# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S242 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 242 PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention make the following changes to Bylaw 3.1.2 and all other bylaws that should reflect this change: PRESENF/PROPOSED WORDING Voting delegates shall consist of at least one pastor and one lay- man from each electoral circuit. (a) An electoral circuit shall consist either of one or two adja- cent visitation circuits, as shall be determined by each district on the basis of the following requirements: each pair of delegates shall represent from + 4 to 20 member congregations, involving an ag- gregate communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 40,660 I ] n stor t represent their circuit for each 1.500 communicant members. Del- egates will be elected at_a circuit forum, where two votes, a pastor i will represent each congregation. While it is the in- ntion of this bylaw that all congregations have the opportunity to vention, there are iction: mi represent ] ci (b) Exceptions to these requirements mey and limitations can be made only by the President of the Synod upon request of a dis- trict board of directors. 2008 Statistics of the LOMS Count of Circuits | 0-1499 1500-2999 295 | 46% 3000-4499 162 | 25% 4500-5999 58 | 9% 6000-7499 17 | 3% 7500-8999 10 |_ 2% 9000-10499 5 1% Sum of Communicant Members 0-1499 106,563 | 6% 116 919 1500-2999 655,813 | 35% 590 1,112 3000-4499 574,232 |_ 31% 324 1,772 4500-5999 297,276 | 16% 116 2,563 6000-7499 113,606 | 6% #4 3,341 7500-8999 82,209 | 4% 20 4,110 Trinity Roselle, IL 7-13 To Address Circuit Exceptions WHEREAS, | Cor.14:40 states that everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way; and WHEREAS, Questions have been raised within the Synod with regard to electoral circuit exceptions to the national convention of the Synod; and WHEREAS, The Minnesota South District has undertaken a thor- ough study of its circuits and anticipated future demographic changes within the district; and WHEREAS, Recommendations for circuit realignment have been developed and acted upon by the Minnesota South District in its 2006 convention to bring the district’s circuits into compliance with the Synod’s Bylaws; therefore be it Resolved, That the Minnesota South District memorialize the Synod in its 2007 convention to request all districts of the Synod, if they have not already done so, to undertake a thorough study and bring circuits into compliance with Synod Bylaw 3.1.2 (a) no later than their 2009 district conventions; and be it further Resolved, That the Minnesota South District memorialize the Synod in its 2007 convention to direct the Commission on Struc- ture to study the current practice of granting electoral circuit ex- ceptions and to recommend modifications to Bylaw 3.1.2 (b) as it deems appropriate to the Synod in its 2010 convention. Minnesota South District. 7-14 To Address Voting Delegate Representation Exceptions WHEREAS, The 2001 Bylaw 3.03 required that “each pair of del- egates shall represent from seven to 20 member congregations, in- volving an aggregate communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000...as shall be determined by each district”; and WHEREAS, “Exceptions to these requirements and limitations can be made only by the President of the Synod upon request of a district board of directors” (Bylaw 3.03); and WHEREAS, Exceptions granted and not granted for the past three Synod conventions are as follows (from a report by the secretary of Synod titled “Voting Delegate Representation—1998, 2001, and 2004 Conventions”): 1998 2001 2004 Number of exceptions granted 21 56 88 Number of exceptions not granted 3 13 0 and WHEREAS, The 88 exceptions granted in 2004 amounted to a significant 14.1 percent of the total voting delegates registered (176+1,246=14.1 percent), indicating that liberal use was made of exceptions to increase voting delegate representation; and WHEREAS, The 88 exceptions were concentrated in certain dis- tricts, with 12 districts accounting for 66 exceptions, 16 districts accounting for 22 exceptions, and seven districts not applying for any exceptions; therefore be it Resolved, That Bylaw 3.1.2 (b) (2001 Bylaw 3.03) be amended to require that requested exceptions for voting delegates for small circuits by a district board of directors be approved by the Presi- dent of the Synod and by the LCMS Board of Directors. Immanuel, Cedar Lake, WI; Immanuel, Frederic, WI; St. Paul, Bonduel, WI; Circuit 13 Forum, North Wisconsin District; Immanuel, Brandon, FL 7-15 To Encourage Districts to Regularly Examine- Circuit Realignment WHEREAS, Bylaw 5.1 defines a visitation circuit, and Bylaw 3.1.2 defines an electoral circuit; and WHEREAS, Synod districts that have visitation circuits that do not meet the criteria for electoral circuits must ask for special ex- ceptions for such visitation circuits to have voting privileges at Synod conventions; and WHEREAS, Controversy has arisen in the last years over the number of exceptions at Synod conventions and there have been questions regarding the legitimacy of elections held with such cir- cuits casting a vote; and WHEREAS, There is no system to certify through on-file statisti- cal reports that visitation circuits do meet electoral circuit guide- lines, and there is no Synod bylaw that requires districts to correct or realign their circuit boundaries on a periodic basis or to delin- eate electoral circuits when visitation circuits do not meet the re- quired minimums; therefore be it Resolved, That any district requesting an exception for a circuit of its district must have adopted a circuit realignment plan in their district convention within the last two triennia; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of Synod shall only certify those circuit delegates from circuits that meet the minimum membership requirements of Bylaw 3.1.2 based on current congregational sta- tistical reports on file with the Secretary of Synod from the year before delegates are elected; and be it further