# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S269
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 269

7-51

To Provide Voting Privilege to Pastors Emeriti
WHEREAS, Pastors emeriti are considered members of the Synod; and

WueREAS, Pastors emeriti are eligible to serve congregations
and Circuits as well as the Synod in various elective offices; and

WHEREAS, Pastors emeriti have experience and hopefully wis-
dom from service that could be helpful in the decision making of
the Synod; and

WHEREAS, Present bylaws prevent pastors emeriti from serving
as voting delegates from circuits; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention ask a committee to re-
view the pertinent bylaws; and be it further

Resolved, That said committee report to the next convention sug-
gested ways for vacant congregations or Circuits to nominate and
elect pastors emeriti to serve as voting delegates in their behalf.

Immanuel
Brownton, MN

7-52

To Amend Bylaws to Provide Voting Rights
to Advisory Members

WHEREAS, For the past many years, advisory members of the
Synod, such as assistant pastors, commissioned ministers, DCE’s,
etc., a number of about 16,000 individuals, have been required to

attend District conventions; and

WHEREAS, At District conventions of the Synod every congre-
gation or parish is entitled to two votes, one of which is to be cast
by the pastor and the other by the lay delegate; and

WuereaS, Advisory members such as assistant pastors or com-
missioned ministers cannot be elected by any congregation to cast
the vote for either the pastor or the lay delegate; and

WHEREAS, There appears to be no appreciable distinction be-
tween “Assistant” Pastor and “Associate” Pastor, other than voting
franchise; therefore be it

Resolved, That the title “Assistant” Pastor be removed from ad-
visory member status, and be it further

Resolved, That Bylaw 2.37, “Duties of Advisory Members,” be
changed to read: “Advisory members of the Synod may attend Dis-
trict conventions, and they may be elected by any congregation or
by any group of congregations as lay delegates to a national or Dis-
trict convention of the Synod, and they may be accredited as such.”

St. John
Portage, WI

7-53

To Provide Voting Privilege to Commissioned Ministers

Wtereas, Certified professional workers in the church, such as
teachers, directors of Christian education, deaconesses, and parish
workers, are considered “advisory members” of the Synod, and

WHEREAS, Their active participation in conventions of the
Synod is limited in that under present rules they are not eligible to
serve as voting delegates, neither as clergy nor as laypersons; and

Whereas, They are highly qualified and well motivated to par-
ticipate more fully in the decision making of Synod; therefore be it

- Resolved, That the Synod in convention name a committee to
review the pertinent bylaws regarding membership rights; and be it
further

Resolved, That this committee provide the next convention with
guidelines for revising the pertinent bylaws to allow that certified
church workers be given voting privilege in a similar way as or-
dained pastors, or at the very least to allow them to act as eligible
“Jay” delegates from congregations or Circuits.

Immanuel
Brownton, MN

7-54

To Include Commissioned Ministers
as Voting Delegates

WHEREAS, The Synod convention “shall afford an opportunity
for worship, nurture, inspiration, fellowship, and the communica-
tion of vital information” (Bylaw 3.01); and

WHEREAS, The Synod convention “is the principal legislative
assembly, which amends the Constitution and Bylaws, considers
and takes action on reports and overtures, and handles appropriate
appeals” (Bylaw 3.01); and

WHEREAS, The Synod convention “establishes general synodical
positions and policies, provides overall program direction and pri-
orities, and evaluates all such positions, programs, policies, direc-
tions, and priorities in order to provide responsible service for and
on behalf of its members” (Bylaw 3.01); and

Wuereas, The Synod’s commissioned ministers are members
of the Synod, just as are congregations and ordained ministers, yet
they are not represented among the voting delegates at District and
Synod conventions; and

WHEREAS, These members of the Synod should be permitted
both voice and vote at District and Synod conventions; therefore
be it

Resolved, That St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Saratoga Springs, N.Y., memorialize the 2004 LCMS convention
to revise Constitution Art. V, Section A, to read that voting dele-
gates to District conventions shall consist of one pastor and one
layperson from each congregation or parish and one commissioned
minister for every 60 commissioned ministers in the District; and
be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS revise Bylaw 3.03 to read that vot-
ing delegates to synodical conventions shall consist of one pastor
and one layperson from each electoral Circuit, and one commis-
sioned minister for every 60 commissioned ministers in the Dis-
trict; and be it finally

Resolved, That the LCMS revise Chapters IV and V of the
Synod’s Bylaws so that commissioned ministers in the District will,
during their official District conferences, elect from among them-
selves one person for every 60 commissioned ministers in the Dis-
trict to serve as a voting delegate at the forthcoming District or
Synod convention.

St. Paul
Saratoga Springs, NY

7-55

To Amend Bylaw 3.13 c re Faculty Selection
of Advisory Delegates

Whereas, The present wording of Bylaw 3.13 c of the Hand-
book allows non-members of the Synod or its congregations to
serve as advisory delegates to the conventions of the Synod or its
Districts; and

WHEREAS, The said paragraph also allows non-LCMS persons
to participate in the election/selection of such advisory delegates;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the following sentence be added to said para-
graph:

Only those faculty members who are members in good
standing of an LCMS congregation may serve as faculty repre-
sentatives or advisory delegates of their institutions, and only
those members of the faculty who are members in good standing
of LCMS congregations may participate in such selection/elec-
tion.

Shepherd by the Lakes
Syracuse, IN