# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S230
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

230 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

(5-06)

To Study Convention Representation

Wuereas, The historical situation influenced the de-
cision of the founders of The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod to establish our present representative
form of church polity; and

Wuereas, The synodical Handbook stipulates: “At
the meetings of the Districts of Synod every congrega-
tion or parish is entitled to two votes, one of which is
to be cast by the pastor and the other by the lay dele-
gate. At the meetings of Synod a number of congrega-
tions shall form a group, which shall be represented by
two voting delegates, one a pastor and one a lay dele-
gate” (p.16, Constitution, Art. V); and

Wuereas, It further stipulates that an electoral cir-
cuit, which sends voting delegates to synodical conven-
tions, “shall consist either of one or of two adjacent
visitation circuits, as shall be determined by each Dis-
trict, on the basis of the following requirements: each
pair of delegates shall represent from 7 to 20 member
congregations, involving an aggregate communicant
membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000” (Bylaw 1.51);
and

Wuereas, The increasing imbalance in size of con-
gregations today questions the continuing validity of
such a representative system: and

Wuereas, The male teachers of the Synod have been
denied the right to vote, largely because of the lay-
clergy balance of power within the representative sys-
tem; therefore be it

Resolved, That we request The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod to direct a study providing for a more
democratic voting procedure which recognizes the num-
ber of communicant members in a congregation: and be
it further

Resolved, That this study give attention to including
voting rights for the male teachers of the Synod.

FAcuLTY

ConcorprA TEACHERS COLLEGE
Seward, Nebr.

W. Tu. JANZow, President
Margorie MEIER, Secretary

(5-07)

To Restudy Principles of Representation
at Conventions

Wuereas, Synodical conventions have grown very
large and there is a limit to the number of people who
can effectively carry out the business of the convention:
and

Wuereas, A large proportion of the delegates are
“advisory” delegates as a result of efforts to provide
representation for all segments of the professional min-
istry, and yet maintain the balance between “clergy”
and “lay” delegates; and

Wuereas, The basic principles of representation are

being strained by current practice because voting dele-
gates represent neither a set number of church members
nor all segments of the professional ministry: and

Wuereas, A more efficient and equitable system of
choosing delegates is possible: therefore be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Constitutional
Matters be instructed to study this matter and make ap-
propriate recommendations to the next convention re-
garding:

a. Limiting the size of synodical conventions to a set
number of delegates representing church membership
rather than congregations;

b. Providing for an equal number of delegates chosen
from the lay membership of the church and delegates
chosen from the segments of the professional ministry
of the church;

c. Limiting “advisory delegates” to those who are
official representatives of church administration.

CHRISTIAN Day ScHOOL COMMITTEE
CENTRAL ILLINOIS DISTRICT

ALFRED KIRCHHOFF, Chairman
Marvin BRANDT

EUGENE Kruse

RICHARD SAUER

Rev. Frep STENNFELD

Dr. MAx WESSLER

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

1. 1,383 delegates convened at New York. We be-
lieve this number is too large to be efficiently provided
for in terms of facilities and logistics and too large to
efficiently conduct the business of the convention. We
believe it would be wise to begin by determining the
number of delegates needed for good representation and
for an efficient organization of the business at hand.
For example, it seems feasible and possible to provide
facilities and make logistic arrangements for 1,000 dele-
gates.

2, It would seem that 1,000 voting delegates would
represent the membership and the various segments of
the professional ministry better than the 875 voting
delegates and 508 advisory delegates who attended the
convention in 1967. The purpose of the convention is
to establish policies, programs, and procedures as the
chief legislative assembly of the Synod (Handbook 1.21).
It is inefficient to have such a large number of the offi-
cial delegates cast into a role in which they cannot vote
and really cannot “advise” because they have no spe-
cialized information nor prestige of office such as official
representatives of the Synod’s boards, commissions, and
committees and the District Presidents have.

3. Directors of Christian education, elementary and
high school teachers, and institutional chaplains are
part of the professional ministry of the church and
should be represented by voting delegates chosen from
their ranks. This would be possible if one voting dele-
gate were chosen for every 30 “advisory” clergymen and
one voting delegate were chosen for every 30 teachers