# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S334 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 334 OPINIONS OF COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS voters assembly. The board of directors shall normally meet in regular session at least quarterly. 14.2 The officers of the congregation shall serve as the execu- tive committee of the board of directors, which shall have the authority to administer all property belonging to the congregation, make contracts, accept and receive grants and bequests, sign documents, appear in court, review the constitution and bylaws, report to the congregation when appropriate, and take other such action as may be autho- rized by the church council. The committee shall meet at least monthly. 14.3 This congregation shall have such committees as are neces- sary to assist the called workers, elected leaders, and mem- bers of the congregation in carrying out its mission and ministry. These committees may be authorized or created by staff members subject to review by the board of direc- tors, unless a different method of authorization and/or membership selection is required by action of the voters assembly. The committees shall meet on an as needed basis. 15.0 NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS, AND TERMS OF OF- FICE Specific procedures for the nomination and election of officers and board members should be included in the bylaws. Provisions and proce- dures should also be provided for the appointment of additional offi- cers and board members. Congregations may or may not wish to in- clude provisions restricting the holding of more than one office, providing for term limits, avoiding conflicts of interest, and/or provid- ing for or prohibiting absentee ballots. Example: The procedure for the nomination and election of elected and appointed officers and board members shall be as follows. 15.1 A nominating committee appointed by the church council (or board of directors) shall present a slate of candidates for each elected and appointed office. The slate shall nor- mally provide two names [or: one name] for each office. In the case of elected positions, additional nominations may be made from the floor. No person shall be nominated without his or her consent. 15.2 A majority of the votes cast shall be required for all elec- tions. Candidates receiving the lowest number of votes shall be eliminated in each succeeding ballot. 15.3 All officers shall be elected for a term of . Other members of the church council and of boards and commit- tees shall be elected or appointed for a term of 15.4 Officers and board members shall be inducted into office in a public service of the congregation. 15.5 In case of a vacancy in an elective office, the voters assem- bly shall elect for: the church council shall appoint] a suc- cessor to fill the unexpired term from a list of candidates provided by the nominating committee. Service for more than one-half of a term shall constitute a full term. 16.0 OFFICIAL DUTIES In addition to the basic duties provided in the constitution, the con- gregation may want to detail responsibilities further in the bylaws or in policy manuals, which must be in harmony with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Synod. Congregations may wish to include provisions regarding the following: retention of the minutes and records of the sec- fetary as property of the congregation; bonding of the treasurer; some form of financial review or audit; and the release of mailing lists. The Treasurer's Manual provided to all congregations of the Synod is a helpful resource. If such details are not included in the bylaws, provi- sion may be made for such in job descriptions developed by the church council or board of directors and, if desired, approved by the voters as- sembly. In such case, a paragraph such as the following would be help- ful in the bylaws. Example: Officers and members of boards and committees shall perform the duties as provided in the constitution. The congregation shall also have the right to detail and expand upon those responsibilities by the development of job descriptions developed by the church council [board of directors] and approved by the voters assembly. 2006 Convention Workbook 17.0 MEETINGS The frequency and any other expectations of the meetings of the voters assembly should be specified in the bylaws of the congregation. Many states require at least one such meeting annually. Example: The voters assembly shall meet. . . 18.0 RULES OF ORDER In order that all things may be done decently and in order, the rules governing the conduct of the meetings should be established in the by- laws. Example: In addition to principles laid down in Scripture and in the consti- tution and bylaws of this congregation, accepted parliamentary pro- cedures such as Robert’s Rules of Order shall be followed. 19.0 AMENDMENTS It is essential that provision be made in the bylaws for amending the bylaws. Example: These bylaws may be amended in a properly convened meeting of the voters assembly. 19.1 Amendments shall be adopted by a majority of all votes cast, provided the proposed change has been announced in a previous meeting or has been submitted in writing at least two weeks prior to the meeting to all communicant mem- bers. 19.2 The revised bylaws shall, as a condition of continued mem- bership in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, be sub- mitted to the president of the district for review by the dis- trict’s constitution committee and favorable action by the district’s board of directors before being placed into prac- tice by the congregation. Endnotes i “Individual Christians are joined together in a worshiping and serving community, the congregation. Congregations, the basic units of the Synod, have joined together to form the Synod and re- late to one another through it” (Bylaw 1.3.1). ii “Conditions for acquiring and holding membership in the Synod are the following: ; Acceptance of the confessional basis of Article II. Renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description, such as: a. Serving congregations of mixed confession, as such, by min- isters of the church; b. Taking part in the services and sacramental rites of hetero- dox congregations or of congregations of mixed confession. c. Participating in heterodox tract and missionary activities. Regular call of pastors, teachers, directors of Christian educa- tion, directors of Christian outreach, directors of family life min- istry, directors of parish music, deaconesses, certified lay minis- ters, and parish assistants and regular election of lay delegates by the congregations, as also the blamelessness of the life of such. Exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and cat- echisms in church and school. A congregation shall be received into membership only after the Synod has convinced itself that the constitution of the congre- gation, which must be submitted for examination, contains nothing contrary to the Scriptures or the Confessions. Pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education, directors of Christian outreach, directors of family life ministry, directors of parish music, deaconesses, certified lay ministers, or candidates for these offices not coming from recognized orthodox church bodies must submit to a colloquium before being received. Congregations and individuals shall be received into member- ship at such time and manner, and according to such procedures, as shall be set forth in the Bylaws to this Constitution” (Constitu- tion, Art. VI). iii “Congregations together establish the requirements of mem- bership in the Synod (Constitution, Art. VI). In joining the Synod,