LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — February 18, 1998, Page 1

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3. If the practice of an officially Recognized Service Organization of the LCMS stands in opposition to
its own Articles of Incorporation, does this in any way affect its status as an officially Recognized
Service Organization?
4. If all LCMS member congregations are required by Synod to submit all constitutions, bylaws, and
their revisions to the Committee for Constitutional Matters of their corresponding districts, should
not Recognized Service Organizations also submit their Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and
revisions to the Synod for reconsideration -especially when such service organizations include
official cooperation in matters of worship and practice with congregations of the ELCA, even that
church body's recent and radical change in confession and practice?
The Commission decided to reply as follows:
In response to your request for an opinion relative to Recognized Service Organization issues, the
Commission on Constitutional Matters presents the statement below.
Rules, regulations, and requirements related to granting Recognized Service Organizations (RSO) status
to a service organization are set forth in the following documents:
2.

Bylaw 14.03 of the Synod states the Synod's position relative to an RSO.

2.

The Board of Directors of the Synod has adopted common policies for granting RSO
status in accord with Bylaw 14.03 (d).

2.

Bylaw 14.03 (d) also allows each operating board of the Synod to adopt policies and
criteria to assure that its unique needs are met by a service organization granted RSO status.

2.

The Board for Congregational Services of the Synod in its publication "Church
Recognition of Recognized Service Organizations" (Rev. February 1997), which it issued
under the authority set forth in paragraph three above, states in paragraph three under the
section entitled "Responsibilities on the Part of the LCMS District" (p. 15) that an LCMS
district may develop and require any additional criteria for RSO status that are appropriate
for the schools or other agencies in that district.

Having said that, the Commission issues the following opinion in response to the four questions placed
before it:
Questions one and two relate to topics beyond the functions assigned to the Commission by Bylaw 3.905.
These questions are more properly addressed to the Commission on Theology and Church Relations.
In response to question three, the Commission notes that Bylaw 14.03 (a) states that the granting of
Recognized Service Organization (RSO) status
"signifies that a service organization, 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 the Synod."
Bylaw 14.03 (c) states