# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S149
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION
dents and the office of District President in light of the
Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws; and be it further
Resolved, That the task force present its findings to the
Synod in convention in 2001.
Action: Withdrawn (9)

To Direct District Presidents to Fulfill
Synodical Responsibilities
RESOLUTION 7-05A
Overture 7-08, 7-16, 7-25–26, 7-36, 7-39 (CW, pp. 241,
244, 247, 249–51)
WHEREAS, Art. XII 9 a of the Constitution of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod states: “The District
President shall see to it that all resolutions of the Synod
which concern the Districts are made known to the Districts and are carried out by them”; and
WHEREAS, Bylaw 1.05 f of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod states: “Districts and Circuits as component
parts of the Synod are obligated to carry out resolutions of
the Synod”; and
WHEREAS, Bylaw 4.07 a of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod states: “The Synod is not merely an advisory
body in relation to a District. A District is the Synod itself
performing the functions of the Synod. Resolutions of the
Synod are binding on the Districts”; therefore be it
Resolved, That the District Presidents of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod be commended for their faithful
service to the church and encouraged in their difficult work;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod reaffirm Bylaw 4.71 b, which
instructs its District presidents to faithfully “represent the
Synod” in their respective territories; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod in convention affirm its expectation that all District Presidents carry out the resolutions
of the Synod pertaining to public doctrine and practice.
Action: Adopted (11)
(An amendment to delete the two resolves and replace them
with that which appears in the resolution as now adopted was declined after the maker of the motion declined a suggestion that it
be included together with the first two resolves. After this action
the committee then added it as the first resolve in the resolution
they were presenting.)

To Clarify Action to Terminate Individual
Membership of the District President
RESOLUTION 7-06A
Overtures 3-41, 7-05–07, 7-09–10, 7-12, 7-14, 7-17–23,
7-27–28 (CW, pp. 167, 240–48)
WHEREAS, The President of the Synod is entrusted with
the responsibility of supervision for the doctrine and the
administration of all District Presidents (Art. XI, B, 1); and
WHEREAS, “It is the President’s duty to see to it that all
the aforementioned act in accordance with the Synod’s Constitution, to admonish all who in any way depart from it,
and if such admonition is not heeded, to report such cases
to the Synod” (Art. XI, B, 2); and
WHEREAS, The Constitution and Bylaws do not clearly
specify procedures should a District President be guilty of

149

an offense which could lead to termination of membership
in the Synod; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod, in convention assembled, support the President of the Synod in his supervisory role of
District Presidents; and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 2.27 be amended by adding the
following:
“g. Because the President of the Synod has ecclesiastical supervision of all District Presidents, the President of
the Synod shall proceed in the same fashion as a District
President if he receives a complaint relative to a District
President. In cases under this subparagraph the synodical
President shall not participate as a member of the Praesidium (Section a 1 and b). If disqualified for the reasons set
forth in Section b, the next qualified officer of the Synod
shall function in the place of the President”; and be it finally
Resolved, That Bylaw 2.25 be amended by adding the
following:
“f. If the member on suspended status is a District President, the duties assigned to the District President under
sections d and e hereof shall be performed by the next
proper successor District officer.”
Action: Adopted (11)
(A motion to table as well as one to refer the resolution to the
task force created by Res. 7-02 was declined.)

To Support the Board for Black Ministry
Recommendation
RESOLUTION 7-07
Overtures 7-54–56 (CW, p. 257)
WHEREAS, The 1996 The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod Black Ministry Family Convocation in New Orleans
adopted Res. 1-03, to request the Board for Black Ministry
Services to petition The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
to create a nongeographic District; and
WHEREAS, The Board for Black Ministry Services, upon
the recommendation of President A. L. Barry, in accordance
with the Handbook of the Synod, appointed a feasibility
study committee; and
WHEREAS, The feasibility study committee made the following recommendations:
That the Board for Black Ministry Services not pursue
the nongeographic Black Ministry District;
That the Board for Black Ministry Services develop partnerships with selected geographic Districts and explore
ways to deal with the issues raised in the report;
That the Board for Black Ministry Services begin the dialog with the 26 geographic Districts about alternative
ways to deal with issues raised in the nongeographic Black
Ministry District Study Report; and
WHEREAS, The Board for Black Ministry Services has
adopted the feasibility committee recommendation; therefore be it
Resolved, That the convention of the Synod empower
and encourage the Board for Black Ministry Services to implement the recommendations; and be it finally;