Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1975 · 51st Convention › Page 59
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 59

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

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 59
CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY -- TABLE 1, SUMMARY REPORT
TOTAL NUMBER QUESTIONNAIRES RETURNED 1990 MEN PERCENT WOMEN PERCENT TOTAL UNANSWERED PERCENT
NUMBER OF COMMUNICANT MEMBERS 332513 45.74 394446 54.26 726959 305
NUMBER OF PERSONS HOLDING OFFICE
A) CHAIRMAN OR VICE-CHAIRMAN 1836 92.26 9 46 1990 145 7.28
B) SECRETARY 1141 57.33 702 35.29 1990 147 7.38
C) TREASURER 1647 82.76 197 9.91 1990 146 7.33
D) BOARD OF ELDERS (DEACONS) 9692 97.20 279 2.80 9971 412
E) BOARD OF EDUCATION 4290 67.54 2061 32.46 6351 589
F) TRUSTEES 6028 95.63 275 4.37 6303 433
G) BOARD OF EVANGELISM 3169 58.93 2208 41.07 5377 760
H) BOARD OF STEWARDSHIP & FINANCE 5467 82.95 1123 17.05 6590 588
I) YOUTH BOARD 2222 55.80 1760 44.20 3982 977
J) SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT 1244 66.06 639 33.94 1883 423
K) BIBLE CLASS SUPERINTENDENT 586 81.61 132 18.39 718 1379
L) CHOIR DIRECTOR 709 37.69 1172 62.31 1881 622
M) ORGANIST 766 22.66 2613 77.34 3379 388
N) OTHER 1202 45.40 1445 54.60 2647 1568
HOW MANY LAYMEMBERS HAVE TAKEN PART
A) LEADING BIBLE CLASS FOR WOMEN 692 10.51 5889 89.49 6581 702
B) LEADING BIBLE CLASS FOR MEN/WOMEN 4776 73.66 1707 26.34 6483 456
C) READING SCRIPTURE-WORSHIP SERVICE 7710 65.59 4044 34.41 11754 749
D) TAKING ANOTHER PART - WORSHIP 4209 64.73 2293 35.27 6502 1154
YES PERCENT NO PERCENT UNANSWERED PERCENT
WOMEN AS VOTING MEMBERS 1270 63.81 701 35.24 19 295
ARE WOMEN PERMITTED TO HOLD OFFICE 1254 63.01 654 32.87 82 4.12
IF WOMEN SERVE AS ELDERS - AREAS
A) CALLING ON DELINQUENTS 129 6.49 1861 93.51
B) ASSISTING WITH COMMUNION 46 2.32 1944 97.68
C) PLANNING WORSHIP SERVICE 127 6.39 1863 93.61
D)_ OTHER 43 2.17 1947 97.83
*k LESS THAN 1% *k----- 10-25%----- HIKK IKK 5 = 507k kK MORE THAN 50%--UNANSWERED
NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT
PROPORTION OF VOTING MEMBERS WOMEN 209 10.50 279 14.02 484 24.32 234 11.77 734
YES PERCENT NO PERCENT UNAWARE PERCENT UNANSWERED PERCENT
FOLLOW SYNODICAL EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY 660 33.16 60 3.01 614 30.97 656 32.96

tional meetings are held several times a year with all present
voting, and the actual work of the congregation is then carried
out by the appointed or elected boards and committees.

The proportion of reporting congregations that permit
women to hold office (63%) compares quite closely with those
granting suffrage. Most congregations exclude women from
being president, vice-president, or elder. Only nine congrega-
tions reported women chairmen or vice-chairmen, and only 3%
have women elders (or deacons), although an additional 3%
indicate that women aid in calling on delinquents and in plan-
ning worship services. About 35% of the congregations reporting
have women holding the office of secretary, and 30—40% have
women on their boards of education, evangelism, stewardship,
finance, or youth.

Women are choir directors in 62% of the reporting congrega-
tions; 77% have woman organists. Women lead Bible classes
for women in 89% of the congregations, but only 26% use women
to lead mixed Bible study groups. About 35% of the congrega-
tions have used women to read Scripture in the worship service.

In addition to the questionnaire sent to parish pastors, two
additional questions were directed to two women from each

parish. A total of 3,080 of these questionnaires were returned.
In these responses only 12 women rated their opportunities in
their congregations as “none,” and less than 15% said they were
“limited.” (This proportion was only slightly higher in the
“under 30” age group.) Approximately 80% of the women
responding said the opportunities in their congregation were
“good” or “excellent.” No desire for change was expressed
by 50% of the women, either by not answering this question
or by directly saying so. Many had words of praise for their
pastor or for their new privileges as voting members.

2. District and Synodical Surveys

a. Number of Men and Women Serving on District and Synodical
Boards and Commissions (See District and Synodical Ques-
tionnaire, Table 2)

Although women make up over 50% of the general member-
ship of congregations in the Synod, they are vastly under-
represented in the decision-making process on the District
and synodical level. Still, women have come a long way since
1969. In totals for all Districts reporting, women make up 11%
of the membership of all District boards, commissions, and