LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 172

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

172 SYNODICAL ADMINISTRATION

VY. Recommendations

A, General Editor. The Milwaukee convention directed
the board in Res. 2-20 to study the proposal to establish the
office of General Editor. The board recommends that this
proposal be declined at this time in view of the fact that the
new procedures for doctrinal review have been adopted by
the Synod only recently and may prove to make such a po-
sition unnecessary.

B. Committee on World Hunger. About a year ago the
board urged the Committee on World Hunger to complete its
work by the time of the New Orleans convention. The board
recommends that this area of the Synod’s activity now be
assigned to the Board of Social Ministry and World Relief
since world hunger should be an ongoing concern of the
church.

C. Commission on Mission and Ministry in the Church.
When the Synod in 1965 adopted the Mission Affirmations it
also created the Commission on Mission and Ministry in the
Church, which was designed at least to a considerable ex-
tent to foster and to help disseminate the affirmations. At
that time the Board of Directors was placed into a special
relationship to that commission. The Bylaws state that the
commission's recommendations are to be made to the Board
of Directors which shall be responsible for the implementa-
tion of such counsel and suggestions.

It is the considered judgment of the Board of Directors
that the Commission on Mission and Ministry in the Church
has now had adequate opportunity to fulfill its task. Much
attention has been given to the implementation of the Mis-
sion Affirmations in the church. The Synod at this time may
well thank the commission for having stimulated boards and
commissions to consider new methods of mission and min-
istry to the church and to the world.

It is the opinion of the Board of Directors that having
effected such stimulation the commission has now served its
purpose. The development of new means of mission and
ministry should be the ongoing creative responsibility of all
boards and commissions in the Synod and should not be
delegated away to any special group.

The Board of Directors therefore recommends that the
Synod gratefully bring the work of the Commission on Mis-
sion and Ministry in the Church to an end as of Jan. 1,
1974. and accordingly rescind Bylaw 2.111, which governs
this commission's service, and all other pertinent Bylaw
references.

D. Commission on Social Concerns. The board recom-
mends that the work of this commission be assigned to the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations not as a sub-
committee of that commission but as an added responsibility
of the CTCR through the addition of a new Bylaw paragraph
under “Duties” of the CTCR.

E. Retirement. Under the omnibus resolution of referral
the board was asked to study Res. 4-46 which contained a
proposal for amending the Bylaws covering retirement and
further service of staff members. The board proposes the
following amendment to existing Bylaw 2.105:

PRESENT WORDING

2.105 Retirement Policies

1. Each such person may retire at age 65, but
shall be retired on the first day of the month fol-
lowing the month in which his 70th birthday oc-
curs.

PROPOSED WORDING

2.105 Retirement Policies

1. Each such person may request early retire-
ment under the applicable provisions of the Con-
cordia Retirement Plan, but he shall be retired at
the end of the calendar year in which his 65th
birthday occurs. Any further service beyond this
mandatory date shall be on a specific project con-
tract basis not to exceed one year in duration, upon
medical certification, with a provision for annual
renewal to age 70.

F, Assumption of Office. The Council of Presidents has
requested that the date on which the President, Vice-Presi-
dents, Secretary, Treasurer, and members of the Board of
Directors assume office be changed from the last Sunday of
September to the fourth Sunday of September in order to
avoid confusion in those years in which September has five
Sundays. The Board of Directors therefore proposes that
Bylaw 2.06 c be changed as follows:

c. The President. Vice-Presidents, Secretary,
Treasurer, and members of the Board of Directors
shall assume office on the fourth Sunday of Sep-
tember following their election. Members of other
elected boards....

G. Statistical Yearbook. Because of rising costs and
limited use the board recommends that free distribution be
limited and therefore proposes the following revision of By-
law 11.25:

PRESENT WORDING

f. Concordia Publishing House shall, at the ex-
pense of the Synod, mail a copy of the Statistical
Yearbook to every active and retired pastor and
every active and retired male teacher of the Synod
for his own and his congregation's information and
use.

PROPOSED WORDING

f. Concordia Publishing House shall, at the ex-
pense of the Synod, mail a copy of the Statistical
Yearbook to every member congregation. Copies
shall be made available for sale to all clergymen
and teachers at cost.

H. Participation in LCUSA. Milwaukee Resolution 3-18
called for an interchurch study to evaluate LCUSA. It also
provided that after that study was completed the Board of
Directors should in consultation with the Missouri Synod
representatives on that committee make recommendations
to the next convention regarding the future participation of
the Synod in the activities of the Council. The Board's
recommendations are incorporated in a separate report to
the convention.

I. Removal from Office (Faculties). Resolution 6-01 which
contained detailed proposed Bylaws for procedure when
faculty members are accused was referred to the Board of
Directors for study. In the meantime the St. Louis seminary
was placed on probation by the AATS accrediting agency.
This prompted the synodical President to appoint a special
task force to deal with this problem. That special task force
has also been looking at the procedures for due process.
Although the board appointed a task force of its own (Dr.
Albert Meyer, Dr. Paul Streufert, Dr. Alvin Mueller) which
did make proposals for several changes in the Bylaws pro-
posed in Milwaukee Resolution 6-01, your board recom-
mends that the convention adopt the Bylaw proposals (con-
cerning removal from office) of the AATS Task Force which
incorporate and expand upon the recommendations of the
board’s own task force.

J. Synodical Service Commission. The board has decided
to propose what it considers a more efficient method of
appointing executives to replace the Synodical Service Com-
mission functions. Briefly, the board is of the opinion that
boards may well be permitted to select their executives
without the necessity of a screening committee as long as
other safeguards are kept intact (e.g., Synodwide solicita-
tion, approval of synodical President, involvement of the
Personnel Dept.). The board hopes to have proposed By-
laws ready for convention consideration.

K. Bylaws for Budget Preparation. The board has found
Bylaws 9.01 to 9.17 unworkable with respect to budget
preparation. It therefore proposes Bylaw revisions in a
separate overture.

L. Bylaws for Staff Services: Additional Bylaw Pro-
posals Re Administration: Milwaukee Resolution 4-25 in-
structed the Board of Directors to recommend additions to
the Bylaws outlining the structure of the Division of Gen-
eral Staff Services. While carrying out this assignment the
board concluded that additional refinements in the admin-
istration of the Synod should be suggested. These are in-
corporated in the following proposals: