# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S208 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 2.12.1.4 A missionary or chaplain serving under a call by the Synod shall hold membership in the Synod through the district designated by the missionary or chaplain if approved by the president of that district after consultation with the office of International Mission and the president of the district through which membership is currently held and the Office of National Mission or the Office of International Mission as appropriate. Action: Adopted (8) (Brief summaries were provided for this and seven other resolutions which the committee wished to bundle into a single action as “housekeeping matters.” Following explanations provided, the chair asked the assembly whether it was ready to vote. Hearing no objection, he called for the vote and the bundled resolution action that included Res. 11-04B, Res. 11-08A, Res. 11-11, Res. 11-12, Res. 11-13, Res. 11-15A, Res. 11-17, and Res. 11-20 was adopted as presented [Yes: 923; No: 32].) To Clarify Function of Committee for Convention Nominations in Interim between Issuing Final Report and Convention RESOLUTION 11-14 Overture 11-19 (CW, p. 392) Whereas, The Committee for Convention Nominations (CCN) issues its “final report at least five months prior to the convention” (Bylaw 3.12.3.6 [b]); and Whereas, “Final report” seems to imply that the CCN’s work is finished and no further action is expected; and Whereas, Subsequent events and situations occur which require modifications in the slate of candidates provided by the CCN; and Whereas, Reconvening of the CCN in the interim is time-consuming, cumbersome, and expensive; and Whereas, The nominations files are kept in the office of the Secretary of the Synod and are not accessible from a distance; and Whereas, The Bylaws do not seem to speak to handling of such changes when required, or possibly do not permit action except by the plenary CCN; and Whereas, Previous CCNs have had to improvise solutions to this situation, so it needs clarification; therefore be it Resolved, That the Bylaw 3.2.5 committee selected by the CCN be empowered to act on behalf of and in the name of the CCN for actions needed subsequent to the issuing of the CCN’s final report prior to the convention. Action: Adopted (8) 208 | U P O N T H I S R O C K • Resolutions (With no opposition to an immediate vote, Res. 11-14 was adopted as presented [Yes: 915; No: 22].) To Amend Bylaw re Responsibilities of Commission on Constitutional Matters RESOLUTION 11-15A Overture 11-03 (CW, pp. 383–384) Whereas, Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 states: The Commission on Constitutional Matters shall examine the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policy manuals of every agency of the Synod to ascertain whether they are in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod. (a) Agencies intending to make amendments to articles of incorporation or bylaws shall make such intentions known and receive approval from the commission in advance. (b) The commission shall maintain a file of the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policy manuals of all agencies of the Synod. And Whereas, Bylaw 1.2.1 (a) (1) states: Agencies include each board, commission, council, seminary, university, college, district, Concordia Plan Services, and each synodwide corporate entity. And Whereas, Districts amend their articles of incorporation and bylaws in conventions, at which the Synod’s Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) is not present, and therefore the CCM cannot give “approval … in advance” for any changes in wording of articles of incorporation or bylaws that might be made through amendments from the floor at such conventions; and Whereas, The parliamentarian at the 2007 convention of the Synod ruled that, according to the Synod’s Bylaws, amendments from the floor could not be debated unless they had first been examined by the CCM, in effect allowing the CCM to kill any amendments simply by failing to examine them; and Whereas, By such a reading, Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 would rule out all amendments from the floor of any district convention, thus robbing the districts of the insights of the delegates who are not on floor committees, even prohibiting districts from voting on their own bylaws if their floor committees failed to provide the CCM with advance copies of their proposed changes or if the CCM for any reason fails to approve them before the convention; therefore be it Resolved, That Synod Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 be amended to read as follows: PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING 3.9.2.2.3 The Commission on Constitutional Matters shall “11. Structure and Administration”