# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S206
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

D. To Clarify Responsibility of the Commission on
Handbook
Rationale
Bylaw 3.9.4.2 (e) assigns responsibility to the Commission on
Handbook to respond to requests from agencies of the Synod that
propose new provisions to address specific Handbook-related issues
that surface between conventions. The role of the commission is to
assist such agencies when developing bylaw proposals to determine
their language (terminology) and suitability for incorporation into
the Handbook, thereby to maintain its integrity and good order.
A number of agencies have requested that the Commission on
Handbook create and propose new bylaws addressing topics referenced by the requesting agency without indication as to what the
bylaw solution should be. Such requests place the commission in
an advocacy rather than assisting role. Recognizing that existing
Bylaw 3.9.4.2 (e) governing that role of the commission may not
be sufficiently clear, the commission proposes the following additional wording.
Therefore be it

documents. Several current bylaws, however, take exception to the
general rule when addressing authorization of ordinations or commissionings and installations of missionaries.
The introduction of this exception, while certainly well intended for
such special occasions as the ordination, commissioning, and/or
installation of missionaries, departs from the ecclesiastical supervisory norm that is otherwise consistent throughout the pertinent
bylaws. What appear to be conflicting requirements in these bylaws
have caused some disagreement and confusion.
Therefore be it
Resolved, That the proposed changes to the following bylaws
be adopted by the 2016 LCMS convention to provide uniformity
throughout the ordination or commissioning and installation procedures of the Synod.
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
2.9 Assignment of First Calls
2.9.1

Resolved, That Bylaw 3.9.4.2 (e) be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.9.4.2

The Commission on Handbook shall maintain the
Handbook of the Synod.
…
(e) It shall respond to requests from agencies of
the Synod to propose new provisions to address
specific handbook- Handbook-related issues that
surface between conventions. When responding
to such requests, the role of the commission will
be to assist requesting agencies in formulating
bylaw changes and not to develop and/or advocate
specific substantive solutions or modifications to
existing Handbook provisions.
____________

E. To Clarify the Process for Calling, Ordaining
or Commissioning, and Installing Missionaries
Rationale
The general rule that governs calls, ordinations, commissionings,
and installations is that the president of the district from which
a call originates provides counsel, signs documents, and authorizes ordinations or commissionings and installations of called
ordained or commissioned ministers. This general rule holds true
for first calls of candidates as well as second and subsequent calls
and installations of rostered church workers.
The Bylaws in general support this rule, also in the case of candidates and rostered workers called to serve as missionaries in
foreign mission fields. Because such calls by the Board for International Mission (and non-foreign specialized ministry calls by
the Board for National Mission) originate in the Missouri District,
the president of the Missouri District provides counsel and signs
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U P O N T H I S R O C K • Resolutions

The Council of Presidents, acting as the Board of
Assignments, shall regularly assign to qualified graduates of educational institutions of the Synod and
workers available from colloquy programs as “first
calls” those calls that have been duly extended to fill
active member positions as identified in Bylaw 2.11.1
for ordained and commissioned ministers if positions
for which candidates are qualified are available.
(a) The placement officers of the respective institutions shall be consulted before assignments are
made.
(b) The president of the district in which a candidate is to be placed shall be consulted, and his
concurrence suggestions and recommendations
shall be an essential part of the final recommendation to the Board of Assignments.

2.10 Ordination, Commissioning, and Initial Installation
2.10.3

…
The president of the district of which the calling congregation is a member or in which the eligible calling
body agency or other calling body is located or with
which it is otherwise identified shall be responsible
for the rites of ordination and commissioning of candidates for the ministry called to that congregation,
or agency, or other calling body.
(a) The rite of ordination or commissioning
should normally take place in the presence of the
congregation, agency, or other calling body to by
which the candidate has been called.
(b) In the case of missionaries called by the
Synod, members of a faculty of an institution of
the Synod, or institutional chaplains non-foreign
specialized ministers called by the Synod, the rite
shall take place in a setting approved by the district president of the calling entity.
“11. Structure and Administration”