Official Handbook Source Text
Handbook page 213
Source: LCMS Handbook 2023, page 213.
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.
standard form of agreement to be entered into by the Synod and each recognized service organization.
(b) Each mission board of the Synod in consultation with the Council of Presidents shall adopt further policies and criteria, related to its area of responsibility for granting of recognized service organization status by its respective mission office, such policies relating to the organizations’ alignment with and augmentation of the mission and ministry of the Synod, as the Constitution and Bylaws relate to the board’s area of responsibility and as further expressed in the Synod’s triennial emphases and the board’s specific goals and activities.
(c) Each mission office shall, subject to 6.2.3 (a) and (b) above, adopt further policies and criteria, for granting, renewal, and withdrawal of recognized service organization status, and shall develop such instruments as are necessary for coordination with districts.
6.2.4 Subject to policies adopted by the Synod’s Board of Directors and the
respective mission board, recognized service organization status may be granted by the Office of National Mission or the Office of International Mission to a service organization (other than an auxiliary) that extends the mission and ministry of the Synod but is not part of the Synod as defined by its Constitution and Bylaws.
(a) Applications for recognized service organization status shall be made to the Office of the Secretary of the Synod , which will facilitate the application as follows:
(1) Educational service organization status is evaluated by the geographical district in which the school or camp is located, unless all voting members of its Board of Directors are members of a non - geographic district, on the basis of an instrument jointly de veloped by the Office of National Mission and the Council of Presidents. The instrument, completed by the organization and district, is reviewed and approved by the Office of National Mission. The status of schools is managed on a per-site basis.
(2) Witness or mercy service organization status, if the organization’s activity is entirely within a single geographical district, may, if the policies of the Board for National Mission permit, be evaluated by the relevant district on the basis of an instrument developed by the Office of National Mission. The instrument, completed by the organization and district, is reviewed, further investigated, if needed, and finally approved by the Office of National Mission. Until and unless such policies and instrument are developed, applications for witness service organization or mercy service organization status shall be handled under (3) below.
(3) Status of all other organizations, and the application therefor, is administered directly by the Office of National or International Mission, as appropriate, with district presidents exercising ecclesiastical oversight of the operations of recognized servi ce organizations within their boundaries.
(b) Within the area of its responsibility and in accordance with policies and criteria developed by the Synod Board of Directors, the respective mission board and office , each mission office shall
