# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1983_S214 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 214 STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTION B. Advisory Members Advisory members only are the following: 1. Pastors whose congregations do not hold membership in the Synod; 2. Assistant pastors: 3. Ministers not in charge of congregations: 4. Professors at the Synod’s educational institu- tions; 3d. Teachers of parochical schools; 6. Candidates for the office of the ministry or for that of a teacher in the parochial schools. Article XII Districts of the Synod and Their Regulation 10. The meetings of the Districts of the Synod are composed of the following: A. Voting Representatives The pastors of such congregations as hold voting membership in the Synod and the lay delegates elected and deputed by these congregations shall be voting representatives. B. Advisory Members Advisory members are: a. Pastors whose congregations do not hold membership in the Synod; b. Assistant pastors; c. Ministers without a charge; d. Professors at the educational institutions; e. Teachers of parochial schools; f. Candidates for the office of the ministry or for the office of parochial school school teacher. The following were appointed by the President of the Synod to serve on this committee: Dr. Karl L. Barth, pastor, who also served as chairman; Dr. Wilbert H. Rusch, Sr., and Mr. Lyle Saeger, teachers; Mr. Don Graf, Dr. Robert M. Nauss, and Mr. Norman Troyke, laypersons. The committee met four times, twice in St. Louis and twice by conference telephone call. It also shared its preliminary findings with members of the Commit- tee on Structure. In reviewing the resolutions in question the committee identified several questions for study, including the following: 1. Who shall cast the nonpastoral vote at District and synodical conventions? 2. If the present system is retained (one pastor, one lay vote), should teachers be designated as athird category eligible to vote? 3. Shall a vacant congregation be entitled to two votes ata District convention? If so, who shall cast the two votes? 4. Shall a multiple parish be entitled to more than two votes at a District convention? 5. Shall lay ministers serving congregations without a pastor be permitted to cast the pastoral vote at District conventions? 6. Shall retired pastors who are serving as vacancy pastors be permitted to cast the pastoral vote? To facilitate the committee’s work, several independent studies were conducted by individual members. Since the number of teachers varies greatly from District to District, the ratio of voting delegates to communicant members in the 38 North American Districts was reviewed. This was done to determine what effect the establishment of a third category of voting delegates (teachers) would have on that ratio, and several options were developed as to how under such an arrangement the teachers would be elected. Statistical data was gathered on the number of multiple parishes in each District, including the number of multiple parishes with at least two stations of more than 100 communicants each. The basis of the “one pastor, one lay vote” procedure was researched back to the early days of the Synod. Regarding the nonpastoral vote referred to in both the B. Advisory Members Advisory members are the following: (Continue as at present.) Article XII Districts of the Synod and Their Regulation 10. The meetings of the Districts of the Synod are composed of the following: A. Voting Delegates The pastor of each member congregation and one additional person elected by the congregation shall be voting delegates. B. Advisory Delegates Advisory delegates are: (Continue as at present.) Action: Withdrawn in view of action on Res. 2-14. second and fifth resolveds of Res. 2-14, the committee con- sidered three options: maintain the status quo, requiring the nonpastoral vote to be cast by a layperson; adopt the recom- mendation of Task Force II, permitting the congregation to choose ‘‘a layperson, a parochial school teacher, or any other communicant member of that congregation who is on the clergy or teacher roster of the Synod in some other capacity"; or establish a third category of voting delegates, giving the franchise to a limited number of teachers on the roster of the Synod. The committee found no strong consensus for change but herewith lists reasons for and against the three options. The present arrangement continues a long-established, well-working procedure. It assures continued balanced lay participation. It enables the church to continue to use the special insights of teachers, faculty members, and those in special ministries by maintaining their right as advisory delegates to speak at conventions and their privilege of serving on many synodical and District boards and committees. It retains the concept that only the congregation has power to determine who shall cast its vote. On the other hand, it continues to deny the franchise to a significant number engaged in the public ministry of the church. The proposals of Resolution 2-14 also maintain the vote for the congregation. They open up the franchise in a limited way to teachers and advisory clergy and enable the church in the fullest sense to use their gifts at conventions. Conversely, the proposals have the potential for weakening lay influence and opening the way for professional domination. They may be viewed by some as a failure to recognize the status of the teacher as a minister of the Gospel and may havea detrimental effect on the morale of those not chosen. The possibility of a third category of voting delegates assures the franchise to teachers. However, it removes the concept that the vote belongs to the congregation, since the selection of teacher delegates by individual congregations would be cumbersome if not impossible. It increases delegation size as well as cost. It has the potential for professional domination and establishes precedent for establishing other voting categories. Since the 1981 convention in a proposed amendment discussed the possibility of opening the pastoral vote of the