# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S271 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) STRUCTURE, PLANNING, AND ADMINISTRATION 271 delegates (Bylaw 3.03), advisory delegates (Bylaw 3.09), and advisory representatives (Bylaw 3.13). , Our Redeemer Columbia Falls, MT 7-60 To Nominate and Elect Synod Vice-Presidents Two through Five by Regions to Serve Synodwide WHEREAS, It is the primary role and function of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to facilitate the mission and ministry of its member congregations in their efforts to “tell the good news about Jesus”; and WHEREAS, The mission and ministry of our individual congre- gations reflect our church’s responsibility under God to serve the spiritual needs of increasingly diverse populations that reside within a number of the Synod’s Districts; and Wuereas, The future of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as a viable and vital evangelical Christian body within the United States will depend largely on the ability of individual mem- ber congregations to respond assertively to mission opportunities among the increasingly diverse populations in their communities, with the enthusiastic understanding and support of the Synod through the leadership of its Praesidium; and WuereaS, A Synodwide mission and ministry that is respon- sive to the demographic changes in our nation’s population can be best facilitated by a Praesidium that is representative of the cultural and geographic diversity within our Synod; and WHEREAS, The current process of nominating and electing Synod’s Vice-Presidents two through five by general ballot on the convention floor can become the result of name recognition or sup- port by particular interest groups within and without the Synod; therefore be it Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District memorialize the 2004 convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to take the following action: Res. 8-02 [“That Synodical Vice-Presidents Two through Five Continue to be Elected and Serve Synodwide and That They Be Placed on the Ballot by Congregational Nomi- nation”] as adopted by the 2001 Synod convention and subsequent changes made to the Bylaws of the Constitution of the Synod in order to implement Res. 8-02, be declared null and void as of the date of the adoption of this resolution; and be it further Resolved, That beginning with the 2007 Synod convention, the second through fifth Synod Vice-Presidents shall be nominated and elected at the convention on the basis of geographic regions; and be it further Resolved, That such nomination and election shall be performed by the lay and pastoral delegates of the Districts that comprise, and are members of, one of four regions within the Synod, as follows: Eastern Central-North Central-South Western Atlantic Central Illinois Florida-Georgia California-Nevada-Hawaii Eastern Iowa East Kansas Montana English Iowa West Mid-South Northwest Indiana Minnesota North Missouri Pacific Southwest Michigan Minnesota South Oklahoma Rocky Mountain New England Nebraska SELC ‘ Wyoming New Jersey North Dakota Southern Ohio North Wisconsin Southern Illinois Southeastern Northern Illinois Texas South Dakota South Wisconsin and be it further Resolved, That each voting congregation shall be entitled to nominate from the clergy roster of the Synod four ordained minis- ters from its region as candidates for their regional vice-president; and be it further Resolved, That the ballot for Vice-Presidents two through five shall be the four candidates within each region receiving the high- est number of votes; and be it further Resolved, That the voting delegates from each region elect the Vice-President from their region; and be it finally Resolved, That the Synod in convention choose the ranking of the Vice-Presidents once the regional Vice-Presidents have been elected. Pacific Southwest District 7-61 To Elect Board for Communication Services WuerEAS, The Board for Communication Services consists of seven members, yet only two of them are elected by the Synod in convention (five are appointed by the Board of Directors); and WHEREAS, It is a privilege to elect individuals to positions of leadership in the.Synod; and WHEREAS, The church meeting in convention often elects a ma- jority of the members of various commissions, etc., thus giving the broad church an opportunity to speak in these matters; therefore be it Resolved, That the Minnesota North District, in convention, memorialize the Synod, in convention, to amend the Synod’s By- laws so that four members of the Board for Communication Ser- vices are elected at convention, with the other three members ap- pointed by the Synod’s Board of Directors. Minnesota North District 7-62 To Elect Board for Communication Services WHEREAS, The Board for Communication Services consists of seven members, yet only two of them are elected by the Synod in convention (five are appointed by the Board of Directors); and WHEREAS, This limits the rights of the convention delegates to be involved in the selection process, thereby eliminating any sys- tem of checks and balances in the selection of the individuals; and WHEREAS, It is a good thing to have the delegates involved in the life of the Synod and the conduct of her business; therefore be it Resolved, That in order to better ensure the confessional and Synod commitment of the Synod’s official press, the Synod, in convention (beginning at the current convention), elect five mem- bers of the Board for Communication Services and the Synod’s Board of Directors appoint two members of the Board for Com- munication Services. Crookston Circuit Forum Minnesota North District 7-63 To Require Concurrence of Board of Directors for CCM Appointments Rationale The present process for the appointment of members to the Commission on Constitutional Matters already includes a number of checks and balances: * Candidates are nominated by District boards of directors; * Names of candidates are presented to the Council of Presidents by the Secretary of the Synod; * The Council of Presidents selects through an election process five candidates for each vacant position; ¢ The candidates are presented to the President of the Synod through the office of the Secretary of the Synod; ¢ The President consults with the Vice-Presidents of the Synod prior to his appointment of the members of the Commission.