# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1989_S120
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

120 RESOLUTIONS

Resolved, That Bylaw 2.43 be amended as follows:

2.43 Clergy, and Teacher, and Deaconess Rosters

Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and By-
laws, the District Presidents shall be responsible for the
initial placement of the names of all ministers of religion
on the clergy, and teacher, and deaconess rosters, re-
spectively, of the Synod and also for their removal. An
ordained or commissioned minister accepting a call to
a congregation in a sister District, or to an institution
which relates to such District, shall immediately report
such decision to the District President of the District
where presently serving and ask for a transfer of mem-
bership. The District President shall forward such

transfer to the President of the sister District. Upon ©

receipt of the transfer and of a request for installation
from the minister of religion, the District President of
the sister District shall install or authorize installation
of such minister. The District President shall be re-
sponsible for maintaining records of transfers into and
out of his District;

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 5.61 a be amended as follows:

5.61 Official Pastoral, and Teacher, and
Deaconess Conferences

a. In each District of the Synod there shall be an
official conference for ordained ministers and an official
conferences for commissioned ministers. Each official
conference shall consist respectively of all ordained and
commissioned ministers on the respective rosters. Con-
ferences shall meet, if possible, in plenary sessions at
least once each year and may meet more frequently in
major sections (not more than four sections) whose geo-
graphical boundaries shall be established by the District
in convention. Such major sectional meetings shall be
regarded as sessions of the official conference;

and be it further

Resolved, That Bylaw 5.67 a be amended as follows:
The official pastoral conferences, and official teacher
conferences, and official deaconess conferences shall be
encouraged to meet also jointly for the purpose of dis-
cussing doctrinal, professional, and practical matters.
Such a joint meeting will not be regarded as an official
conference;

and be it further

Resolved, That the above Bylaw amendments be effec-
tive upon announcement by the Secretary of the Synod that
the amendments to the Constitution granting membership
in the Synod to deaconesses have been ratified by the vote
of the congregations of the Synod;
and be it finally

Resolved, That the Commission on Constitutional Mat-
ters, if necessary, make further revisions to the synodical
Handbook to bring it into harmony with the granting of
membership in the Synod to deaconesses.

Action: Adopted (13).

To Establish Procedures
for Certification of Deaconesses

RESOLUTION 3-19

Report R3-06 (CW, pp. 71-72); Overtures 3-21A-23, 3-
25 (CW, pp. 175-76)

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
(LCMS) has declared its intent that synodically certified
deaconesses be declared eligible for membership in the
LCMS as Ministers of Religion, Commissioned; and

Wuereas, There exists no formal procedure by which
deaconesses presently serving in LCMS congregations or
ministries can initially be certified for such membership;
and

Wuereas, There exists no colloquy program or other
procedure or vehicle by which women who also have or will
receive training as deaconesses from programs other than
Concordia College, River Forest, or other synodically ap-
proved curricula can be certified for membership; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the Board for Higher Education Services
(BHES), in consultation with the Council of Presidents,
initially certify those deaconesses presently serving LCMS
congregations or ministries who are eligible for member-
ship in the LCMS as Ministers of Religion, Commissioned;
and be it further

Resolved, That the BHES, in consultation with the
Board of Regents of Concordia College, River Forest, de-
velop a colloquy program or other procedure or vehicle
whereby women trained as deaconesses at non-synodically
approved schools or programs may be certified for mem-
bership in the LCMS as Ministers of Religion, Commis-
sioned; and be it finally

Resolved, That currently uncertified deaconesses be en-
couraged to become certified as soon as possible and that
congregations and other agencies of the Synod engaging
an uncertified deaconess be encouraged to make provision
for time and financial assistance for such certification.

Action: Adopted as amended (13).

(The final resolve was added by amendment. A suggestion was
made to the effect that a resolve be added which would make it
possible for deaconess graduates from Valparaiso University to
be eligible for Commissioned Minister status. It was not pursued
when it was made clear that such action would require a total
redefinition of that category.)