By adding four more members to its board of directors, the convention of the Synod’s California-Nevada-Hawaii District has formed Nevada and Hawaii into regions.
In action during the convention, May 15-17 in Fremont, Calif., the convention added two regional vice presidents and two lay directors who will represent the two state-regions on the district board. The district has three regional vice presidents in California, where there is the largest concentration of population and LCMS congregations.
By voice acclamation, the convention re-elected Dr. Robert Newton of San Jose, Calif., to his third term as district president. Dr. Thomas Zelt, Fremont, Calif., was re-elected to a second term as first vice president.
Convention floor committees brought 10 resolutions before the delegates, who adopted all of them with little or no opposition. In addition to expanding its board, the district divided its Sierra Nevada Circuit into two visitation circuits, although they will continue as one electoral circuit to select delegates to the Synod conventions. The district convention approved the Hispanic Council as a mandated committee of the district.
Elected regional vice presidents were Rev. Paul Hoffmann , San Jose, Calif., Pacific Region; Rev. James Beyer, Santa Rosa, Calif., Northern Region; Rev. Richard Rice, Santa Cruz, Calif., Southern Region; Rev. Bruce Betker, Kaneohe, Hawaii, Hawaii Region; and Rev. Mark Kliewer, Winnemucca, Nev., Nevada Region.
Other convention resolutions call for continuing education to equip church workers for serving in a post-church culture, encourage a revitalization process for all congregations, encourage faithful stewardship and continued partnership in funding mission efforts, and encourage every congregation to engage in disaster preparedness.
Posted May 20, 2009