Huebner called as first vice president
Filed Under: Ad Hoc Commission, Convention, vice president
Delegates Monday elected Rev. James Huebner from Grace, Milwaukee, Wis., as the synod's new first vice president, a position that moments earlier delegates voted to change from a full-time position to part-time. Huebner, currently serving as the synod's second vice president, is considering the call.
The position of first vice president has been vacant since September 2008 when former first vice president, Rev. Wayne Mueller, took a call. Other names brought forward for nomination at this convention were Rev. Earle Treptow from Denver, Colo.; and Rev. Joel Voss from Cincinnati, Ohio.
The change of the position from full time to part time, recommended by the Ad Hoc Commission, was brought to the convention by the Ad Hoc Commission—Structure, Conventions, Communication floor committee. This change will save the synod $80,000 annually.
Rev. Joel Spaude, floor committee chairman, says that the committee looked at the list of duties performed by the president and the vice presidents as they considered the resolution. They also considered that in one way or another the duties were assumed during the first vice president vacancy. But he adds, "In the resolution we added the stipulation that this has to be reviewed in four years so that if it proves to be a burden for the president and the vice presidents, the structure would have to be looked at."
Also, delegates defeated a resolution to change the make-up of the Synodical Council. The Ad Hoc Commission—Structure, Conventions, Communication floor committee recommended that the four area of ministry chairmen be replaced by three pastors and one teacher elected by the convention, resulting in six at-large pastor and teacher voting members on the council. The proposal did not receive the required two-thirds majority voted needed to change synod bylaws.
