# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S309 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) NATIONAL/DISTRICT SYNOD RELATIONS 309 egates was changed to 5 to 7 congregations. Still, congregational size was not a factor. The 1917 constitutional revision changed the electoral Circuit size to a minimum of 10 congregations; and WHEREAS, It was not unti] about 1923 that congregational size was considered. Electoral Circuits were to be groupings of 10 to 15 congregations, with large congregations forming small Circuits and small congregations forming large Circuits. The formula was again changed in 1967. The criteria then became 7 to 20 congre- gations with an aggregate communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000. The task force is now recommending that the number of congregations be changed to 5 to 21 with an aggregate communicant membership ranging from 2,500 to 7,500; and Whereas, The change might seem rather smal]; let's look at some relationships. Large to small YEAR RANGE RATIO (at the extremes) 1923 10 to 15 1: 1.5 1967 7 to 20 1: 2.9 2001 5 to 20 1:4 and WHEREAS, In 1923 it took 14 small congregations to equal (have the voting strength of) | large congregation. In 1967, it took 2% small congregations to equal | large congregation. With the pro- posed change, it will take more than 4 smaller congregations to equal the voting strength of | large congregation. And all the time I thought that it was congregations that were members of the Synod, not the communicant membership; and Whereas, If it is right and proper that at District conventions each congregation has two voting delegates, one pastoral and one lay, and, as the report states, “While the same kind of individual congregation representation may be desirable ....” why do the largest congregations all of a sudden deserve four times the voting representation of the smaller ones?; and WHEREAS, One reason that congregations are grouped into elec- toral Circuits is to reduce the number of delegates at synodical con- ventions. Look at how easy it could become to adjust the ultimate number of delegates if electoral Circuits were the samc size based on the number of congregations. For illustration purposes, let’s say there are 6,000 congregations. Number of congregations in Circuit: 10 iat 12 13 14 %IS 16 20 Number of voting delegates: 1200 1090 1000 923 857 800 750 600 and Wuereas, If the requirement for the congregations to be “adja- cent” was removed, small, medium, large, and mega-size churches could all feel represented at the synodical conventions by group- ing similar-size churches together to elect delegates. A pair of del- egates would represent the same number of congregations; and WHEREAS, Small congregations are slowly being disenfran- chised from the synodical conventions by diluting their voting strength. Why should a smaller rural or inner-city congregation not have the voting strength of a large congregation? Why should a smaller “ethnic” congregation not be equal to all the other congre- gations? What is the reasoning behind shifting voting strength from the many smaller congregations in the Synod to a few of the large and mega-churches? If “size” becomes more and more important to a congregation for political (voting) purposes, what will happen to the proper adininistration of church discipline? The necessity to remove people from the rolls for several reasons, i.e., self-exclu- sion or a public, immoral lifestyle, could easily be overlooked to “keep the numbers up”; therefore be it Resolved, That the 2001 convention of the LCMS return the Synod to the long-standing formula of grouping a number of con- gregations, regardless of size, for the purpose of sending one pas- toral and one Jay delegate to synodical conventions. Immanuel Clovis, NM 8-85 To Study More Equitable Representation at Conventions WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has grown under the blessing of God to include many laymembers, pastors. and commissioned workers such as teachers and college, univer- sity, and seminary professors; and WHEREAS, There exists a great inequality in the size of congre- gations, Districts, and Circuits; and WHEREAS, Professors and commissioned workers have no vote in the government of The Lutheran Church——Missouri Synod: and WHEREAS, Synodical boards and commissions continue to grow in number and size: therefore be it Resolved, That the Commission on Structure of The Lutheran Church—-Missouri Synod study these matters and bring recom- mendations for solving the following matters and other issues to the entire Synod no later than ten months prior to the 2004 synod- ical convention: ¢ Granting commissioned ministers fair representation, perhaps on a Circuit basis, to District and national conventions * A more equitable representation based on size and number of con- gregations, Circuits, and Districts ¢ Reducing the size and number of synodical boards and commissions wherever possible and determining the best method for selecting members * Asking the Council of Presidents to participate more directly in the nomination and appointment of board and commission members * Considering ways by which two or more Districts may share the ser- vices of individual staff members *Exploring options for choosing synodical Vice-Presidents two through five on a regional basis. Concordia Kirkwood, MO 8-86 To Establish Rotational System for Choosing Delegates Wuereas, The present system of choosing Circuit delegates to synodical conventions is for the Circuit Forums to vote for pastoral delegate, alternate pastoral delegate, lay delegate, and alternate lay delegate; and WHEREAS, It is possible for congregations within Circuits to never have the privilege of a delegate being chosen from their con- gregations, even though said congregations might be supportive of the Synod both by objective and financially: and WHEREAS, It is possible for pastors within the Synod to spend their entire pastoral ministry without the privilege of service as a pastoral delegate to a synodical convention; thercfore be it Resolved, That the Synod in its 2001 convention set in motion a process to establish the choosing of Circuit delegates to synodical conventions by an alphabetical rotational-by-congregation process within each Circuit; and be it further Resolved, That Circuit pastoral delegates and alternate pastoral delegates be selected on the basis of years in service from among those pastors who have not previously attended a synodical con- vention; and be it finally Resolved, That such changes becorne eifective at the earliest date allowed by the synodical Constitution and Bylaws. St. Paul Clay Center, KS 8-87 To Amend Bylaw re Size of Electoral Circuits WHEREAS, There is a disparity in the number of Circuits and the numbers of communicants that determine the number of electoral 2001 Convention Workbook