# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1995_S157 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 157 Overture Subject Reason 707 Voting Eligibility of Vacancy Pastor Creates confusion 7-11, 7-13 Synodical Officers’ Terms Current procedures provide limitations in voting process 7-12 Eligibility of District Presidents Contradicts synodical policy to be Synodical Vice-President 7-15 Requirements for Holding Not clear in intended result Synodical Office 7-20-23 Election of CCM Present system works well 7-30 Advisory Responsibility of Bylaws 2.45 a and 4.73 District Presidents 7-31 Involvement of District President Inconsistent with synodical in Pastoral Calls policy 1-32 Congregation’s Right to Call Bylaw 2.45 7-33 Congregational Calling Process Bylaw 2.45 7-34 Responsibilities and Limitations Bylaw 2.45 of District Presidents 7-35 District President and Present system contains . Restricted Status checks and balances 9-37 Synodical President as Chairman Present system works weil of Council of Presidents 742-43 Equal Time for Candidates Impractical from standpoint of time and logistics 7-63 Synodical Constitution Amendment Bylaw 2.39 explains the word well 1-19 ; Change of Church-Body Affiliation Process in place to deal with this 7-83 Elimination of Council of Presidents Present system works well 7-96 Doctrinal Discipline Present Bylaws cover situa- tion Action: Adopted (10). To Designate Certified Lay Ministers as Ministers of Religion—Commissioned RESOLUTION 7-21A Overture 7-95 (CW, p. 253) WHEREAS, The auxiliary office of certified lay minister is a longstanding ministry begun already in 1959 by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and WHEREAS, Certified lay ministers continue to carry out extensive ministry responsibilities that include visitation, education, social ministry, youth ministry, administration, and evangelism; and WHEREAS, Certified lay ministry entrants have definite education requirements that include completion of a BA de- gree; and WHEREAS, All certified lay ministers must earn at least 47 credit hours 0 theology and complete a semester of in- ternship;. their certification can only be obtained through Concordia University Wisconsin; and WHEREAS, -We thank God for the 500- plus men and — women who have faithfully served, and the approximately 175 currently serving in this position of certified lay minis- ter; all who have demonstrated their professionalism as Resolved; ‘Tha all: Bylaw references to lay ministers in the Handbook of ‘the Synod be changed to “certified lay minister”; and be it further © Resolved, That Art. V and VI of the Constitution be amended to readin their éntirety as follows: PRESENT/ PROPOSED WORDING - Article V Membership: Membership i in the Synod is held and may be ac- quired ‘by congregations, ministers of religion—or- dained and ministers of religion—commissioned, such as teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, end deaconesses and certified lay ministers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church who con- fess and accept the confessional basis of Article II. B. Advisory Members Advisory members only are the following: 9. Certified Lay Ministers; ; 10. Candidates for the office of the ministry, or for that of a teacher of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, for director of Christian education, for director of Chris- tian outreach, for deaconess, or for certified lay minis- ter. Article VI Conditions of Membership Conditions for acquiring and holding membership in the Synod are the following: 8. Regular call of pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, end deaconesses, and certified lay ministers, and regu- lar election of lay delegates by the congregations, as also the blamelessness of the life of such. 6. Pastors, teachers, directors of Christian educa- tion, directors of Christian outreach, deaconesses, certi- fied lay ministers, or candidates for the office of the ministry-erthat-efeteacher ordained or commissioned minister not coming from recognized orthodox church bodies must submit to a colloquium before being re- ceived. and be it finally Resolved, That the foregoing amendments concerning certified lay ministers be submitted to the congregations of the Synod for ratification in conformity with Art. XTV of the Constitution. Action: Adopted as amended (10). (The resolution was adopted by sections with those sections involving constitutional amendments being adopted by a two- thirds majority vote. An amendment to substitute the words and also, with the help of God, living a Christian life for the blame- lessness of the life of such in Art. VI 3 was declined. The words ordained or commissioned minister were substituted by common consent for the ministry or that of a teacher in Art. VI 6. Although the resolution states that Art. V and VI are amended in their en- tirety, it was intended that only those portions referred to in the ' resolution are to read in their entirety as revised. Other portions of these articles are to be retained.) To Express Appreciation for Ministry of Vice-Presidents Mennicke, Sauer, and Maier RESOLUTION 7-22 WueErEAs, Reverend Dr. August Mennicke, Reverend Dr. Walter A. Maier, and Reverend Dr. Robert Sauer have faithfully and honorably served our Lord’s kingdom and our _ Synod as Vice-Presidents for many years; and Wuenreas, Our Lord has blessed our Synod through their service and ministry; therefore be it Resolved, That our convention on behalf of the entire LCMS join in echoing our Lord Jesus’ own words spoken to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant”; and be it fur- ther "Resolved, That we at convention give praise and thanks to our Lord for the blessings He has given to our Synod through them as we sing the Common Doxology. Action: Adopted (11).