Workbook page: 45
PDF page: 80
Section: No public section attached
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LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 80
2026 Convention Workbook 45 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS D. Facilitation of Appointment Processes, Vacancy and Regular The office facilitates appointment processes for positions elect- ed by the convention that become vacant mid-term and for positions appointed by the Board of Directors and Council of Presidents. An- nual appointments include Concordia Plans / Plan Services Boards of Trustees / Members and the Lutheran Church Extension Fund Board of Members; triennial appointments, the LCMS Foundation and Commissions on Constitutional Matters and Handbook, as well as various appointments by the Council of Presidents. This trienni- um saw a decline to a more typical rate of vacancy appointments under Bylaw 3.2.5: Board for National Mission, 2; Board for Inter- national Mission, 2; LCMS Foundation Board of Trustees, 1; Con- cordia University Chicago, 2; Concordia University, Nebraska, 1. District boards of directors and others often have the opportunity to participate in the nomination processes, and their input is generally low in volume but greatly appreciated. These processes, too, have been supported with a new electronic system, which is still working its way to full realization in the time we have to give it. E. Dispute Resolution and Expulsion Processes The office administers the Synod’s processes of dispute reso- lution and expulsion, provides associated training, and has a key practical role, with the Commission on Constitutional Matters and Council of Presidents, in maintaining the processes’ Standard Op- erating Procedure Manuals. The triennium now drawing to a close saw the conclusion of hearing panel proceedings as follows: two expulsion proceedings under Bylaw section 2.14 (one is underway and one concluded by resignation after a panel was requested but before the hearing). Many suspensions of workers and congrega - tions do not result in a panel, resolving instead in a removal by de- fault or resignation. Reconcilers on the Synod’s roster function ex- tensively in the districts, whether in informal or formal capacities; this activity is not regularly reported to the Office of the Secretary. Appeals from panel decisions were requested in three of four con- cluded expulsion proceedings, but no review hearings were granted by an appeal panel. Given infrequent activation of reconcilers and hearing facili - tators by blind draw for panel roles, the office, together with the Commission on Constitutional Matters and Council of Presidents, is engaged in review of the training apparatus and size of the pools. Ambassadors of Reconciliation, Synod’s training partner, will be providing the January 2027 training online in an effort to increase accessibility and retention of material, as well as to shift cost from travel and lodging to the creation of “off-year” continuing educa - tion for hearing facilitators and already-rostered reconcilers. F. Other Roles Reported Elsewhere The Secretary of the Synod serves ex officio on the Board of Di- rectors of the Synod and the Concordia Historical Institute Board of Governors, as Secretary of both the Commission on Constitutional Matters and the Commission on Handbook. He regularly assists the Council of Presidents and is involved in many task forces and other efforts (including particularly, this triennium, the 2023 Res. 9-06A work on electoral circuit requirements); as these are reported on elsewhere and by others, these activities are not reported here. Suf- fice it to say that in everything touching on the Bylaws or the polity of the Synod, the office is usually in some way involved. Unusually extensive litigation this triennium as well as a change in legal counsel, the present vacancy in the Chief Administrative While work with the “parochial service report” continues and we hope to have a significant report ready for floor committees on patterns of pastoral service and ordained minister supply and de- mand, we have not made the progress we’d like on supplying the Synod with deep and broad analysis or work with the entities to achieve an “enterprise data” approach of value to the Synod. Oth- er areas of work—principally legal and governance matters—have taxed our capacity. Intention remains firm, and with a new trienni- um at hand, hope is being renewed. C. Nominations and Elections The office supports the nomination and election processes of the Synod convention (Bylaw 3.12), performing the preliminary and final work for the Committee on Convention Nominations (CCN) as well as the administration of the processes for nomination of the President and his election and for the nomination of the vice-pres - idents of the Synod—these latter nomination processes being bal- lot-based and numerical. In the CCN process, a total of 459 individuals (210 ordained, 59 commissioned, and 190 lay), including incumbents, were nominat- ed for at least one of the 62 officer, board, or commission positions to be filled by the convention through the work of the Commit - tee on Convention Nominations (excluding the seven praesidium positions). Despite about 25 percent more nominations (including more duplicates), the total is the same as the previous triennium (though those were comprised of slightly more ordained, more commissioned, and fewer lay) but up from 347 the one previous. A new electronic system supported the process, enabled gathering of more complete and more timely information, eased the work of the committee, and reduced the amount of staff time required to be devoted to the process. We could still use more, and more thought- ful, nominations. The nominating process for President and vice-presidents, con- ducted electronically for the second time through YesElections (formerly Election America, the contractor used by the Synod since 2013 to conduct the election of the President), will be reported on separately. Registration of presidential voters, also online for the second time, is underway at the time of this report’s preparation. The accustomed, relatively low level of participation in these pro- cesses remains of concern for the Synod. The last two triennia, this office again provided a detailed report on participation in the online presidential election (2019 Today’ s Business [TB] 2B:239–45; 2023 TB 2B:286–90). The pre-convention election of the President con- tinues to deserve the convention’s careful review. The office continued its revised approach to convention-re - lated communications this triennium, focusing on official notices and electronic communications with congregations, which can be more timely and have a broader reach than print. Districts were engaged to strongly encourage submission of congregational and congregational leader emails at lc.lcms.org, which have been used consistently and with timely information from online processes to remind multiple leaders in each congregation of opportunities to participate. There remain a small number of generally smaller con- gregations without many means of email contact and initial, “offi- cial” communications are still made on paper. Our evaluation is that this works probably better than the old postcard approach, although participation rates continue, across the board, on their accustomed downward trend—also a concern for the convention.