Version History
Current published version
Today's Business, Issue 1. pp. 157-159. Original floor committee resolution.
No later published versions have been added.
Official Resolution Source Text
Resolution: 9-09
Canonical number: 9-09
Committee: Structure and Administration
Source: Today's Business, Issue 1
Printed pages: pp. 157-159
PDF pages: 157-159
Version: original, current-published-proposal
Source reference: Issue 1, pp. 157-159
Line numbers follow Today's Business, Issue 1, with numbering reset on each printed page, so delegates can compare this page with the official PDF.
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- To Amend Bylaws to Coordinate Responsibilities of Chief Mission Officer
- with Other Synod Officers
- RESOLUTION 9-09
- Overture 9-10 (CW, 470–71)
- Rationale
- The 2010 Synod convention made substantial changes to the structure and organization of the national Synod office that
- impacted significantly the mission operations of the Synod. These changes included creating the Chief Mission Officer
- (CMO) position, eliminating the Synod’s Board for Mission Services, and creating the Board for National Mission (BNM)
- and the Board for International Mission (BIM). The bylaws governing the CMO position have been in effect for 15 years,
- allowing time to assess their overall efficiency and effectiveness.
- The CMO is ultimately responsible to the President of the Synod. The CMO also has responsibilities that have significant
- impact on matters within the supervision and responsibility of the Synod’s Board of Directors (BOD) and must coordinate
- extensively with other officers of the Synod, some of whom report to the BOD.
- While the content of the Synod’s communications deals with doctrinal, practical, and programmatic material that belongs
- under the supervision of the President or the appointed officer reporting to him, namely the CMO, and while Synod’s
- fundraising certainly relates to its programs, there are operational aspects of this work that the BOD suggests would benefit
- from closer coordination with other activities more operational than programmatic. Corporate Synod would benefit from
- an integrated treatment of its information systems. The BOD has made a significant ongoing investment in a constituent
- management system and a more comprehensive approach to information management, including building a team with the
- skills for internet and database development, which is necessary if rewards are to be reaped in better service to the Synod’s
- membership, enhanced presentation of its confession and mission in electronic platforms, and improved efficiency and
- capacity. Likewise, the BOD is responsible for “providing operating and capital funds to carry out the work of the Synod”
- (Bylaw 3.3.4.5 [c]), but 2010 restructuring placed fundraising under the supervision of the President. While messaging
- and approach may shift with changes in presidential administrations, the fundamental communications and fundraising
- operations of the Synod should be provided for in a way that could survive such a transition. The change here proposed,
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- to transfer these functions to reside under the board’s Chief Operating Officer, while retaining certain approvals to the
- President, therefore serves continuity as well as efficiency and effectiveness.
- It is desirable and would assist the overall coordination and efficiency of the work of the CMO, other Synod officers, and
- the BOD to realign certain responsibilities among the CMO and other Synod officers that relate to budgetary, property,
- financial, legal matters, and other left-hand kingdom responsibilities.
- Proposed Action
- Therefore be it
- Resolved, That to assist in the overall coordination and efficiency of the Synod’s mission operations and to assist the
- overall coordination and efficiency of the work of the CMO, other Synod officers, and the BOD, the bylaws be amended
- as follows:
- PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
- Chief Mission Officer
- 3.4.3 The Chief Mission Officer shall be responsible to the President of the Synod for the mission, ministry, and
- any programmatic and coordinative functions which are implemented according to the policies adopted by
- the Board for National Mission and the Board for International Mission.
- 3.4.3.1 The Chief Mission Officer shall provide staff and other resource(s) to the Board for National Mission and
- the Board for International Mission.
- 3.4.3.2 The Chief Mission Officer shall be an officer of the Synod and shall be appointed and subsequently
- reappointed by the President of the Synod following the President’s consultation with the Board for National
- Mission and the Board for International Mission and with the mutual concurrence of the Board of Directors
- and the concurrence of the Board for National Mission and the Board for International Mission acting jointly.
- The Chief Mission Officer may serve an unlimited number of terms.
- 3.4.3.3 The Chief Mission Officer shall be a minister of religion—ordained and shall serve a three-year renewable
- term of office and shall serve at the direction of the President of the Synod.
- 3.4.3.4 The Chief Mission Officer shall meet regularly with the executive directors of the commissions (if any) and
- the chief executives of synodwide corporate entities as the liaison for and at the direction of the President of
- the Synod. In carrying out his responsibilities as described in Bylaw 3.4.3 as an aspect of the programmatic,
- administrative, and financial functions of the national Synod, the Chief Mission Officer He shall work
- together shall coordinate closely with the Chief FinancialOperating Officer and the Chief Administrative
- Officer in carrying out the programmatic, administrative, and financial functions of the national Synod and
- shall meet regularly with the executive directors of the commissions (if any) and the chief executives of
- synodwide corporate entities as the liaison for and at the direction of the President of the Synod.
- 3.4.3.5 The Chief Mission Officer shall, at the direction of the President, supervise the work of the Office of National
- Mission and the Office of International Mission.
- 3.4.3.6 The Chief Mission Officer shall, on behalf of the President, supervise fundraising activity of the national
- office according to policies established by the Board of Directors of the Synod.
- 3.4.3.76 The Chief Mission Officer shall, on behalf of the President, supervise the content of communications, public
- relations, and news and information provided by the Synod, including the official periodicals of the Synod,
- The Lutheran Witness and Reporter.
- 3.4.3.8 The Chief Mission Officer shall, on behalf of the President, provide leadership, coordination, and oversight
- for pre-seminary education programs, seminary education, and post-seminary continuing education, and by
- providing advocacy for pastoral education and health within the Synod. He shall serve as the chairman of the
- Pastoral Formation Committee.
- …
- Chief FinancialOperating Officer
- …
- 3.4.1.5 The Chief Operating Officer shall, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Synod, supervise fundraising
- activity of the national office according to policies established by the Board of Directors of the Synod and
- subject to the supervision of the President of the Synod over the theological content of communications. The
- selection of the top executive responsible for fundraising of the national office and all employees responsible
- for theological content of related communications can be made only with the concurrence of the President of
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- the Synod. Selection of other outward facing employees shall occur only after consultation with the President
- of the Synod.
- 3.4.1.6 The Chief Operating Officer shall, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Synod, supervise the budgetary,
- legal, and business aspects of communications, public relations, and news and information provided by the
- Synod, including the official periodicals of the Synod, The Lutheran Witness and Reporter. The selection of
- the top executive(s) responsible for communications, public relations, and news and information provided
- by the Synod and all employees responsible for theological content of such can be made only with the
- concurrence of the President of the Synod. Selection of other outward facing employees shall occur only
- after consultation with the President of the Synod.
- The Chief Financial Officer and LCMS Accounting and Financial Services staff, in consultation with the Finance
- Committee, estimate no incremental cost, as existing responsibilities are simply realigned (estimate required by Bylaw
- 3.1.7 [g]).
