# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S489
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION

489

Ov. 9-07

Ov. 9-09

To Change the Way Electoral Circuits Are Formed

To Eliminate the Distinction Between Electoral and
Visitation Circuits and the Communicant
Membership Requirements of Same

WHEREAS, The Synod divides itself into districts and allows each
district to create circuits and the criteria to create districts and
circuits are determined by the Synod in convention (Bylaw 1.3.2);
and
WHEREAS, Electoral circuits are established for the sole purpose of
sending representative voting delegates to Synod conventions; and
WHEREAS, The board of directors of each district is authorized to
determine electoral circuits in its district (Bylaw 3.1.2 [a]); and
WHEREAS, Not all visitation circuits meet the criteria of being an
electoral circuit (currently set at 7–20 member congregations and
aggregate communicant membership ranging from 1,500–10,000),
so electoral circuits are by definition not necessarily equivalent to
visitation circuits (Bylaw 3.1.2 [a]); and
WHEREAS, Visitation circuits consisting of small or
geographically distant congregations may find it difficult to reach
the Synod’s current criteria for an electoral circuit; and
WHEREAS, Congregations are the basic units of the Synod
(Bylaw 1.3.1) and congregations, not circuits, are members of the
Synod; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Ohio District memorialize the Synod
convention to make provision for the board of directors of each
district to reassign one or more congregations from one or more
adjacent visitation circuit(s) for the purpose of establishing electoral
circuits that meet the criteria for electing delegates to the Synod
convention; and be it further
Resolved, That the number of electoral circuits within a district
shall not exceed the number of visitation circuits in that district; and
be it finally
Resolved, That the secretary of the Ohio District prepare and
submit this overture.
Board of Directors
Ohio District
Ov. 9-08

To Change the Requirements for Electoral Circuits
WHEREAS, The current requirement for an electoral circuit is
1,500 communicant members and seven congregations in the
circuit; and
WHEREAS, In light of the declining number of congregations as
well as communicant members throughout the Synod (Report); and
WHEREAS, Current requirements for an electoral circuit are
difficult to achieve as is evidenced by the growing number of
exceptional circuit requests; and
WHEREAS, These requirements give undue priority to large
congregations and circuits while disenfranchising smaller
congregations and circuit; and
WHEREAS, The district presidents of each district are more
knowledgeable about the specific concerns and circumstances of
circuits within their districts; therefore be it
Resolved, That each of the district presidents be given the
authority to grant exceptional circuit status to not more than 20
percent of the established circuits as he may see fit based on the
unique circumstances of the circuit and district.
Florida-Georgia District

WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.1.2 (a) states: “An electoral circuit shall
consist of … 7 to 20 member congregations, involving an aggregate
communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000”; and
WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.1.2 (a) is the only place in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod Constitution or Bylaws where
communicant membership is taken into account; and
WHEREAS, The Church is not to be measured by “communicant
membership,” for wherever the Gospel is preached in its truth and
purity and the sacraments administered according to Christ’s
command, there is Christ present and there is the Church, even if
there are only two or three gathered together in His name (Matt.
18:20; Augsburg Confession (AC) VIII; Francis Pieper, Christian
Dogmatics, 3:409); and
WHEREAS, All congregations, regardless of numbers of
communicant members, share equally in the authority and power of
the Church, that is, the Office of the Keys, and are the possessors of
the priesthood and all church power, even if there are only two or
three believers in them (C.F.W. Walther, Kirche und Amt, Part One,
Theses IV, VI, VII; Part Two, Thesis VII)
“As visible congregations that still have the Word and the
sacraments essentially according to God’s Word bear the name
‘church’ because of the true invisible church of sincere believers
that is found in them, so also they possess the power [authority]
that Christ has given to His whole church, on account of the true
invisible church hidden in them, even if there were only two or
three [believers]” (ibid, Part One, VII)]
and
WHEREAS, The requirement of at least 1,500 communicant
members in an electoral circuit is becoming an increasing burden in
many of our districts, requiring electoral circuits of ever-increasing
geographic size; therefore be it
Resolved, That the distinction between electoral and visitation
circuits be eliminated and the Bylaws of the Synod be amended to
reflect this change; and be it further
Resolved, That the communicant membership requirement for
circuits be eliminated and that circuits be defined in these terms in
the Bylaws of the Synod: “A circuit shall consist of from 7 to 20
congregations and, except during a pastoral vacancy in (a) member
congregation(s), at least 7 pastors.”
South Dakota District
Ov. 9-10

To Amend Bylaws to Clarify Multi-congregation
Parish Representation at the Circuit Forum
Rationale
CCM Op. 11-2617 interpreted Bylaws 3.1.2.1 (c) and Bylaw 5.3.2
to mean that a multi-congregation parish is represented at a circuit
forum by a lay representative from each congregation and only one
pastoral vote. Bylaws 3.1.2.1 (c) and Bylaw 5.3.2 are unclear in this
regard. (Bylaw 5.3.2 is referenced in Bylaw 5.2.2 [c], regarding
election of circuit visitors.) Nonetheless, the interpretation offered
by the CCM—that circuit elections involve one pastoral vote and as

2019 Convention Workbook