# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S298 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 298 ECCLESIASTICAL SUPERVISION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION Resolved, That Bylaw 8.13 a be amended as follows: PRESENF/PROPOSED WORDING a. Within three months after the synodical conventions, each District Board of Directors shall appoint a District roster of four reconcilers, no more than two of whom shall be pastors, from a list supptied by the Circuit Counselors of the District. The term of service shall be six years, renewable once. They shall be peo- ple “of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). Vacancies for an unexpired term shall be filled in the same manner by the District Board of Directors within 30 days following their occurrence. Training in reconciliation and dis- ute resolution shall be required prior to servic: reconciler or as a member of a panel. A District board of directors may add to the District roster of reconcilers a reconciler who moves into the District from the District where appointed; and be it further Resolved, That Bylaw 8.21 c be amended as follows: PRESENFT/PROPOSED WORDING a. Each party to a dispute shall assume its own expenses. The expenses associated with training and carrying out the re- sponsibilities of reconcilers, Dispute Resolution Panels, Appeal Panels, and Review Panels shall be borne by the Synod except for those which arise under Bylaw 8.13 b, which shall be borne by the District; and be it finally Resolved, That Bylaw 8.21 a be amended as follows: PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING a. Reconcilers, Dispute Resolution Panels, Appeal Panels, and Review Panels shall be governed in ail their actions by Holy Scripture, The Lutheran Confessions, a#é the constitution and Bylaws of the Synod, vi n vel: r ‘Oo = jated wi Bylaws o re verni Di luti hall ini- i he procedure wher President i h committee to propose changes to the process. LCMS Board of Directors 7-69 To Revise Bylaws Governing Dispute Resolution Panels Rationale Good order is essential if parties to a dispute are to receive a fair hearing and their nghtful opportunity to present their cases before a Dispute Resolution Panel. The Task Force on Conflict Resolution has received comment that the chairing of hearing conducted by Dispute Resolution Panels is at times less than ef- fective, in part due to the chairperson’s inexperience. The following amendments to the Bylaws governing the for- mation and organization of Dispute Resolution Panels are pro- posed to address this concern. They are intended to assure that the chairperson of a Dispute Resolution Panel will have the nec- essary skills to conduct a dispute hearing while preserving the at-random manner in which panel members are chosen. Resolved, That Bylaw 8.13 a be amended as follows: PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING a. Within three months after the synodical convention, each District Board of Directors shall appoint a District roster of four reconcilers, no more than two of whom shall be pastors, and no . less than one of whom shall have skills in conducting dispute hearings, from a list supplied by the Circuit Counselors of the District. The term of service ... and be it further Resolved, That Bylaw 8.15 b be amended as follows: PRESENF/PROPOSED WORDING a. Each Dispute Resolution Panel shall consist of three per- sons, at least one of whom shall be a pastor and one a layman. Each panel shall have at least one member who has skills in con- ducting dispute hearings and who has been so identified by the Secretary of the Synod. The three-member panel shall be se- lected as follows: 1, Nine Six names shall be selected by a blind draw from the Dispute Resolution Roster. Three additional names shall be selected by a blind draw from the roster of reconcilers who have been identified as having skills in conducting dispute hearings. 2. No member of a panel shall be from the District in which the dispute arose or, if it is a synodical question, from any Dis- trict in which a party holds membership. 3. The lists shall be mailed simultaneously to each party, who shall be entitled to strike three two names from the list of members from the Dispute Resolution Roster and one name from the list of reconcilers having skills in conducting dis hearings. Each party shall then asd return the lists to the Secre- tary of the Synod within one week; and be it further Resolved, That Bylaw 8.15 c be amended as follows: PRESENF/PROPOSED WORDING b. the chairman of the panel shall be the r havin, skills in conducting dispute hearings. The panel shall elect e eheirman-end a secretary; and be it further Resolved, That Bylaw 8.09 a be amended as follows: PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING a. The chairman of the Dispute Resolution Panel shall meet arrange for the first meeting of the panel in person, or by tele- phone conference, within 30 days after +s the panel’s appoint- ment, for the purpose of selecting a ehetmmen-and secretary. After the chairman confers with the parties to the dispute, the Dispute Resolution Panel shall choose a location and a date for the formal hearing of the matter; and be it finally Resolved, That upon adoption of these amendments the Rules of Procedure of the Dispute Resolution Process also be amended to bring them into harmony with these Bylaws. LCMS Board of Directors 8-16 To Enhance Scriptural Process for Dealing with Disputes WHEREAS, Scripture advises us to proceed in an orderly way; and Wuereas, Much time and energy of our Synod leadership has been expended on matters that might have been handled at a lower level; and WuEREAS, The Eighth Commandment starts us on the good path of following the steps of Matt. 18:15 (raising concerns at the lowest level in love for the offender); therefore be it Resolved, That our Synod leadership be encouraged to promote a scriptural process to resolve disputes and doctrinal issues at the lowest appropriate level; and be it further Resolved, That all members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod regularly remind one another to follow the Eighth Com- mandment, and that we love, defend, and speak well of one another and explain everything in the kindest way. Southeastern District Board of Directors 8-17 To Restore Former Adjudication Process WHEREAS, Prior to 1992 the Synod was blessed with a system of dispute resolution that was deemed to be biblical and fair, and that safeguarded the individual members of the Synod’s rights; in spite of the fact that the Synod did not always prevail in disputes against individual members; and Wereas, Prior to 1992 the Commission of Adjudication and the Commission of Appeals were elected by the synodical conven-