# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S505
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
Ov. 9-30

To Adopt Data Privacy Best Practices
for Delegate Information
WHEREAS, The Synod collects personal identity and contact
information from convention delegates; and
WHEREAS, Best practices for data privacy include the
safeguarding of such personal information, its use only in the
official conduct of business, and strict limitations on its disclosure;
and
WHEREAS, Our delegates in convention take positions at odds
with the culture, making disclosure of their personal information a
security concern. For example, the Family Research Council in DC
(Paul Bedard, “Southern Poverty Law Center website triggered
FRC shooting,” Washington Examiner, 6 Feb 2013: “The Family
Research Council shooter, who pleaded guilty today to a terrorism
charge, picked his target of a ‘hate map’ on the website of …
Southern Poverty Law Center which is upset with conservative
group’s opposition to gay rights.”) and donors to California Prop 8
(Sarah McBride, “Mozilla CEO resigns, opposition to gay marriage
drew fire,” Reuters, 3 Apr 2014: Brendan Eich, CEO of major tech
firm Mozilla, was forced to resign after disclosure of his $1000
donation supporting California’s traditional marriage referendum.
Brad Stone, “Prop 8 Donor Web Site Shows Disclosure Law Is 2Edged Sword,” New York Times, 7 Feb 2009: “Some donors to
groups supporting the measure have received death threats and
envelopes containing a powdery white substance, and their
businesses have been boycotted … [The] provocative web site,
eightmaps.com, … Takes the names and ZIP codes of people who
donated to the ballot measure—information that California collects
and makes public under state campaign finance disclosure laws —
and overlays the data on a Google map.”) were attached
professionally and personally for the same positions on marriage
that our delegates enacted in 2016 Resolutions 14-02A, 14-03A,
and 14-04; and
WHEREAS, The Synod openly publishes the names and street
addresses of convention delegates in the Workbook as required in
Bylaw 3.1.8, and the Workbook is posted on the internet and easily
downloaded; and
WHEREAS, The Synod provides computerized delegate mailing
lists to interested parties. In 2016 some of those distributions
disclosed delegate email addresses without consent; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod affirms its commitment to data privacy
best practices, including protection of identity and contact
information for its convention delegates, and the use or distribution
of that information only for official business and with consent of the
persons involved; and be it further
Resolved, That we amend Bylaw 3.1.8 as follows so that we no
longer include delegate addresses in the publicly available
Workbook:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.1.8
A Convention Workbook containing a convention manual,
reports and overtures, the names and mailing addresses of all voting
delegates, and other information shall be published under the
editorship of the Secretary subject to approval of the President.

and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod adopt a practice of obtaining prior
consent from delegates for each type of personal contact

505

information (mailing address, email, etc.) it shares in computerized
lists.
Central Jersey Circuit
New Jersey District
Ov. 9-31

To Cease the Selling or Distribution
of Convention Delegate Personal Information
WHEREAS, A decision in 1992 allowed the Reporter to announce
that the list and contact information of convention delegates would
be available to interested parties for $250; and
WHEREAS, There is great public concern today about the selling
of personal information, including email and physical addresses;
and
WHEREAS, There are “Increasing concerns that [the requirement
that delegate mailing addresses be published in the Workbook and
posted on the Internet] invades the privacy of delegates and runs
increasing risk of inviting coercion or harassment” (LCMS
Secretary to the Board of Directors, Minutes, August 24–25, 2018,
158); and
WHEREAS, The Board of Directors has prepared an overture to
the 2019 Synod convention addressing the requirement that
convention delegate mailing addresses be published in the
Workbook (‘To Amend Bylaw 3.1.8 To No Longer Require
Publication of Delegate Mailing Addresses”); therefore be it
Resolved, That effective following the 2019 Synod convention,
convention delegates have an option to not have their contact
information shared or sold on any outside list.
Board of Directors
Southeastern District
Ov. 9-32

To Adopt Data Privacy Best Practices
WHEREAS, The Synod collects personal identity and contact
information from convention delegates; and
WHEREAS, Best practices for data privacy include the
safeguarding of such personal information, its use only in the
official conduct of business, and strict limitations on its disclosure;
and
WHEREAS, Our delegates in convention take positions at odds
with the culture, making disclosure of their personal information a
security concern. For example, the Family Research Council in
Washington, DC and donors to California Prop 8 were attacked
professionally and personally for the same positions on marriage
that our delegates enacted in 2016 Resolution 14-02A, Res. 14-03A,
and Res. 14-04; and
WHEREAS, The Synod openly publishes the street addresses of
national delegates as part of the Convention Workbook, which is
posted on the internet and easily downloaded; and
WHEREAS, The Secretary of Synod’s office provides copies of
this list to interested parties, which use them mainly for political
ends (In 2016, some of those distributions disclosed national
delegate email addresses without prior consent); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention adopt data privacy best
practices that stops the public disclosure of delegate personal
information other than name and congregational membership and

2019 Convention Workbook