# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S408 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 408 STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION The Commission on Handbook therefore proposes the following changes to Bylaws 3.12.1 (b) and 3.12.2.7 (a). Proposed Action Therefore be it Resolved, That Bylaws 3.12.1 (b) and 3.12.2.7 (a) be amended to establish consistency in the bylaws regarding eligibility for regional elections, as follows: PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 3.12.1 For all elections requiring regional representation, the Board of Directors of the Synod and the Council of Presidents, acting jointly, shall designate five geographic regions. (a) Regions shall be designated 24 months prior to conventions of the Synod and shall take into consideration geographical and numberof-congregations information in the interest of fair representation. (b) For purposes of regional elections, individuals will be considered a part of the geographical region where their congregational membership is held. Non-geographic-district congregations shall be regarded as members of the region in which they are located. Canadian congregations will be placed as a whole into the region which the Board of Directors and the Council of Presidents deem appropriate. (c) … 3.12.2.7 After the results of the first-vice-presidential election have been announced, the convention shall elect five regional vice-presidents according to the following nominations and elections process. (This shall also be the process used for all other regional elections.) PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 3.2.5 Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, vacancies that occur on elected boards or commissions of the Synod, including regional board member positions, shall be filled by the Board of Directors of the Synod. (a) Within 90 days of notification of the vacancy, the Secretary of the Synod shall be responsible for gathering a list of nominees from the board or commission where the vacancy occurs, the President of the Synod, the district boards of directors, and the slate of candidates from the previous convention of the Synod within 90 days of notification of the vacancy. (b) In the case of regional board member vacancies, only names of nominees with residence in the geographical region represented by the vacant position shall be received, gathered only from the district boards of directors within that geographical region. (bc) A list of at least three but no more than five candidates shall be submitted as soon as possible to the appropriate appointing body. (cd) This list shall be determined by the chairman and two members of the Committee for Convention Nominations of the Synod as determined by the committee. The Synod’s Director of Human Resources shall be consulted in developing the candidate list. (de) The appointing board may not amend the list of candidates. Commission on Handbook 11-53 COMMISSION ON HANDBOOK 2016 LCMS Convention (a) Each member congregation of a region (including any non-geographic-district congregations in that region) shall have been given opportunity to nominate two ministers of religion—ordained from the clergy roster of the Synod with residence in its designated region as candidates for regional vice-president. (b) … —————— B. Regional Board Member Vacancies Rationale Bylaw 3.2.5 states, “Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, vacancies that occur on elected boards or commissions of the Synod shall be filled by the Board of Directors of the Synod.” The bylaw goes on to outline the process to be used. The Board for National Mission and the Board for International Mission are boards elected by conventions of the Synod. Bylaw 3.12.2.7 provides the nominations and elections process for regional elections but does not provide a process for filling vacant positions. It is assumed, therefore, that such vacancies are to be filled by the Synod’s Board of Directors according to the process outlined by Bylaw 3.2.5. A question remains, however, regarding the gathering of the list of nominees required by paragraph (a) of the bylaw, given the regional requirements of a regional board position. The Commission on Handbook therefore proposes the following changes to the wording of Bylaw 3.2.5 to clarify and facilitate the process to fill regional board member vacant positions. OMNIBUS OVERTURE #2 (Synod Administration) 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 Synod administration into a single overture for the floor committee’s convenience. —————— A. To Remove Bylaw Provisions Adopted by the 2013 Convention for Staggering Terms Rationale The final paragraphs of Bylaws 3.8.2.2 and 3.8.3.2 were adopted by the 2013 convention to create staggered terms beginning with the 2016–2019 triennium. Similarly, Bylaw 3.9.4.1 was amended to create staggered terms when the voting members of the Commission on Handbook are appointed for the 2016–2019 triennium. Since these were temporary changes that will have accomplished their purpose with the 2016 mission board elections and 2013–2016 triennium Commission on Handbook appointments, the following bylaw changes will restore the bylaws to their pre-2013-convention content. Proposed Action Proposed Action Therefore be it Resolved, That Bylaw 3.2.5 be amended to clarify that the Board of Directors of the Synod is responsible for filling vacancies in regional board member positions, as follows: Therefore be it Resolved, That the following changes be made to Bylaws 3.8.2.2 and 3.8.3.2 by the 2016 convention of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod: 2016 Convention Workbook