Evening star., 1954-10-13
Lutherans Strengthen
Executive Board as
Sessions Near End
By cospor Name.
Stur Stoff correspondent

TORONTO, Canada, Oct. Is.
The United Lutheran Church
In America will bring its 10th
biennial convention to a close
today following actions yester-
day relating to powers Of the
Executide Board that counter
manded earlier decisions taken
by the delegates.
Previously In the week-long
deliberations the nearly TOO del
egates Of the 2,150.000 member
denomination voted down pro-
posed changes by its commission
on organizational structure Civ
ing the Executive Board greater
powers.
Yesterday they completely re-
versed their field and approved
motions presenting the Execu-
tive Board with fuller authority
than it has ever had.
Amendment Submitted.
The key was contained in an
amendment submitted by DR..
Paul Krauss OF Fort Wayne, Ind.
It said. "The executive board
shall review the actions of
each board, agency Excepting
common agencieS), and auxil-
iary at the next meeting of the
Executive Board following the
meeting of the board, agency
or auxiliary at which the actions
are taken"
According to Charles K. Woltz
Of Charlottesville. Va, secretary
Of the commission on reorgani-
zation Of the church's structure,
this gives the executive board
the power to stop any action by
o board or agency that it disap-
proves. OF course. any board or
agency may submit such an &C.
ton to the biennial convention
II it believes the move should
be taken despite disapproval Of
the Executive Board. The con-
vention has the power to over
rule its executive board.
Until now the Executive Board
could only receive the reports
Of the boards and agencies and
Coordinate their work. In effect,
1t acted as a referee among the
boards and agencies with a duty
to see that their work did not
overlap.
Asks Trust in Leadership.
The only proposed power re-
fused to the Executive Board was
that Of telling the boards and
agencies specific things to do.
As the situation now stands, the
denominations top group can
stop actions by the boards and
agencies but cannot initiate ac-
tions by them.
In urging the delegates to ac-
cept his amendment. DR.. Krauss
declared: Some one must sit
at the head of the table. Dis
tribute your leadership all over
the scene and see what you will
get. What are you afraid of? Let
us have confidence in our leader
ship"
The Executive Board consists
OF the church's president, secre-
tary and treasurer and five mirl-=
isterial and five lay members
elected for four-year terms.
It's principal function is to act
for the church between conven-
tions. carrying forward the de-
nominations work and objec-
tives." The boad is also empow-
cred to have "a general oversight
Of the work of its officers. boards,
agencies, auxiliaries and COM
mittees." E- =
Limitations Approved.
Six definite limitations upon
the boards powers were also con-
tanned in the motion approved
yesterday. They included pro-
hibitions against receiving eny
synod into aff1liation with the
church, the right to abolish any
board or agency or to alter sny
budget adopted by the conven-
tion, the establishing of formal
relations with other general
bodies or the adoption or chang
ing Of any church liturgy, hym-
nal or catechism. These items
can only be acted upon by the
general conventions.
Before the proposed reorgani-
zation changes can be put into
effect. they must be approved by
two-thirds of the denominations
80 synods. The results will be
brought to the 1856 convention.
AS now constituted, the tienomi-
nation Is a federation of autono-
nous synods and of boards,
elected by the conventions, that
are also autonomous.
The delegates voted yesterday
to increase the budget to SIS
221 ,523 for the two years 1856
and 1857, or more than 81 mil
lion above the figure the COM
mittee submitted on Tuesday to
the convention for consideration.
As the budget now stands, ST.
587 ,944 was voted for 1856 and
$7,633,579 for 1857. The total
Is more than So million over the
budget for the two years l954-5.
Included in the revised budget
was $279,137 for 1856 and $249.-
839 for 1857 for a board Of