# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S309
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

404 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

pastors are members of Synod, but for the purpose of opii7}’s
visits in the congregation, the consent of such Congregation: shai"
first be secured”; and

Wuereas, The Handbook thereby gives to a non-member con.
gregation the right to refuse consent for such meeting ang the
right to have its refusal respected by the synodical Officials, a righ;
which it seemingly withholds from member congregations; ang

' ‘Wnereas, To withhold such right from member congregations

is clearly an invasion of the rights of a congregation to Control ity
own internal affairs and can hardly be reconciled with the prin.
ciples of mutual confidence and brotherly love and may even be
employed in the interest of papistical tyranny and abuses; and

Wuereas, One of the objects of Synod is “the protection of
pastors and teachers and congregations in the performance of their
duties and the maintenance of their rights” (Constitution, Art. I,
8); now therefore be it

Resolved, That Sections 3.43 and 3.65 of the Handbook be
amended so that the rights of a congregation to control its internal
affairs are not yielded in any manner; and be it furthermore

Resolved, That the District President or the Visitor shall first
. receive the formal consent of a congregation before entering it for
an official visit or investigation; and be it furthermore

Resolved, That Section 3.43 of the Handbook be amended to
read as follows: “The District President may arrange for an investi-
gation when any controversy arises between two or more congre-
gations in his District. He shall ask for a report on the case of
both contesting parties in order that by such a report he may be
enabled to have a clearer conception of the real situation. If the
District President authorizes anyone to represent him in such mat-
ters, his representative shall be accorded the same rights. In case
of a controversy within a congregation the District President shall
first receive the formal consent of the congregation for such an
investigation. A congregation shall have the right to refuse to
grant such consent and the officials shall respect. such refusal.
However, in refusing such consent, the congregation shall earnestly
consider that it does not act arbitrarily, does not suppress the rights
of a minority or an individual within the congregation, but in every
respect acts in accordance with the principles of brotherly love
and Christian charity. All arrangements for such investigation
shall be made through the pastor, the God-appointed bishop of
the congregation”; and be it furthermore |

Resolved, That Section 3.65 of the Handbook be amended to
read as follows: “The Visitor shall with the consent of the local
congregation officially visit the congregation, pastors, and teachers