# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S184
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

9. STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
A. COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE
Rationale
2016 Resolution 11-12 (C) included a new provision in Bylaw
3.9.1.1 to spare the Commission on Handbook (COH) from
meeting quarterly (or seeking an excuse), but this provision
conflicts with the Commission on Doctrinal Review’s
meeting frequency provision in Bylaw 3.9.3.2. The general
meeting frequency provision of Bylaw 1.5.3 applies to
commissions without a specific directive of their own. To
resolve apparent conflicts, the provision added as Bylaw
3.9.1.1 should be applied only to the COH.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.9.1.1 be struck, and Bylaw 3.9.4 be
amended as follows, to apply this meeting frequency
provision only to the COH:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.9.1.1
Commissions of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod shall meet as they deem necessary but at least two
times per year to carry out their assigned responsibilities.
Commission on Handbook
3.9.4
The Commission on Handbook provides for the
ongoing maintenance and management of the Handbook,
that is, the Constitution, Bylaws, and Articles of
Incorporation of the Synod. The commission shall meet as
it deems necessary but at least two times per year to carry
out its assigned responsibilities.

B. INAUGURATION OF DISTRICT-ELECTED
BOARD OF REGENTS MEMBERS
Rationale
The COH has performed a non-substantive revision of
Bylaw 3.2.4 (a–c) to clarify when appointed members of
boards and commissions take up their offices. In that
process, it was noted that Bylaw 3.2.4 does not specify a
date when regents elected by districts take office, an
omission that may affect the schedule for appointment of
board-appointed regents.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.2.4 (a) be amended as follows, to
specify a time at which district-elected regents take office:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Terms of Office
3.2.4
The term of office of all elected officers of the Synod
(Bylaw 3.2.1) shall be three years; of the elected members of
the Board of Directors and all other boards and
commissions of the Synod six years; of all members of
college and university boards of regents three years; and of
all appointed members of boards, commissions, and
standing committees three years, unless these Bylaws
specifically provide otherwise.
(a) The President, First Vice-President, regional vicepresidents, Secretary, and members of all boards and
commissions of the Synod who are elected by the Synod
184 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION

convention shall assume office on September 1 following
the convention and shall be inducted into office on a date
subsequent to September 1 following the convention.
Members of college and university boards of regents
elected by district conventions shall assume office upon
the close of the convention at which they are elected.

C. COMMITTEE FOR CONVENTION NOMINATIONS
(CCN)
Rationale
2016 Res. 11-14, noting that the final report of the
Committee for Convention Nominations (CCN) is
presented at least five months prior to the convention
(Bylaw 3.12.3.6 [b]) and that modifications to the slate are
often required subsequent to that date, with limited ability
of the CCN to reassemble to deal with them (leading to
various improvised solutions over the years), resolved that
“the Bylaw 3.2.5 committee selected by the CCN be
empowered to act on behalf of and in the name of the CCN
for actions needed subsequent to the issuing of the CCN’s
final report prior to the convention.” This provision should
be formalized in the bylaws. The handling of the reserve list
and the appointment of the “Bylaw 3.2.5” standing
committee also require clarification.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaws 3.2.5 and 3.12.3.5–7 be amended as
follows, to clarify the function of the CCN:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
Vacancies
3.2.5
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.
…
(c) This list shall be determined by the chairman and
two members of the Committee for Convention
Nominations of the Synod as determined by the
committeeStanding Committee on Nominations (Bylaw
3.12.3.5 [b]). The Synod’s Director of Human Resources
shall be consulted in developing the candidate list.
(d) The appointing board may not amend the list of
candidates identified in (a).
…
3.12.3.5 The first meeting of the Committee for Convention
Nominations shall be at the call of the Secretary of the
Synod at least six months prior to the convention of the
Synod.
…
(b) The committee shall elect its own chairman, vicechairman, and secretary and shall organize its work in
whatever way it deems necessary. It shall designate two
of its members to serve with the chairman on the
Standing Committee on Nominations.
…

Resolutions