# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S232
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

232 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

supply the lay delegate and which congregation shall
supply the lay alternate. In case of a tie in any of the
primary elections, the man having the least number
of votes shall be eliminated from consideration and
a vote taken again on the remaining men who received

votes in the first balloting.” Rev. Epwin H. Roeurs

Dearborn, Mich.
(5-11)

To Change Method of Selecting Delegates

Wuereas, The primary objective of the Synod in the
establishment of the electoral circuit was to provide
a fair and equitable representation at its conventions;
and

Wuereas, To accomplish these objectives, the follow-
ing policies and procedures were established:

1. An electoral circuit shall consist either of one or
two adjacent visitation circuits,

2. Each pair of delegates shall represent from 7 to 20
member congregations involving an aggregate communi-
cant membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000.

3. Each electoral circuit shall meet to elect its dele-
gates (the pastoral delegate and the congregation of the
lay delegate) not later than 9 months prior to the con-
vention; and

Wuereas, The problems not anticipated at the time
of the change are:

1. The phrase “shall meet” has caused considerable
expense to the District. the congregations, and the dele-
gates in both money and time. An example is that of
Electoral Circuit 5 of the California and Nevada District
of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, where 23
men traveled a total of 4.470 miles and expended in ex-
cess of $303 and 73 hours of their time to meet for ap-
proximately 10 minutes to elect their pastoral delegate
and select the congregation of the lay delegate (23% of
the eligible representatives did not attend this meeting).

2. When the electoral circuit is a combination of two
visitation circuits, it is probable that most or all of the
pastors would have met one another before the election
but most of the laymen would not be acquainted either
with one another and only with a few of the pastors.
This places virtual control of the election in the hands
of the pastors; and

Whereas, The proposed changes would —

a) Allow for the electoral circuit either to meet or
vote by mail if it so elects;

b) Give the lay delegates equal position with the
pastors in voting;

c) Make it possible to have a second vote by mail
if the pastor elected is from the congregation se-
lected;

d) Provide better stewardship of money, time, and
talent than the present procedure provides: there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the following changes be recom-
mended:

1. In Section 1.51, page 32, of the Handbook the
second sentence be amended to read:
An electoral circuit shall be determined by each District on
the basis of the following requirements: each pair of dele-
gates shall represent from 7 to 20 adjacent member congre-

gations involving an aggregate communicant membership
ranging from 1,500 to 10,000.

2. In Section 1.53, page 33, of the Handbook the first
sentence be amended to read:
Each electoral circuit under the direction of the counselor (s)

shall elect its delegates not later than 9 months prior to the
opening day of the convention.

3. In Section 1.53. page 33, of the Handbook insert
the following sentence immediately following the amen-
dation listed in paragraph 2 above:

Prior to voting the counselor(s) shall furnish each delegate
with a summary resume of each pastor and a listing of the
congregations indicating the most recent year each had a pas-
toral and a lay delegate at a synodical convention.

Boarp OF DIRECTORS

CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA DIsTRICT

Cari A. WALLIs, Secretary

(5-12)
To Reconsider Procedure
for Electing Delegates

Wuereas, The strict application of the present rules
for choosing delegates to the delegate synods, or synodi-
cal conventions, works a very definite and unmistakable
hardship on some congregations and in some areas; and

Wuereas, It is usually the smaller. numerically
weaker and financially less able congregations that are
affected most; and

WuereEas, The actual result is that some congregations
in such a situation are actually disenfranchised because
they have neither the means to send representation nor
the persons who can afford to take the time to come to
a joint election meeting called solely for the purpose of
selecting a pastoral delegate to the synodical convention
and choosing the congregation that is to send the lay
delegate: and

WHEREAS, It is customary and fully acceptable in
other cases and other situations to vote either by proxy,
by mail ballot. or by telephone conference: therefore
be it

Resolved, By the Sierra Nevada Pastoral Conference
of the California and Nevada District, in conference as-
sembled at Las Vegas, Nev., Oct. 15 to 17, 1968, that we
memorialize The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.
in convention assembled at Denver, Colo., that it care-
fully reconsider the outlined procedure for the election
of delegates to the synodical convention in the light of
the foregoing considerations: and be it further

Resolved, That it instruct the Commission on Con-
stitutional Matters to change the present rules to permit
both flexibility and options in voting and procedure of
election of delegates; and be it finally