# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S188
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

188

LATE OVERTURES

be established by the Board for University Education in
consultation with the [Synod] Colloquy Committee for Commissioned Ministry and campus program directors”—from
Bylaw 3.8.3.5.5); therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.8.3.5.5 be amended to state: “Before submitting an application to the Director of Christian Education Colloquy Program, each prospective applicant shall
have been a communicant member in good standing of a congregation of the Synod for at least the past two years and shall
possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
(a) Each applicant shall have already received training to do
the work of a director of christian education and shall have
served at least three years in a recognized ministry of their
previous church body.
(b) Applicants who do not meet these requirements are to be
directed to a Synod institution that offers a Director of
Christian Education Program for enrollment in an undergraduate or alternate-route program.
(c) Additional admission requirements may be established by
the Board for University Education in consultation with
the (Synod) Colloquy Committee for Commissioned Ministry and campus program directors.”

Board of Directors
Pacific Southwest District
L7-63

To Equalize Terms of Office
Rationale
Bylaw 3.2.4.2 speaks of successive terms of office for
members of boards and commissions of the Synod. It establishes limitations of two successive terms for offices with sixyear terms and three successive terms for offices with threeyear terms “unless otherwise provided in the Bylaws.”
Res. 1-01 of the 2002 LCMS Black Ministry Family Convocation, “To Equalize the Tenures of the Board for Black
Ministry Services,” petitioned the Commission on Structure
to advocate increasing the term limitation for appointed
members of the Board for Black Ministry Services from
three three-year terms to four three-year terms, thereby
equalizing the potential length of service of elected and appointed members of the board.
Noting the provision of Bylaw 3.2.4.2 (then Bylaw 3.61
b), which allows exceptions to its requirements when “oth-

2007 Convention Proceedings

erwise provided by the Bylaws,” the Commission on Structure recommended to the 2004 convention an amendment
to Bylaw 3.8.4.1.1 (then Bylaw 3.801) to accommodate the
request of the Black Ministry Family Convocation but also
an amendment to Bylaw 3.2.4.2 to make this change general to all board and commission positions.
This proposed action from the commission (Overture 724, 2004 Workbook, p. 259) was proposed by Floor Committee 7 as Res. 7-10 but was not acted upon. The current
Commission on Structure therefore again proposes this action to the 2007 convention.
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.8.4.1.1 be amended as follows:
PROPOSED WORDING
3.8.4.1.1 The President shall appoint from a list of at least
three candidates for each vacant seat on the board.
(a) These candidates will have been reviewed, evaluated, and approved by the representatives of the
black congregations, meeting on convocation.
(b) Vacancies on the board shall be filled by appointment by the President of the Synod from the remaining nominees on the same slate of candidates.
(c) Elected members of the board shall be eligible to
serve for two six-year terms, and appointed members shall be eligible to serve for four three-year
terms.

and be it further
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.2.4.2 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.2.4.2 All members of all boards and commissions of the
Synod shall be ineligible for reelection or reappointment to the same board or commission after serving a
total of two successive six-year elected terms or three
successive appointed or elected three-year terms
twelve successive years, unless otherwise provided in
the Bylaws.
(a) Such persons may become eligible again for election
or appointment to the same office, board, or commission after an interval of three or more years.
(b) One-half or more of a term shall be regarded as a
full term under limited tenure rules.
(c) Any member of a board or commission who is ineligible for reelection or reappointment may be elected or appointed to another position.

Commission on Structure