# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S149
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

7. Planning and Administration
To Standardize Candidate Information
RESOLUTION 7-01A
Overtures 7-31–34 (CW, pp. 247–248)
WHEREAS, Informed electors strengthen the integrity of
the voting process; and
WHEREAS, The Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod
allow for additional biographical information of nominees
for other offices (Bylaw 3.12.3.6 [c]); and
WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.12.3.6 (c) should be expanded to provide uniformity in content of candidate statements and to
summarize their service throughout the Synod; therefore
be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.12.1.2 be amended to read as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED
3.12.1.2 The Secretary of the Synod shall publish in the Convention Workbook brief biographies of the five candidates for President, the five candidates for First VicePresident, and the 20 candidates for vice-presidents
two through five. This report shall contain such pertinent information as age, residence, number of years
in the Synod, present position, offices previously held
in a district or the Synod, year of ordination, former
pastorates, involvement in community, government,
or interchurch affairs, and any other specific experience and qualification for the office., and if the candidate so desires, also a brief personal statement.

Committee 7 Chairman Daniel May

2007, meeting. Because the council cannot submit business
to a convention of the Synod, it asked the Secretary of the
Synod to forward the proposed change to the Commission
on Structure with the request that the commission develop
an appropriate overture and submit it to the Synod’s 2007
convention.
WHEREAS, A lack of clarity in the granting of RSO (Recognized Service Organization) status to school associations
has resulted in a change in practice that will exclude from
RSO consideration all schools that are governed solely by
LCMS congregations and that will reserve RSO status for
those school associations that include non-LCMS participation and therefore are “independent of the Synod” (Bylaw
6.2.1); and
WHEREAS, While this change will restore to solely LCMS
schools the ecclesiastical supervision of the district president through his supervision of their congregations, and
while it will not affect their eligibility for benefits that accompany RSO status, it does call into question the right of
a solely LCMS school association to call church workers;
and
WHEREAS, While Bylaw 2.11.1 (k) provides the right to
call church workers to “an auxiliary (Bylaw section 6.1) or
other recognized service organization (Bylaw section 6.2),
including a person serving an educational institution,
whether elementary or secondary, recognized by the
Synod,” it does not specifically grant that right to school associations governed solely by LCMS congregations; and
WHEREAS, Such provision is necessary for the continued
eligibility of a school association’s church workers to remain

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.12.3.6 (c) be amended to read as
follows:
[c] The committee’s report shall list the qualifications of various positions used in the solicitation of candidates and contain pertinent information concerning each candidate, such
as age, occupation or profession, district affiliation, residence, specific experience, number of years as a member of
an LCMS congregation, present position, offices previously
held in a congregation, district or the Synod, and qualifications for the office in question, and if the candidate so desires, also a brief personal statement.

Action: Adopted (2)
(After the resolution’s introduction by the committee, a substitute motion “to consider Ov. 7-33 (CW, p. 247) in place of Res.
7-01A” was declined consideration by the convention. As discussion continued, an amendment to retain the word age in the proposed Bylaw 3.12.1.2 was adopted, and a motion to add the words
one’s position with regard to the Anderson lawsuit until 2013 was
ruled out of order. The resolution was adopted as amended [Yes:
1,073; No: 100].)

To Amend Bylaw 2.11.1 (k)
re Roster Eligibility
RESOLUTION 7-02
Overture 7-04 (CW, pp. 237–238)
Introduction
This proposed change to Bylaw 2.11.1 (k) was encouraged by the LCMS Council of Presidents at its February 11,
149

2007 Convention Proceedings