LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — December 13–14, 2013, Page 2

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With Secretary Hartwig chairing the meeting, the Rev. Dr. George Gude was elected Chairman of the
commission. Judge Neely Owen will serve as Vice-Chairman. Rev. John Sias will serve as Acting
Secretary as needed. Chairman Gude will also serve as the commission’s representative on the
Commission on Handbook.
5. Review of Content of 2013 Handbook
As required by Bylaw 3.9.4.2 (b), the commission carried out its consultation responsibility in the
preparation of the 2013 Handbook, giving particular attention to the incorporation of convention actions
by the Commission on Handbook. Several minor editorial concerns were noted, to be reported to
Concordia Publishing House as the final step in the pre-publication editing process.
6. Board for National Mission Bylaw Interpretation Issues (13-2687A)
In a letter dated October 24, 2013, the Board for National Mission (BNM) requested clarification of the
mention of districts in Bylaws 3.8.2.1 and 3.8.2.3. It also inquired whether the commission’s concerns, as
regarding the BNM policies’ repeated mention of congregations, could be remedied by including a
general statement of the Office of National Mission (ONM)’s intent not to bypass the districts in its
efforts to serve and support congregations and schools.
After consideration of the letter, the commission concluded that the BNM was asking the following two
questions: (1) Noting the two differing passages in Bylaws 3.8.2.1 and 3.8.2.3 regarding the involvement
of the districts, how do the Bylaws regulate the manner and extent of the ONM’s relation to the Synod’s
congregations and schools? (2) Can such regulation be respected by including in the BNM policies a
general statement assuring that districts will not be bypassed, while allowing individual policies to speak
extensively of working with congregations and schools?
The commission responded as follows:
Question 1: Noting the two differing passages in Bylaws 3.8.2.1 and 3.8.2.3 regarding the involvement of
the districts, how do the Bylaws regulate the manner and extent of the ONM’s relation to the
Synod’s congregations and schools?
Opinion: Bylaws 3.8.2.1 and 3.8.2.3 state, respectively, that the Office of National Mission (a) provides
coordination and support of district ministries that support congregations and schools and (b) offers
domestic ministries that, through districts, especially serve congregations and schools. Both thus conceive
of the ONM as relating to districts and their ministries, and of the districts, in turn, relating to
congregations and schools; so also Bylaw 3.8.2.
At the same time, Bylaw 3.8.2.6 allows the Synod in convention, or the Council of Presidents acting on
behalf of the districts, to assign to the ONM staff “a coordinative role” for specific “ministry areas.” In
doing so, the Synod in convention has apparently understood this “coordinative role” to, at least in part,
involve resources or programs that are not mediated exclusively through corresponding district ministries
(e.g., in 2013 Resolutions 1-04A, 1-15A, 2-05B, 2-11, 3-04, 3-08A, 3-10A, and 3-11A). Practically and
more generally speaking, the districts are by no means required (or able) to each have staff or programs
corresponding to all the functions assigned the ONM. Their congregations, however, need not be denied
resources that the ONM can offer them without neglecting its primary interface with district ministries.
Thus, where “coordinative roles,” as specified by the Synod or its districts (Bylaw 3.8.2.6), suggest the
ONM’s direct interface with congregations and schools, this does not conflict with the aforementioned
CCM Minutes – December 13–4, 2013 – Page 2