# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2010_S151
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

ECCLESIAL MATTERS
(c) A third district president selected by the other two Hearing Panel members . If the two Hearing Panel members cannot
agree on the third Hearing Panel member, then One reconciler
who is a layperson . Such third This member shall be chosen
by blind draw from among the Synod’s roster of reconcilers
remaining district presidents, excluding any involved district
president, with the blind draw administered by the chairman of
the Council of Presidents Secretary of the Synod and audited
by witnesses .
(d) Each Hearing Panel shall have a nonvoting hearing facilitator who will serve as chairman of the panel .
(e) The hearing facilitator shall conduct the hearing, shall
serve as chairman of the panel, and may draw upon persons and
resources that he deems necessary for conducting a hearing in a
fair and equitable manner .
(f) The hearing facilitator shall serve as an advisor to the
panel on the form but not the substance of the decision .
2 .17 .7 .3 Upon receipt of a request for hearing, the chairman
of the Council of Presidents shall promptly notify the accused
and the involved ecclesiastical supervisor of their respective
right to choose one Hearing Panel member and direct that the
identity of their selection be transmitted to the chairman of the
Council of Presidents within 15 days from the date of such notice . If either party declines to make a selection within such 15day period, the chairman of the Council of Presidents shall then
make such selection within five days .
2 .17 .7 .4 The chairman of the Council of the Presidents shall
also promptly notify the Secretary of the Synod of the need for
a hearing facilitator .
2 .17 .7 .45 [and following numbers] When two the Hearing
Panel members have so been chosen, the chairman of the Council of Presidents they shall be promptly notified notify them of
their selection to the Hearing Panel and direct that they select
the third member of the Hearing Panel within 10 days and notify
the chairman of the Council of Presidents of their selection .
2 .17 .8 .1 Within 30 days after receipt of the request, a Final
Hearing Panel shall be selected .
(a) The panel shall be selected in the same manner as described in Bylaws 2 .17 .7–2 .17 .7 .5, except that the district
presidents that constituted the Referral Panel and the district
presidents, reconciler, and facilitator that constituted the Hearing Panel or any other involved district presidents are omitted
from consideration for the Final Hearing Panel .
b) The procedures for the final hearing shall be the same as
prescribed in Bylaws 2 .17 .7 .5–2 .17 .7 .7 .
(c) The chairman of the Hearing Panel shall provide the Final Hearing Panel and the accused with a written statement of
the matter and the Hearing Panel’s report, minutes, records, and
proceedings .

Action: Adopted (9)
(During discussion, a motion to amend paragraph (c) of Bylaw
2 .17 .8 .1 by adding the words “and the accused” after “Final Hearing Panel” was accepted by the committee as a friendly amendment . Res . 7-04A was adopted as changed [Yes: 1,060; No: 46] .)

151

To Clarify Bylaw re Specific Ministry Pastor
Limitations
RESOLUTION 7-05
Overture 7-07 (CW, p. 213)
Whereas, According to 2007 Res . 5-01B, specific ministry pastors (SMPs) are eligible to receive and accept calls
and serve as SMPs in different geographic venues (2007
Convention Proceedings, p . 135); and
Whereas, The intent of Bylaw 2 .13 .1 is to describe the
limitations of SMPs as a result of their status as SMPs; and
Whereas, The word “location” is commonly understood
to designate a specific geographic venue; and
Whereas, The use of that word in current Bylaw 2 .13 .1
(a) may be misunderstood to imply that SMPs are not eligible
to receive and accept calls; and
Whereas, The word “context” is used throughout Bylaw
2 .13 pertaining to the status of SMPs; therefore be it
Resolved, that Bylaw 2 .13 .1 (a) be clarified as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Specific Ministry Pastor Status and Limitations

2 .13 .1 A “specific ministry pastor” is a minister of religion—ordained who has completed the requirements for service
as a specific ministry pastor and has been examined by one of
the Synod’s seminaries, has received a regular call, and has been
placed by the Council of Presidents into a specific Word and
Sacrament ministry context . He is eligible to serve only in that
specific ministry context for which he has been trained and may
not be offered or accept a call for ministry for which he has not
been certified as determined by his district president . He shall
serve under the supervision of his district president and another
pastor who is not a specific ministry pastor .
(a) Because he is under supervision of another pastor and
because a specific ministry pastor’s theological education has
been formed in part by and for a specific ministry context, he
may not be placed or called into ecclesiastical roles that exercise
pastoral oversight outside the location context of his call .

Action: Adopted (9)
(After discussion, Res . 7-05 was adopted as presented [Yes:
1,008; No: 100] .)

To Amend Bylaws 2.5.2 and 2.5.3 re Congregations
Calling Pastors and Commissioned Ministers
RESOLUTION 7-06A
Overture 7-05 (CW p. 212)
Whereas, Current Bylaw 2 .5 .2 requires congregations
to “call and be served only by ordained ministers who have
been admitted to their respective ministries in accordance with
the rules and regulations set forth in these Bylaws and have
thereby become members of the Synod”; and
Whereas, Taken literally, this bylaw requires congregations to call only pastors rostered by the Synod, thereby
2010 Convention Proceedings