President's Advisory Council replaces the MOT
From the office of President Mark Schroeder
In my few short weeks in office, I’ve already begun to implement some simple changes to clarify the role of various synodical groups and to clear up some misconceptions about how decisions are made.
As of this week, the Ministry Operations Team (MOT) will no longer exist. It will be replaced by the President’s Advisory Council. (Oh good! Another acronym to add to our list!) The PAC will retain, for now, WELS President Rev. Mark Schroeder the same members as the MOT did, but the purpose of the PAC will be clearly and narrowly articulated.
The MOT consisted of the president, vice president, the four area of ministry administrators, the Chief Financial Officer, and the heads of other key departments within the synodical administration. It was created several years ago when the Synodical Council (SC) asked that a group be formed to meet between SC meetings to discuss and refine the items of business that would eventually come before the SC.
The Synodical Council, a group of both laymen and called workers, carries out the decisions of the synod convention by developing policy, overseeing the budget, and reviewing ongoing and proposed activities of the synod. It only meets three times a year, which means that the members of the SC are presented with massive amounts of information when they come together.
The work of the MOT has often been misunderstood. At times, the perception has been that the MOT is a smaller version of the Synodical Council, making key decisions between Synodical Council meetings and setting policies affecting various areas of the synod’s work.
In order to clarify the purpose and function of this group, The PAC will not be a decision-making body. Rather, in keeping the SC’s original intent, it will perform the following functions:
- It will serve as an advisory group for the president in all business or recommendations that will be brought to the Synodical Council and in other areas in which the president carries out his duties. As recommendations are formulated, the PAC will provide needed input and advice to the president. This will guarantee that all business coming before the SC has been thoroughly discussed, clearly articulated, and well planned. This kind of process will enable the SC to make important decisions based on solid information and thorough advanced discussion. It will also give the president important advice on feedback on administrative policies and decisions.
- It will serve as a valuable communication tool within the synodical administration. Each area of ministry or key department will be able to share plans and important issues with other areas of the synod’s administration. In this way, areas of ministry will be able to provide advice and input to each other, avoiding potential conflicts or duplication of effort.
Filed Under: PAC
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