# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S192
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

9. STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
Article IX Representation
The synodical meetings are composed of regularly elected
and delegated representatives and of certain individual
persons, as specified in the Bylaws, to wit:
1. Representatives of congregations, entitled to vote. A
number of congregations shall form a group which shall
be represented by two voting delegates, one a pastor and
one a lay delegate.
2. Advisory representatives of the advisory members of the
Synod such individual members as are ineligible to
represent congregations as voting delegates and
ineligible to represent other entities or offices in the
Synod as advisory representatives.
3. Advisory representatives of boards, commissions, and
educational institutions and such as by virtue of their
office are required to attend the Synod.
Article XII Districts of the Synod and Their Regulation
…
7. The district presidents shall, moreover, especially
exercise supervision over the doctrine, life, and
administration of office of the ordained and
commissioned ministers of their district and acquaint
themselves with the religious conditions of the
congregations of their district. To this end they shall visit
and, according as they deem it necessary, hold
investigations in the congregations. Their assistants in
this work are the circuit visitors, who therefore shall
regularly make their reports to the district president.
8. District presidents are empowered to suspend from
membership ordained and commissioned ministers for
persistently adhering to false doctrine or for having
given offense by an ungodly life, in accordance with such
procedure as shall be set forth in the Bylaws of the Synod.
9. Furthermore, the district presidents shall
…
c. Perform, either in person or by proxy, the
ecclesiastical ordination of the candidates for the
ministry assigned to their districts and the
installation of such, as well as the installation
commissioning of the candidates for the auxiliary
offices of schoolteacher assigned to their districts,
and the installation of all ministers and teachers,
ordained or commissioned, called by the
congregations in to serve within their districts;
…
10. The meetings of the districts of the Synod are
composed of the following:
A. Voting Representatives Delegates
The pastors of such congregations as hold voting
membership in the Synod and the lay delegates elected and
deputed by these congregations shall be voting
representatives.Every member congregation or multicongregation parish is entitled to two votes, one of which is to
be cast by its pastor and the other by the lay delegate elected
and deputed by the congregation or parish.
192 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION

B. Advisory Members Delegates
Advisory members delegates are:
a. Pastors whose congregations do not hold
membership in the Synod
b. Ministers not in charge of congregations
c. Professors at the Synod’s educational institutions
d. Teachers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
e. Directors of Christian education
f. Directors of Christian outreach
g. Directors of family life ministry
h. Directors of parish music
i. Deaconesses
j. Parish assistants
k. Certified lay ministers
l. Candidates for the office of the ministry, for that of a
teacher of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, for
director of Christian education, for director of
Christian outreach, for director of family life
ministry, for director of parish music, for deaconess,
for certified lay minister, or for parish assistant.
all commissioned ministers, and those ordained ministers
not presently serving as voting representatives of
congregations, who are members of the Synod within the
district. In addition, a congregation that is part of a multicongregation parish, other than the congregation supplying
the voting lay delegate, may elect and depute an advisory lay
delegate.
…
Article XIII Expulsion from the Synod
…
3. If the member expelled is a pastor or teacher inan
ordained or commissioned minister serving a
congregation of the Synod, such congregation, unless it
has already done so, is held to depose him from office and
to deal with him in accordance with the Word of God,
notwithstanding an appeal. If it persistently refuses to
do so, the respective district is to deal with it. If all
negotiations and admonitions fail of their purpose, such
congregation forfeits its membership in the Synod.
…

And be it further
Resolved, That the Bylaws of the Synod be amended, as
here listed, and upon ratification of the above
constitutional amendment, as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
2.6 Individual Membership
2.6.1
“Ministers of the Gospel,” designated by the Synod
as “ministers of religion—ordained” (ordained ministers)
or “ministers of religion—commissioned” (commissioned
ministers), are eligible for membership in the Synod.
2.6.1.1
The roster of commissioned ministers shall admit
eligible teachers, directors of Christian education, directors
of Christian outreach, directors of family life ministry,
Resolutions