wfn.org | [LCMSNews] Structure task force gears up

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>11.21.2008		
>	LCMS News	 	
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>THE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod  	 	
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	November 21, 2008 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 68

Structure task force gears up for presentations to districts

>By Roland Lovstad

Responses from boards of directors of all 35 LCMS districts will be used
by the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance to
refine its "Proposals and Possibilities" for presentation to district
conventions next year.

Task force Chairman Rev. Robert Greene emphasized that the 2009 district
conventions are one more step in the process of preparing a report for
action at the 2010 LCMS convention. "The task force is serious about
getting feedback and making it a transparent process," he said. "We will
give further consideration to issues that surface from these meetings."

This fall, three task force members are meeting with each district's
board of directors to present the task force's "Proposals and
Possibilities" document and hear discussion. Responses from those
meetings are being compiled for the 17-member task force to consider at
its meeting in December.

The document deals with relationships between congregations and
districts, including consideration of the number of districts;
relationships between congregations and the national Synod, including
the number of boards and commissions and national staff; congregational
representation at district and national conventions; and frequency and
function of district and national conventions.

The "Proposals and Possibilities" and response questions were first used
by the task force at the Synod's national theological convocation Aug.
18-20 in St. Louis. That method assures consistency of the feedback,
according to Greene, a retiree who formerly served as president of
Lutheran Social Services of the South.

In making its preliminary proposals, the task force emphasized that its
focus is on serving the mission of congregations.

Just as it conducted a follow-up survey of individual participants at
the theological convocation, the task force sent surveys to the district
board members.

The process will be similar when the task force takes its proposals to
district conventions. Besides a presentation and discussion period,
Greene said, "We intend to survey the convention delegates during our
report. At conventions that have electronic voting arrangements, we will
survey at the end of our presentation. If they don't have voting
machines, we will do some kind of a written survey."

Greene added that task force representatives also intend to spend at
least a day at each convention to talk informally with delegates.

He encouraged pastors and laity to go to the task force Web site at
www.lcms.org/LCMSFuture <http://www.lcms.org/LCMSFuture>  to view or
download the document. "I've been trying to encourage people to go to
the Web site, look at it, and tell us what you like and what you don't
like. Let us know."

Task force member Rev. Jon Braunersreuther, who made six district
presentations, emphasized the effort to build consensus. "We strongly
believe it's important for this task force to listen honestly to the
constituency of the Synod about what they see and what they need in
terms of structure and governance," said the senior assistant to the
LCMS president.

"The districts were very receptive, very hospitable, and very engaged,"
observed Dr. Will Sohns, recalling his district presentations. A member
of the Commission on Constitutional Matters and former president of the
Wyoming District, Sohns observed that the board members made meaningful
contributions and responses, adding that they are interested in
continuing their participation in the process.

The district convention cycle begins with North Dakota on Jan. 18-21 and
ends with the Central Illinois District July 5-7. The task force will
use feedback from the conventions to further refine its findings and
recommendations. Once delegates are elected for the 2010 LCMS
convention, Synod President Gerald B. Kieschnick will host regional
caucuses of the delegates to present the proposals, concepts, and
options for consideration and discussion.

The task force will bring its final report for action to the LCMS
convention July 10-17, 2010, in Houston.

Roland Lovstad is a freelance writer and a member of Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Perryville, Mo.

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If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release, contact
Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org
<mailto:joe.isenhower@lcms.org>  or (314) 996-1231, or Paula Schlueter
Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org <mailto:paula.ross@lcms.org>  or (314)
996-1230.

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