Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2026 · 69th Convention, Phoenix › Page 468
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 468

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

468

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION

approved by its governing board and the Synod Board of Directors,
which purposes shall be consistent with the ministry and mission of
the Synod.

3.2.3, and 3.2.3.1, and other individuals or duly constituted groups
who may be required or permitted to do so by the Bylaws, by action
of a prior convention of the Synod, or by the President.
(a) Reports are statements of work performed or contemplated
by those who are charged with conducting the business of the
Synod between conventions, communications to a convention
with respect to studies that may have been made for the Synod in
order to further its work, or other types of communications to the
Synod.
(b) A report shall not include an overture unless the report is
submitted by someone authorized to submit overtures.

Board of Directors
Lutheran Church Extension Fund
Ov. 9-09

To Amend the Bylaws to Clarify and Streamline
Responsibilities of Appointed Synod Officers
Rationale
Under current bylaws, the positions of Chief Administrative Officer
(CAO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) exist to assist the Synod
Board of Directors (BOD) in carrying out the responsibilities of the
BOD to the Synod. These responsibilities include managing, on
behalf of the BOD, left-hand kingdom affairs of the Synod and
coordination with all other officers and agencies of the Synod. Both
positions report to the BOD and both positions are appointed by the
BOD, with the concurrence of the President.
The current responsibilities of the CAO and CFO are distinct, yet
complementary. Maintaining the two positions at times creates
ambiguity and slows coordination with other officers, boards, and
agencies of the Synod. Consolidating the two positions into a single
Chief Operating Officer (COO) will improve clarity of authority,
resource alignment, and coordination across the Synod. It also will
give the BOD the ability to allocate resources in a fashion that better
serves left-hand kingdom Synod needs, such as audit, finance and
accounting, human resources, legal, risk management, and
information technology. Organization of these administrative and
financial functions under one office will allow the board and its
executive freedom to provide for these activities and their
leadership with coordination and flexibility. Under the coordination
provided by the COO, these principal staff members will provide
sensible points of contact and long-term direction in manageable
areas of service.
Combining the CAO and CFO positions into the COO position also
will simplify the overall administration and structure of the Synod
office, allowing the elimination of the Operations Team as currently
prescribed in Bylaw 3.5.2. Present Operations Team functions
would either be addressed by several bylaws that provide for
coordination between the COO and CMO or handled by the
Administrative Team (Bylaw 3.5.1), which includes also the elected
officers, which will be retained and remain under the leadership of
the President.
Therefore, be it
Resolved, That to effectuate the consolidation of the Chief
Administrative Officer position and Chief Financial Officer
position into the Chief Operating Officer position and to make other
adjustments accordingly to improve efficiency and coordination
with the Synod, Bylaws 3.1.6.1, 3.1.9, 3.2.1.1, 3.3.4.6 (d), 3.3.4.9,
3.4.1, 3.4.1.1–3.4.1.4, 3.5.1.1, 3.6.4.2.1, and 3.9.4.1 be amended
and that Bylaws 3.4.2–3.4.2.3 and 3.5.2–3.5.2.1 be deleted as
follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Reports and Overtures
3.1.6.1
Reports to a convention of the Synod may be submitted
only by the President, a vice-president, the Secretary, the Chief
FinancialOperating Officer, the Board of Directors of the Synod, a
board or commission of the Synod as listed in Bylaws 3.2.2, 3.2.2.1,

2026 Convention Workbook

…

Convention Order
3.1.9
The President shall be responsible for the overall
organization and operations of the conventions of the Synod.
(a) The Chief AdministrativeOperating Officer or the Chief
AdministrativeOperating Officer’s designee shall serve as the
convention manager. He shall be responsible to the President for
making arrangements for and directing the externals of the
convention and other major assemblies of the Synod and may
assist with planning and arranging for district conventions.
…
(e) All travel and convention expenses of the Synod’s
Praesidium, Secretary, Chief AdministrativeOperating Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, Chief Mission Officer, Board of
Directors, district presidents, Commission on Constitutional
Matters, Commission on Handbook, Commission on Theology
and Church Relations, and legal counsel are included in the
operating cost of the convention and as such are included in the
district levy.
…

Officers Appointed by the President and Board of Directors
3.2.1.1
The appointed officers of the Synod shall be the Chief
FinancialOperating Officer and the Chief Administrative Officer,
appointed by the Board of Directors of the Synod, and the Chief
Mission Officer, appointed by the President of the Synod.
…

Board of Directors
…
The Board of Directors shall exercise general oversight
3.3.4.6
over the operations and activities of the synodwide corporate
entities, the Concordia Plans, and Concordia Plan Services as
required of it in the Constitution of the Synod and specified in these
Bylaws.
(a) It shall assure itself that their accounting, budgeting, and
financial policies comply with generally accepted accounting
standards.
(b) It shall assure itself that audits are performed by internal
auditors or independent certified public accountants.
(c) It shall be furnished with copies of these and any interim
financial reports it requests.
(d) The board shall have the right to designate a representative
(by default, the Chief Financial Officer) to attend, as a nonvoting
member, all meetings of the boards of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod Foundation, The Lutheran Church Extension
Fund—Missouri Synod, Concordia Publishing House, Concordia
University System, and the Board of Trustees—Concordia Plans
(Board of Directors—Concordia Plan Services),. These nonvoting members are entitled to attend all meetings of the board,
including executive sessions, and have the same rights and
privileges of other board members, except the right to vote. The
board’s representative shall serve on the investment committee of