the 2013 convention, when the president-elect will
have opportunity to select (from the list of the top 20 nominees who
will have consented to serve if elected) the five candidates who will