# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S280
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

280 STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION

7-117

To Change Requirements for LCMS
Board of Directors Membership

WHEREAS, The 1998 convention of the Synod, upon recom-
mendation of the Blue Ribbon Committee, changed Bylaw 3.189
regarding Board of Directors membership from “No more than one
of the ordained ministers or laypersons may be elected from any
one District” to Bylaw 3.181 a which presently reads, “No more
than one of these 13 may be elected from one District”; and

WuereaS, The previous Bylaw limitation had served the Synod
well for many years; and

WueEREAS, The Synod has been blessed and well served for
many years by the members of the Board under the previous Dis-
trict membership restriction; and

WHEREAS, Current Bylaw 3.181 a may deprive the Synod of the
faithful service of one or more well-qualified persons on the Board;
therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaw 3.181 a be changed as follows:

PRESEMNF/PROPOSED WORDING
... No more than one of these-+3 the four elected ordained
ministers may be from any one District. No more than one of
the eight elected laypersons may be eleeted from any one Dis-
trict;
and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.181 a therefore read: “... No more than
one of the four elected ordained ministers may be from any one
District. No more than one of the eight elected laypersons may be
from any one District.”

LCMS Board of Directors

7-118

To Allow District Lay Board Members
Access to Synod Resources

WHEREAS, Laymen elected to positions on the Board of Direc-
tors of the District are not members of the Synod and therefore may
not have independent access to sources of information affecting
proper interpretation of the Constitution or of proper practice and
exercise thereof; and

WuereEasS, The absence of such access creates an unequal foot-
ing for well-informed debate, especially when issues depend on in-
terpretation of the Constitution and its proper practice; and

WHEREAS, The cause of clear, rational, and objective debate is
best served by access to authoritative opinions by all parties to de-
bate; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention confer on elected laymembers of District boards the status
of limited membership in the Synod, with the sole privilege of re-
questing and receiving authoritative opinions regarding District
board issues from various interpretive and judgmental officers and
organizations within the Synod, the same as parties to debates who
are members of the Synod may now do.

Pilgrim
West Bend, WI

7-119

To Grant Elected Lay Members of Boards
or Commissions the Privilege of Requesting Opinions

Wuereas, A lay member elected to a position on a District or
synodical board/commission is not a member of the Synod and
therefore is not permitted to request opinions from synodical re-
sources (with the exception that he may if he is a party to a dispute
under resolution, Bylaw 8.21 i); and

2001 Convention Workbook

WuereasS, An elected board/commission lay member has a duty
to assure a proper interpretation and application of the synodical
Constitution and its Bylaws in performing board/commission re-
sponsibilities; and

WHEREAS, Elected board/commission lay members should be
encouraged to be diligent and resourceful in preparing for
board/commission deliberations; and

Wuereas, The goal of conducting a rational, objective, and dis-
cerning discussion is best served when all parties to that discussion
have equal access to authoritative opinions and interpretations from
appropriate synodical resources, so as to avoid a two-tiered system
of privileged versus limited information; therefore be it

Resolved, That an elected lay member of a board/commission
may request opinions from synodical resources regarding
board/commission-related issues or actions, with the understand-
ing that the member speaks as an individual, not as an agent for the
board/commission.

Circuit 3
South Wisconsin District

7-120

To Amend Constitution Art. VI
re Conditions of Membership

Wuereas, The Lord our God clearly encourages us to cherish
and extend to others His gift of Christian fellowship (John 17:21;
Rom. 12:5; Heb. 10:24; Gal. 6:10; | John 1:3, 7) even as He pro-
vides us with warnings against the dangers of improper fellowship
(Rom. 16:17); and

WuereAs, The first objective in the Constitution of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is “to conserve and promote
the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6; | Cor. 1:10), work through
its official structure toward fellowship with other Christian bodies
and provide a united defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom.
16:17), and heresy”; and

Wuereas, The position of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod in Art. VI, paragraph 2 of the Constitution addresses the
dangers of improper church fellowship, but does not address the
imperatives of Holy Scripture to cherish and pursue true Christian
fellowship; and

WuerEAS, The visible expression of God-given unity is for the
sake of the Church’s witness of the Gospel to the world “Sowing
for the Harvest” (John 17:20-21); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Florida-Georgia District memorialize the
Synod to amend Art. VI of the synodical Constitution as follows:

PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING

1. Acceptance of the confessional basis of Article II.

2. Commitment to maintain and extend God’s gift of true
Christian unity and fellowship.

3. Renunciation of all activities that undermine true Chris-
tian unily such as unionism and syncretism.

(Paragraph 3 becomes Paragraph 4 and so on)
Florida-Georgia District

7-121

To Amend Bylaws to Provide Right to Vote
to Advisory Members

WHEREAS, For the past fifty years, advisory members of the
Synod, such as assistant pastors and teachers of the Evangelical