# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S500
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

500

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION

the voting pastoral delegate and assistant pastors associated
with a congregation. The elimination of assistant pastors as
a constitutional category further compounded the deviation
between the intent of the constitutional language and its
surface reading. The non-voting pastors of a congregation
are today nowhere apparent in the list of Const. Art. XII 10
B, but are intended to be included in the advisory attendance
of the district convention.
• The earlier historical practice in the Synod and the custom in
certain districts more recently has been to allow for advisory
lay representation from the congregations of a multicongregation parish that did not provide the parish’s voting
lay delegate. For example, the 1873 Handbuch (Handbook)
provided: “While it is hoped for and desired that the various
congregations of one pastor might each send its own [lay]
delegate…only one at a time can represent [as voting lay
delegate] the interests of the parish,” and the 1899: “A parish
consisting of several congregations but having only one
pastor can send only one voting [lay] delegate. Others sent
are…only advisory members.” The commission
recommends restoring this historic practice in explicit
constitutional language, to guarantee these advisory
delegates their voice at district conventions.
If this constitutional amendment is adopted along with that of the
commission’s other overture, “To Amend the Constitution to
Simplify Handling of Commissioned Categories,” the text below
would provide the final text of Const. Art. XII 10.
therefore be it
Resolved, That Constitution Article XII 10 be amended as
follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING

Article XII Districts of the Synod and Their Regulation
10.The meetings of the districts of the Synod are composed of the
following:

A. Voting RepresentativesDelegates
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 representativesdelegates.

B. Advisory MembersDelegates
Advisory members delegates are the commissioned and nonvoting
ordained ministers who are members of the Synod within the district. In
addition, a congregation that is part of a multi-congregation parish,
other than the congregation supplying the voting lay delegate, may elect
and depute an advisory lay delegate.:
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

2019 Convention Workbook

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.
…

Commission on Handbook
Ov. 9-19

To Amend Methods for Selection
of Nonvoting and Advisory Delegates
WHEREAS, The bylaws of the Synod state in regard to nonvoting
advisory delegates for the convention of the Synod, “Each district
shall select one advisory delegate for every 60 advisory ordained
ministers and specific ministry pastors, and one advisory delegate
for every 60 commissioned ministers on the roster of the Synod”
(Bylaw 3.1.3.1); and
WHEREAS, The current bylaws of the Synod do not address
balloting methods that are available through current technologies,
e.g. electronic balloting, to aid in the selection of nonvoting
advisory delegates from the districts to the convention of the Synod
(cf. Bylaw 3.1.3.1 [a]); and
WHEREAS, The widespread accessibility and overall acceptance
of various methods of balloting for elections, such as electronic
technologies and others, are viewed as valid and expedient and are
being utilized in the conduct of corporate business in both the
secular and church realm; and
WHEREAS, The use of alternate methods of balloting are
currently incorporated in the operation of the Synod with inclusion
in the bylaws as a possibility for the election of voting delegates to
the convention of the Synod (cf. Bylaw 3.1.2.1, “a circuit may select
another manner of meeting [e.g. e-meeting technologies] that is
suitable and made available to all participants”) and in the election
of the President of the Synod (cf. Bylaw 3.12.2.4, “the Secretary of
the Synod shall provide, via a secure and verifiable method,
opportunity for two voting delegates from each congregation, as
determined according to Bylaw 3.12.2.3, to vote for one of the
candidates for President”); and
WHEREAS, The current bylaws of the Synod include alternate
methods for the selection of voting delegates to the convention, but
such provisions are not provided in the bylaws for the selection of
district nonvoting advisory delegates to the convention; and
WHEREAS, The inclusion of alternate methods of balloting, such
as the use of electronic technologies, for the selection of district
nonvoting advisory delegates for the convention of the Synod
would offer an expedient method for this process and assist in
meeting the nine-month deadline for selection completion, as
official conferences conducted the year before a Synod convention
may occur after the nine-month deadline; and
WHEREAS, The inclusion of alternate methods of balloting for the
selection of district nonvoting advisory delegates for the convention
of the Synod could allow for more widespread involvement and
overall greater participation in the selection process for these
advisory delegates; therefore be it
Resolved, That current Synod Bylaw 3.1.3.1 (a) be revised to
include the opportunity for alternate methods of balloting (e.g.,
electronic technologies) that may be utilized for the selection of