LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — April 3–4, 2009, Page 7

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programs the responsibility of the BUE. The commission suggested that if these responsibilities
are delegated to the executive director, the policy should make clear that the board retains final
responsibility. This does not appear to have been done.


Regarding Policy 6.3, the commission recommended that the Synod’s interest in final approval
should be reflected in paragraph 9 under 6.3 (and paragraph 2 under 6.4). This recommendation
was not implemented.



Regarding Policy 12.7, the commission’s earlier recommendation that a change be made to
recognize the authority of each institution to receive and match its own funds under Bylaw
3.8.3.6.4 (I) (2) also has not been implemented.

Regarding the Presidents’ Board Policy Manual, no changes are being recommended. The
commission instructed its secretary to request that a clean current copy of all BUE/CUS policy
manuals be provided after final changes have been made.
(C) Board for District and Congregational Services Policy Manual (06-2476)
Upon review of the Board for District and Congregational Services Policy Manual, the commission
noted that many of its earlier recommendations were followed. It offered the following additional
recommendations:


On page 3, Policy 1.1, the article “the” in the final line of the LCMS Mission Statement does not
appear in the statement as adopted by the convention.



On page 5, Policy 1.5 overstates whom the board serves, identified by Bylaw 3.8.6.2 as the
districts and congregations of the Synod.



On page 18, Policy section 3.1, references to “law” in the paragraphs under 3.1 and 3.1.2 should
be clarified to refer to “civil law.”



On page 19, Policy 3.3.4 would best be removed until the Synod has resolved the issue of
removal of board members by convention action. In addition, the cross reference in this paragraph
to Section 2 is mistaken, since there are not such provisions in that section.



On page 24, the title of the section would better read “Executive Director Authority.”



On page 30, Policy 4.8.2 should include a provision that prior approval be obtained from the
President of the Synod before consulting with other churches and governmental groups.

(D) Agency Policy Manuals Awaiting Review
Given limitations of time and, in some cases, a need for additional materials, the following agency
policy manuals will be reviewed at a future meeting of the commission:







Handbook for Doctrinal Reviewers
LCMS Foundation Policy Manual
CHI Policy Manual
CTCR Policy Guidelines
LCEF Policy Manual
Concordia Plans Services Articles of Incorporation/Bylaws

89. “Binding Force” Convention Resolutions (08-2542)
A pastor of the Synod in a December 30, 2008 letter requested an opinion regarding the “binding force” of
resolutions of the Synod in light of the commission’s use of that terminology in its Opinion 08-2524. The
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