# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1965_S227
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

5. CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS AND MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS 227

of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in conven-
tion assembled at Oakland, June 16—19, 1963, respect-
fully memorialize the Synod to reconsider said section
of its bylaws with a view to clarifying its intent. Mean-
while the District (on the basis of the Commission on
Constitutional Matters and Church Government’s inter-
pretation) understands Resolution 11-23 to have refer-
ence to business contracts whereby financial profit ac-
crues to the individual or his firm or organization.

CALIFORNIA AND NEvADA DISTRICT
E. THEo. DELANEY, Assistant Secretary

[5-40 Un]

To Establish New Method for Selecting
Delegates from Electoral Circuits

Wuereas, The conventions of the Synod will now be
held biennially, and the economic expenditures for such
conventions will doubtless continue to increase; and

Wuergas, The Synod, through its College of Presi-
dents, currently is studying the entire matter of repre-
sentation at the conventions of the Synod with a view
to reducing the size of these conventions; and

Wuereas, A uniform system of representation at the
conventions of the Synod would seem advisable; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the California and Nevada District
of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in conven-
tion assembled at West Sacramento, March 30—April 2,
1964, respectfully memorialize the 1965 convention of
the Synod to establish the following method for select-
ing delegates from electoral circuits:

1. Each electoral circuit’s delegation shall consist of
the pastoral delegate from one Counselor’s circuit and
the lay delegate from the other Counselor’s circuit, and
each electoral circuit shall alternate this representation
system for subsequent conventions of the Synod.

2. The advisory electoral circuits shall be formed as
follows:

a. Advisory pastors shall be entitled to one delegate

for every 25 on the official roster of the District.

b. Called male teachers shall be entitled to one dele-

gate for every 25 on the official roster of the

District.
CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA DISTRICT

E. THEo. DELANEY, Assistant Secretary
[5-41 Un]

To Appoint a Fact-finding Committee
to Investigate Truthfulness of Charges
that False Doctrine Is Tolerated
in the Synod, ete.
Whereas, Many pastors, teachers, and laymen of our
Synod are receiving Lutheran News; and

Waereas, Lutheran News contains numerous reports
of the toleration of false doctrine in the Missouri Synod
and reports of the persecution of those who earnestly
contend for the faith in our Synod; and

Wuereas, The Synod’s Constitution declares that
attacks on our church shall be answered (12.03 d);
therefore be it

Resolved, That this convention appoint a fact-finding
committee of five members; two pastors, one teacher,
and two laymen, to investigate the truthfulness of these
reports found in Lutheran News; and be it further

Resolved, That the committee make such a report
in the Synod’s official periodical; and be it further

Resolved, That if the reports prove to be true, the
President of the Synod and the Presidents of our re-
spective Districts be instructed to take immediate ac-
tion according to Titus 3:10, 11 against the false teachers
in our midst who have been exposed through Lutheran
News; and be it finally

Resolved, That if the reports prove to be false, our
Public Relations Department be reminded of its duty
to answer unjust attacks on our church body (12.03 c).

MEssIaAH LUTHERAN CHURCH
North Hollywood, Calif.

Marvin Raut, President
VERNON H. Hier, Secretary

[5-42 Un]

To Determine that No Change
in the Synodical “Handbook” Shall Be
Valid . . . Unless . . . Made in Accord
with Procedures Spelled Out in Section 16.01
of the “Handbook”

Our synodical fathers wisely saw that continued
confidence in the Synod required that member con-
gregations be informed and involved in decisions af-
fecting the general welfare. Provisions for such in-
formation and involvement are included in the Synod’s
Constitution and Bylaws (Handbook). Confusion has
resulted, however, from Resolution 6-02 (p. 123, Pro-
ceedings) of the convention of 1962. It has been sug-
gested that this resolution may change the procedure
by which the Handbook may be amended, taking the
power of amendment in certain cases from the con-
vention and giving it to the synodical Council of Ad-
ministrators. It has been further suggested that Res-
olution 6-02 may throw into question the availability
of the complete Handbook to all congregations of the
Synod (see “Developing Polity at the Cleveland Con-
vention,” American Lutheran, June 1963).

We therefore memorialize The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod in convention in 1965 to take the fol-
lowing actions:

1. To make clear that any previous action of the
convention notwithstanding, no change in the Hand-
book shall be considered valid or binding unless the
change is made in accord with procedures for amend-
ment spelled out in Section 16.01 of the Handbook;

2. To provide that every congregation, pastor, and
called teacher be sent a copy of the Handbook and