# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S295 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) NATIONAL/DISTRICT SYNOD RELATIONS 295 pastor with sufficient experience to serve as Circuit Counselor; therefore be it Resolved, That Proposed Bylaw 5.01 read, “Each visitation Cir- cuit shall consist of +te26 5 to 10 adjacent member congregations ...” Board of Directors, Southern Illinois District; Metro North Circuit Forum, Southern Illinois District 8-28 To Amend Bylaw re Assignment of Congregations to Visitation Circuits Ratified by District Conventions WHEREAS, Bylaw 5.01 proposed by the Task Force on Na- tional/District Synod Relations states in the last sentence, “The final assignment of congregations to specific visitation Circuits shall be subsequently reported to the District Convention”; and Wuereas, This places total authority for the assignment of con- gregations to visitation Circuits in the hands of the District Presi- dent; and Wrereas, This leaves a congregation that might prefer to be in a different visitation Circuit without recourse; therefore be it Resolved, That the words “ratified by” be substituted for the words “reported to” in the final sentence of proposed Bylaw 5.01. Board of Directors, Southern Illinois District; Metro North Circuit Forum, Southern Illinois District 8-29 To End Parallel Structure of District and Synod Boards and Staff Please refer to the Report of the Task Force on National/Dis- trict Synod Relations for the text of this overture, p. 111. 8-30 To Reject Proposed District Budget Consultation WHEREAS, Bylaw 9.09 proposed by the Task Force on National/ District Synod Relations requires an annual regional consultation by representatives of al] the District Boards of Directors in that re- gion for the purpose of reviewing the proposed budgets of each of the individual Districts; and WHEREAS, Such a consultation would require a significant amount of work on the part of the representatives of each individual Board of Directors, as they would have to be thoroughly familiar with the opportunities, challenges, and needs of each of the Dis- tricts so that they can make intelligent recommendations regarding what is or is not appropriate; and WHEREAS, Such a consultation would require a significant amount of work and expense on the part of each individual Dis- trict, as they would be required prior to the meeting to provide copies of their proposed budget and supporting data to all of the other Districts in their region; and WHEREAS, Assuming that there are three representatives from each individual board, such a consultation would involve signifi- cant travel, lodging, and food expenses for as many as twenty-five people for a two or three day meeting per region; and WHEREAS, Whatever recommendations are made at this consul- tation would not be binding on the individual Districts anyway, but Districts should only “strongly consider this input in finalizing their budgets”; and WHEREAS, The justification given for this proposed change, “A better approach would be for Districts to consult with other Dis- tricts before making final decisions involving expenditures for per- sonnel or programs, short- or long-term” (p. 31, lines 21—23), offers no explanation as to why this would be a better approach; there- fore be it Resolved, That the District Budget Consultation in proposed Bylaw 9.09 be declined. Board of Directors, Southern Illinois District; Metro North Circuit Forum, Southern Illinois District 8-31 To Elect Area Vice-Presidents for Synod Please refer to the Report of the Task Force on National/Dis- trict Synod Relations for the text of this overture, p. 115. 8-32 To Amend Bylaws re COP Responsibilities Please refer to the Report of the Task Force on National/Dis- trict Synod Relations for the text of this overture, p. 119. 8-33 To Restructure Council of Presidents Wuereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod began with a constitutional stipulation that the clerical vote should never exceed the lay vote; and WHEREAS, The Council of Presidents (COP) is composed only of District Presidents, the President of the Synod, and the Vice- Presidents of the Synod with no lay representation; and WHEREAS, The Council of Presidents (COP) is a new entity and is not part of the traditional polity of the Synod, according to which District Presidents are representatives of the President of the Synod (Bylaw 3.930 b); and Whereas, The Council of Presidents was originally set up to serve as the Board of Assignments and Certification; and WHEREAS, Through the years the COP has accumulated enor- mous powers for itself, defined as follows: They appoint members of the Concordia University System, members of the Conference of Congregational Services, members of the Council on Mission and Ministry, members of the Board of Regents of colleges and seminaries, one-quarter of the members of the Commission on The- ology and Church Relations, and all the members of the Commis- sion on Constitutional Matters (CCM). This means that the CCM is definitely a subordinate agency of the COP whose control thus ex- tends to the final decision in all appealed dispute cases and to the approval of congregational constitutions; and WHEREAS, District Presidents have been allocating their time and energy in discharging their responsibilities in the foregoing ac- tivities to the detriment of the duties they have been elected to per- form in the District; and WHEREAS, The COP has become more pronounced in promot- ing many theological dilutions; and Wrereas, The President of the Synod is to advise and counsel his representatives, the District Presidents; and WuereEAS, The District Presidents are in turn to give counsel and advice to the President of the Synod; and WHEREAS, The President of the Synod is to oversee the doctrine and practice of and in the Synod, which he accomplishes in part through his representatives, the District Presidents; therefore be it Resolved, That the President of the Synod be the chairman of the COP and that he as chairman set the agenda for and direct the meetings of the COP; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod eliminate all powers of the COP at the national Synod level except for its role as the Board of Assign- ments and Certification. The Synod should eliminate particularly its powers of appointment to synodical offices. Mount Hope Casper, WY 2001 Convention Workbook