Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church Immanuel Deaconess Motherhouse and Training School

See also AUG 42 Administrative History

Board of Trustees: The activities and operations of the Immanuel Deaconess Institute (IDI), which included the deaconess motherhouse and training school, were overseen by an elected board of trustees. This board, when created in 1887, had eleven members. In addition to its role of oversight and administration, it nominated the directing pastor, whose was elected by the synod, and it alone elected the directing sister. The board supervised the duties of the directing pastor and sister as well as approved the rules established by the directing pastor and sister. At its inception it met once per year. In 1894 six members resigned, these members were five Americans and one German. The other members of the board, Swedish Americans, believed that Swedish Lutherans living in Omaha would not fully support the hospital if it appeared that Americans were controlling the board. The six members were replaced with Swedish Lutherans. By 1937 the size of the board was nine members. Three advisory members were elected annually by the board to attend meetings. The board of trustees reorganized in 1955 with new committees that divided the areas of concern for the board: hospital and school of nursing, the diaconate, childcare, and work among invalids and the aged. The Executive Committee comprised three board members, the IDI director, and the directing sister. This committee was responsible for administrative matters that needed attention in the period between board meetings.

Sister's Council/Deaconess Council: It appears that a sister's council came into existence in approximately 1916. This council's role was to give advice to the superintendent regarding matters related to the sisters directly, e.g. garb and appointments to offices. It comprised deaconesses in leadership positions and senior deaconesses who the directing sister and pastor considered suitable for the council. It did not have regular meetings, but met when the superintendent called for a meeting. In 1933 the portion of the constitution that addressed the sister's council was revised to include a new committee, the Home Committee, which was a subset of the larger sister's council and comprised the sisters in charge of each department. Motherhouse leadership, the director, directing sister, and assistant directing sister were ex officio members. This committee met once per month.

By late 1952 the Sister's Council became the Deaconess Council. This council served as an executive committee for the diaconate. It was a six-member committee of consecrated deaconesses elected by the diaconate for two-year terms. Among its duties, it managed and controlled funds that were the exclusive property of the Augustana Diaconate. But it did not manage the funds appropriated to it by the church-at-large. It reviewed policies and procedures as they related to the management of the deaconess home; it approved calls and assignments for deaconesses; it consulted regarding applications to the diaconate; it served as a consulting body and reviewed annual budget requests. It generally met once per month, but did meet on more frequent occasions if situations warranted.