wfn.org | LCMS Board for Congregational Services becomes District and

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Congregational Services

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Board for Communication Services
1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122-7295

News Release

61st Regular Convention St. Louis, Mo. July 14-20, 2001

July 16, 2001 #15

Contact: Bruce Kueck (314) 342-5715

LCMS Board for Congregational Services becomes District and Congregational 
Services

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod s Board for Congregational Services is 
now its Board for District and Congregational Services as a result of Synod 
Bylaw changes approved on Monday, July 16, by delegates to the church 
body's 61st. Regular Convention in St. Louis.

Other approved changes for that board in the first resolution offered by 
the convention s Congregational Services floor committee reduce the number 
of board members from 11 to eight and eliminate the Conference of 
Congregational Services.

The conference met twice a year to advise the board. However, "the Board 
has found more cost-effective means to accomplish the same goal," according 
to a rationale statement for the action.

The statement also noted that the changes would clarify "the board s 
relationship with districts and their congregations;" reduce board 
membership "resulting in more efficient policy and supervision;" and 
clarify the board s "purpose as expressed through district and 
congregational input. That input came as part of a self-study the board 
conducted within the last year a self-study that also involved the Synod 
Task Force on Synod/District Relations.

A background statement accompanying the resolution points out that, since 
1999, there has been a reduction of $885,000 in unrestricted budget funds 
for the board and nine staff positions have been eliminated.

Rev. Victor Belton, a member of the board from Decatur, Ga., told the 
convention, "The board has worked very hard at trying to keep [our work] 
alive and afloat to help districts and congregations."

The vote was 928 for and 97 against the bylaw changes.

PHOTOGRAPHS: Photos of convention coverage are available at 
www.lcms.org/convention/

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