Official Handbook Source Text
Handbook page 212
Source: LCMS Handbook 2023, page 212.
This page reproduces text from the 2023 LCMS Handbook for study and navigation. Readers should verify procedural, legal, parliamentary, or governance questions against the official LCMS Handbook and appropriate LCMS authorities.
status recognizing different degrees of churchly governance and support and commensurate expectations for performance of activities and realization of mutual benefits.
6.2.2.2 The right to extend a Synod-recognized, regular call to a rostered worker is
afforded to the board of directors of a recognized service organization, provided that:
(a) The board’s composition contains at least the proportion of members of Synod member congregations required by recognized service organization program policies.
(b) The district president who would, by virtue of the call, assume ecclesiastical supervision of the minister (Bylaw section 2.12) is properly consulted in the call process.
(1) If the call is such that the district president to assume ecclesiastical supervision is not known, the counsel of the president of the district within which the entity is located or with which it is associated shall be sought.
(2) If such a call involves multiple districts (such as by entity location or connection and/or position locale), the presidents of all such districts shall be consulted and mutually agree on which one of them will counsel the entity regarding the call and ass ume ecclesiastical supervision of the worker called.
(c) The call document is approved by the district president who would assume ecclesiastical supervision of the member as clearly stating that the organization:
(1) expects that the worker will, without compromise or constraint, carry out the ministry for which ordained or commissioned, and to which called, according to the doctrine and practice of the Synod.
(2) agrees to accommodate and encourage the ecclesiastical supervision of the worker by the appropriate district president.
(3) submits, as an exclusive remedy, to the dispute resolution process of the Synod for the resolution of any issues arising under the divine call.
(d) The organization demonstrates to the district president its ability to provide for the reasonable needs of the called worker for the duration of the period of the call.
6.2.3 Program administration shall be carried out by the Offices of National and
International Mission according to these bylaws, and according to policies and criteria developed by the Synod Board of Directors, mission boards, and mission offices.
(a) The Board of Directors of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod shall adopt common policies and criteria for granting of recognized service organization status by Synod’s mission offices, such polices relating to expectations for the corporate structure and g overnance of the organizations, statements regarding their legal and corporate independence from the Synod, and the necessary relation of their work to the mission and ministry of the Synod as generally expressed in its Constitution and Bylaws. The Board of Directors shall approve the
