# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S246 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 246 PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION WuereEaS, The formation of these committees should be done with the utmost propriety and with no possibility for even the per- ception of favoritism; therefore be it Resolved, That Bylaw 3.1.7 be amended as follows: PRESENF/PROPOSED WORDING All reports and overtures accepted by the President in accordance with the foregoing paragraphs shall be referred by him to convention committees appeimted selected by him and the Secretary of the Synod by lot in the name of the convention. (a) “ppetntments it rs will be made selected from among the voting delegates (Bylaw 3.1.2ff) and advisory delegates (Bylaw 3.1.3ff}-endeadvisery (b) Ordained ministers, commissioned ministers, and laypersons shall be represented on all committees in numbers determined by the (c) The President shail notify committee members of their eppent ment selection and of the time and place of their first meeting no later than 12 weeks before the start of the convention. (d) The committee rosters shall be published in an official periodical at least 10 weeks before the convention. (e) If the President deems it advisable, he may convene any com- mittees prior to the opening of the convention. (f) After due consideration of the matters referred to it, each com- mittee will report its findings and recommendations to the convention. (g) Each proposed resolution involving expenditures, prior to its consideration on the floor of the convention, shall be presented to the floor committee on financial matters, which in consultation with the ac- counting department shall attach to the recommended resolution ac- companying information on estimated cost on an annual or project basis. Redeemer Nashville, TN 7-26 To Use Designated Criteria for Convention Resolutions WHEREAS, Resolutions can be difficult to evaluate; and WHEREAS, Delegates can sometimes have a hard time deciding on how to vote; and WHEREAS, Floor committees, at times, bring resolutions to the floor of the convention that accomplish little but take up dispro- portionately large amounts of time, and WHEREAS, These criteria should be considered: 1. No resolution should determine or decide the truth of Scripture. 2. No resolution should determine or decide the truth of the Lutheran Confessions or Lutheran confessional teaching. 3. No resolution should be contrary to the Synod’s Handbook. 4. No resolution should take away rights of the voting delegates. 5. A resolution should do something substantial beyond “encourage,” “reaffirm,” etc. 6. No new bureaucracy is needed in our Synod. 7. No new studies are needed in our Synod. 8. Resolves should account for funding the action of the resolution. 9. There should be compelling and clearly stated reason for change. 10. There should be no redundancy, that is, resolving to do what is al- ready being done; and WHEREAS, These 10 criteria can be helpful in the preparation of and the voting for resolutions; therefore be it Resolved, That the floor committees use criteria such as these as a guide in the preparation of resolutions; and be it further Resolved, That delegates use criteria such as these as a guide in determining their votes on resolutions. Mount Olive, Billings, MT; St. John, Laurel, MT; Eastern/Southern Pastors Conference, Montana District 7-27 To Bring Resolutions to Floor of Convention in Order of Importance WHEREAS, It was promised for the 2004 convention that the most important resolutions would be brought to the convention be- fore those of lesser importance; and WHEREAS, The structure of the convention did not allow that promise to be kept; and WHEREAS, The orders of the day brought particular floor com- mittees to the floor of the convention instead of particular resolu- tions of importance; and WHEREAS, The decisions of the CCM clearly had greater im- portance to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod than encour- aging congregations to make quilts; and WHEREAS, The 2004 convention passed a resolution to encour- age quilting but never addressed the divisive CCM decisions; there- fore be it Resolved, That the President of the Synod structure the 2007 LCMS convention in order to bring resolutions to the floor of the convention in order of importance; and be it further Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention recess in order to allow one hour for the chairman of the convention to meet with the chairmen of the floor committees in order to prioritize the resolu- tions on the basis of importance to the Synod; and be it further Resolved, That the resolutions for the 2007 LCMS convention be brought to the floor of the convention in the order of impor- tance; and be it finally _ Resolved, That Today’s Business for the 2010 convention num- ber the resolutions according to floor committees but print them in order of importance, which will be the order in which they come to the convention floor. Board of Directors Montana District 7-28 To Make Standing Rule for Keeping Debate Open WHEREAS, 34 percent of all delegates can keep the debate open on a given resolution; and WuerEAS, Some delegates falsely think that the convention must deal with every resolution proposed by the floor committees and so must cut short the debate on many resolutions; and WHEREAS, 34 percent of the delegates may feel pressure to go with the will of the majority; and WHEREAS, It is better to have full debate on a few resolutions than to have minimal debate on many resolutions; and WuereEAS, Out of Jove for one another, it is better to make sure that everyone has heard all points of view; and WHEREAS, For the sake of 10 righteous people even God would not act against Sodom; therefore be it Resolved, That the President of the Synod propose a standing or special rule for the 2007 convention that would keep debate open as long as there are at least 10 people standing at the microphones; and be it further Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention will keep debate open as long as there are at least 10 people standing at the microphones. Board of Directors Montana District 7-29 To Discontinue Use of Behnken Rule WHEREAS, The Behnken Rule is used mainly when a floor com- mittee presents a substitute resolution to the delegates in place of a submitted resolution (see 2004 Synod Proceedings, p. 151); and