Synod directors prepare for major decisions

President Bugbee, Arnold Drung and Anne Taylor will serve on different committees to assess the Board of Directors' three task force reports.

 Facing a deadline for overtures to Lutheran Church–Canada’s convention in June, LCC’s Board of Directors met by conference call Tuesday, February 15 to engage in further discussion about the three task force reports recently delivered. 

The meeting’s primary focus was on the report from the Task Force on Cost-efficient and Sustainable Seminary education. Board members noted that many of the responses received from individuals, congregations, the seminaries and Boards of Regents reflect findings similar to the task force and present various options already considered. 

When Pastor Nolan Astley, chairman of the task force, joined the meeting he reported on the additional assignments from the BOD given in early January. He attended the joint Boards of Regents meeting January 21 in St. Catharines, providing the regents with further background on the task force report. Their response from that meeting is online here. 

The board had also asked for a draft memorandum of understanding that would guide the two seminaries working together and also more detailed financial information especially with regard to cost savings. 

Working with LCC’s legal counsel the task force presented a preliminary draft which will be finalized by the BOD’s March 3-4 meeting in Winnipeg. Financial details will also be available at that time. 

In addition to the seminary task force, the board is also assessing reports on LCC’s vicarage program and Cultural Properties and Archives activities. 

To help the process, the board assigned two of its existing committees the responsibility of reviewing the reports and responses, and bringing recommendations to the board’s March meeting. 

The executive committee (Board chairman Randy Stefan, President Bugbee, Treasurer Dwayne Cleave, Secretary Rev. Dennis Putzman) with the addition of member Lynn Gergens will report on the seminaries task force recommendations. 

The BOD referred the task force report on Cultural Properties and Archives to its committee responsible for that area of synod’s activity. Board members Lorne Wirth, who chaired the task force, and Anne Taylor will join the committee chaired by First Vice-president Rev. Daryl Solie. 

To assess the vicarage report, the board created an ad hoc committee comprising Arnold Drung, Rev. Tom Kruesel (chair), Rev. Karl Keller, and Rev. Robert Krestick. 

“When tackling decisions of this magnitude it’s easy to be overcome by the importance,” said the president. “By delegating, the board has simplified the process so it can more easily tackle the difficult decisions that lay ahead.” 

The committees will decide which parts, if any, of the recommendations contained in the task force reports should be adopted, and those which require convention action for which overtures are necessary. 

Any overtures required will be published in the convention workbook (due out in late March) and brought before the appropriate resolutions committee.

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