The Management Committee of the DWME, an elected body of the Lutheran Church in America, was created in 1972 during a restructuring of the LCA. It replaced the Board of World Missions. In addition to the mission work of the BWM, the new DWME added working relationships with inter-Lutheran and inter-confessional church bodies. The duties of the Management Committee included the following. To elect its own officers; to counsel the executive director with respect to the appointment of staff and evaluation of their performance; to set policy concerning goals and objectives of the DWME in consultation with the executive director; to review and act upon budget and program proposals of the DWME; to initiate, with staff, new program proposals; to appoint members of the consulting committees and other related units, unless otherwise provided; to review the overall performance of the DWME; and to report to the convention and the Executive Council. The committee met twice a year, with special meetings called by the chair or the executive director. Officers were a chairperson and a vice-chairperson. Serving as chairpersons were Ralph W. Loew, 1972-1976; Frederick Wentz 1976-1980; William E. Lesher, 1980-1984; James A. Scherer, 1984-1986; and David R. Gerberding, 1986-1987. An executive committee, composed of the chair, vice-chair, and three elected members, was empowered to act between meetings and functioned as a committee on staff personnel and finance. The records contain minutes and exhibits for the Management Committee as well as for the Cabinet of Directors, the World Mission Staff Group, and the Common Agency Staff Group. For information on these groups see LCA 28 Administrative History. Each box contains bound copies of minutes and exhibits as well as folders of a few exhibits not included in the bound copies. They are arranged chronologically.
