LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — August 10–12, 2012, Page 6

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In researching the background for this matter, the commission determined that the focus of the attention
of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance, Floor Committee 8 of the 2010
convention, and the delegates of the 2010 convention for what responsibilities of the Board for University
Education would be transferred to the Board of Directors of Concordia University System was on Bylaw
3.8.3.8.3, the listed responsibilities of the Board of Directors of Concordia University System. This
reference to prior approval was clearly stricken. The parallel responsibility for “prior approval” in the
bylaw section for college and university faculties was changed as all other references to the Board for
University Education which had not been eliminated from the bylaws were changed to the Board of
Directors of Concordia University System, as the Board for University Education no longer existed.
Further examination of what responsibilities were transferred from the Board for University Education to
the Board of Directors of Concordia University System support this conclusion. The responsibilities of
the Board of Directors of Concordia University System for the colleges and universities of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod under Bylaw 3.6.6.5 include policy development, coordination of planning, and
general oversight. Responsibilities for day-to-day management and operations of the institutions were
given to the boards of regents of the colleges and universities by the 2010 convention. Besides the
responsibility to grant approval for initial appointments of theological faculty, other responsibilities given
to the boards of regents of the colleges and universities include: approve capital projects in relation to
campus property management agreements and institutional mater plans; visit institutions periodically to
identify strengths and weaknesses based upon professional standards; monitor recognized service
organization standards and follow up in cases of inadequacy; and establish and maintain a system of
colloquy and certification of commissioned ministers (see 2007 “Handbook Convention Version,” pp.
256–257 of 2010 Today’s Business).
The Synod has had throughout its history significant concern for the recruiting and training of pastors,
teachers, and other professional church workers for the Synod. Appointments to the faculties of the
Synod’s seminaries as well as to the theological faculties (indeed to all the other faculties as well) of the
Synod’s colleges and universities are of vital importance to the Synod. For decades, while boards of
regents of colleges and universities as well as seminaries have been given the responsibility to appoint
members of their faculties, prior approval of Synod boards were also required for initial appointments of
faculty members of the seminaries and also for initial appointments of theological faculty members of the
Synod’s colleges and universities. 1 Recognizing that history, and continuing to encourage and even
enhance the Synod’s significant concern for recruiting and training pastors, teachers, and other
professional church workers for the Synod, the 2010 convention eliminated the responsibility for
approving the appointment of fully qualified members of the seminary faculty from any board other than
the boards of regents for the seminaries and placed that responsibility squarely with the seminaries’
boards of regents. The 2010 convention decided that the responsibility to ensure qualified faculty for the
Synod is with the seminaries themselves. Likewise the 2010 convention decided that the responsibility to
ensure qualified theological faculty as well as all other faculty for the colleges and universities is with the
colleges and universities themselves and their boards of regents. It would have been inconsistent for the
Synod to eliminate prior approval for seminary faculties by a second board and not reflect the same for
theological faculties of colleges and universities.
The conclusion of the commission is also consistent with the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of
Concordia University System. These governing documents of Concordia University System, while
1

The commission was informed by the CUS Board of Directors that “since the Board for Higher Education was
formed in 1938, the national Synod has always had the privilege of approving theological faculty at the colleges and
seminaries.”

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