# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S407
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
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B. Submission of Circuit Visitor Nominee Names (13-050)
Preamble
A bylaw provision requiring the submission of names of circuit
visitor nominees prior to the day of the circuit forum to elect the
circuit visitor was inadvertently omitted when the current process
was adopted by the 2010 LCMS convention. Such a provision does
currently exist in the circuit forum election process for national convention voting delegates.
The Commission on Handbook proposes restoring this day-prior
requirement for submission of names of circuit visitor nominees,
thereby mirroring the language of Bylaw 3.1.2.1 (e) by amending
Bylaw paragraphs 5.2.2 (b) and (d).
Proposed Action
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 5.2.2 paragraphs (b) and (d) be amended
to restore the day-prior requirement for submission of names of circuit visitor nominees, as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
5.2.2 The circuit visitor shall hold his position by virtue of his selection by the circuit forum and ratification by the district convention.
(a) Circuit forums shall meet at the call of their circuit visitors to select their circuit visitors no later than the time established by the
district. When in-person meetings are burdensome (e.g., geographically large circuits), a circuit may select another manner of meeting
(e.g., e-meeting technologies) that is suitable and made available to
all participants, taking into consideration the need to provide for an
open and fair exchange of ideas and secure, private, and confidential
voting.
(b) Prior to the day of the circuit forum, Nnominations for candidates
for the office of circuit visitor may be submitted by a voting congregation of the circuit and suggested by the district president, in
consultation with the praesidium of the district.
(c) Each circuit may adopt procedures and methods that will insure efficiency and accuracy, including the use of mechanical, electronic, or
other methods of casting, recording, or tabulating votes. The privilege of voting shall be exercised by the representatives from each
member congregation of the circuit, who shall have been selected in
the manner prescribed by the congregation (Bylaw 5.3.2).
(d) All nominated pastors serving congregations and emeriti pastors,
whose names were nominated prior to the day of the circuit forum,
shall be eligible for election in accordance with section 4.3 of these
Bylaws.
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C. To Clarify Bylaws re Circuit Forums and
Electoral Circuit Forums

Resolved, That new wording be introduced into Bylaw 3.1.2 that
retains and relocates the content of current Bylaw 5.3.3 regarding
electoral circuit meetings, as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Electoral Circuits and Voting Delegates
3.1.2 Voting delegates shall consist of one pastor and one layman
from each electoral circuit. Electoral circuits shall meet as required by
the Bylaws of the Synod to elect circuit voting delegates to the Synod’s
national conventions.
(a) An electoral circuit shall consist either of one or two adjacent visitation circuits, as shall be determined by the district board of directors
on the basis of the following requirements: each pair of delegates
shall represent from 7 to 20 member congregations, involving an
aggregate communicate membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000.
(b) Voting delegates shall consist of one pastor and one layperson from
each electoral circuit. These pastoral and lay delegates and their alternates shall be elected according to the regulations of the Synod
(Bylaw 3.1.2.1).
(c) Exceptions to these requirements may be made only by the President
of the Synod upon request of a district board of directors.
(d) The lay delegate shall serve throughout the triennium following the
convention as an advisory member of the circuit forum.

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 5.3.3 be amended to read as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
5.3.3 The circuit forum willshall meet at least once triennially to
elect circuit delegates to the national convention. It shall elect the pastoral and lay delegates and their alternates to the national convention of
the Synod according to the regulations of the Synod. The lay delegate
shall, upon election, serve through the triennium following the next
convention as an advisory member of the circuit foruma circuit visitor
(Bylaw 5.2.2).

Commission on Handbook
11-52

COMMISSION ON HANDBOOK
2016 LCMS Convention
OMNIBUS OVERTURE #5 (Regional Elections)
The Commission on Handbook recognizes that its proposed overtures to the 2016 convention can be grouped together according to
same-subject matter to facilitate the work of the floor committee. This
“omnibus” overture groups the commission’s bylaw change proposals regarding regional elections into a single overture for the floor
committee’s convenience.
A. To Establish Consistent Regional
Election Eligibility Requirements

Rationale
Current Bylaw section 5.3, which defines and details the responsibilities of visitation circuit forums, includes information regarding
electoral circuit meetings (as anticipated by Bylaw 3.1.2). Removing
those references from Bylaw section 5.3 and inserting them into
Bylaw 3.1.2 will provide clarity for distinguishing between visitation circuits and electoral circuits. The Commission on Handbook
therefore proposes the following bylaw changes.
Proposed Action
Therefore be it

407

Rationale
Bylaw 3.12.1 (b) states as a general principle regarding regional
elections that “individuals will be considered a part of the geographical region where their congregational membership is held.” Bylaw
3.12.2.7 (a) states that nominations for all regional positions shall be
limited to persons “with residence” in the designated region. In addition, Bylaw 3.12.2.7 (a) contains a parenthetical statement regarding
non-geographic-district congregations that better suits the purpose
and content of Bylaw 3.12.1.
2016 Convention Workbook