# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S25
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Sh a a oe ai Sa et

MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION 25

District; Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wickenburg, AZ,
Southern California District; Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church, La Grange, KY, Indiana District; Good Shep-
herd Lutheran Church, Kokomo, IN, Indiana District;
Mountain View Lutheran Church, Apache Junction,
AZ, Southern California District; Mt. Calvary Lutheran
Church, Polson, MT, Montana District, Shepherd of
Peace Lutheran Church, Irvine, CA, Southern Cali-
fornia District, into membership with The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod.

Res. 5-02 called for the referral of the membership
application of Messiah Lutheran Church, Pittsburg,
KS, Kansas District, and Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Church, Boise, ID, Northwest District to their respective
Districts for additional pastoral care and counseling so
that the congregations might be considered for member-
ship in the Synod in an orderly and God-pleasing
manner. Following the introduction of the resolution a
motion was made and adopted to delete Beautiful
Savior, Boise, ID, Northwest District, from the resolu-
tion and to accept it into membership with the Synod at
this time. This action was taken after the delegates had
agreed to adopt this as a substitute motion. An addition-
al motion was made and seconded to also delete Messiah
Lutheran Church, Pittsburg, KS, from the resolution
and to admit it into membership in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod at this time. No action was
taken on this resolution, which was then referred back
to the Floor Committee on Constitutional Matters for
their consideration.

Res. 5-03, which asked the Synod to transfer theo-
logical educational responsibilities in Argentina to the
Board for Missions from the Board for Higher Education,
was adopted. In a further resolution the delegates
agreed to permit the Argentine District to elect a Board
of Control for the seminary at Buenos Aires (Res. 5-04,
TB 100). By adopting Res. 5-05 (TB 101) they also agreed
to change the procedure for the election of the president
of Seminario Concordia at Buenos Aires.

Task Force

The Commission on Constitutional Matters reported
to the delegates on the opinion which it had reached asa
result of the request of the convention to consider the
constitutionality of continued discussion and adoption
of the proposals of Committee 2 for the restructuring of
the Synod. It was reported that constitutional changes
can only be placed into effect six months after the
official ballots for proposed constitutional changes had
been mailed to the congregations by the Secretary of the
Synod. The opinion of the Commission on Constitu-
tional Matters was that the convention had the right to
proceed to make Bylaw changes and so could proceed
with the discussion of Res. 2-03. Based on this opinion,
the discussion of Res. 2-03 (TB 46) was resumed. After
discussing the substitute motion which the convention
had agreed to consider, the delegates agreed to substi-
tute for lines 38—54, (7B 46) the recommendation found
in Convention Workbook 144, as Bylaw 2.71. This was
done after the delegates had agreed to cease debate on

the motion. In discussion which followed it was pointed
out that the adoption of this substitute motion also
requires changes in number 3 and 8 of Res. 2-03 (TB 46).
It was further pointed out that the term “appointed”
would have to be deleted from 2.71 (CW 144). This was
done by common consent. In further action, the dele-
gates referred Res. 2-03 back to the Task Force Floor
Committee for clarification.

Res. 2-04 calling for the constituting of three elected
program boards was introduced. After declining an
amendment which stated “with the exception of the
Chairman of the Board, each member shall chair a
standing committee of the board,” the delegates de-
clined the entire resolution. A call for a division of the
house showed that 428 approved the resolution whereas
624 opposed it. The resolution had been declined after
the delegates agreed to cease debate on the issue.

Elections

Rev. Henry Simon of the Floor Committee on Elec-
tions reported the results of the first ballot for President
of the Synod. The results were as follows: Ralph
Bohlmann—313, Gerhardt Hyatt—180, Walter A. Maier,
Jr.—238, Charles Mueller—278, Robert Sauer—98.
Ballots were then distributed for the second balloting
for election of the President after the name of Dr. Robert
Sauer had been deleted from the list of candidates. After
all ballots had been gathered, Chairman Simon declared
the second ballot closed.

Task Force

Res. 2-05 (TB 47) calling for the appointment of two
support services boards was introduced. These boards
were to be the Board for Communications and the Board
for Social Ministry Services. After brief discussion the
delegates declined this resolution. Res. 2-06 (TB 48) was
next considered by the convention. This was done after
the committee had changed the word “eight” to “nine”
in the title and had added the words “Commission on
Black Ministry (until 1986)” between lines 15—16 (TB
48). During discussion, a motion was made and adopted
to delete the words in parentheses “until 1986” from the
added line between lines 15—16 (7B 48). The convention
then adopted the resolution as amended. They also
agreed to continue several synodical entities (Res. 2-07)
with boards appointed according to the Bylaws after
changing the word “appointed” to “appointed/elected”
in the title. This change was made by common consent.

Discussion was begun on Res. 2-10 (7B 49) calling for
a definition of terms. During the reading of the resolu-
tion the committee added the words “or authorized”
between the words “caused” and “to be formed” in line
32, (1B 50). After brief discussion a motion was adopted
by the delegates asking that discussion of this resolution
be tabled until Res. 2-03 (TB 46) is finalized.

Devotions

Chaplain Ernstmeyer, executive secretary of the
Armed Forces Commission, led the delegates in a
closing devotion which pointed out the blessings which