# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_May 7 8 2011_S5
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

In a memorandum dated May 8, 2011, the Secretary of the Synod submitted a series of questions related
to the Bylaw 3.12.2.3 requirement that the lists of delegates attending the prior year’s district conventions
are to be used to establish the voting list for the election of the President of the Synod. The commission
placed this request on the docket for its next meeting.
43. Pending Matters
The secretary offered brief comment on a number of matters that continue to await further attention by the
commission:
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CHI Policy Manual (08-2523) – Concordia Historical Institute continues to be aware of its need
to develop a policy manual and has a committee assigned to this task.
Oklahoma District Bylaws (08-2536) – Conversations with the president of the district indicate
that the district is working diligently to complete its work on its Bylaws in time for review by the
commission prior to the district’s 2012 convention.
Article VI and Heterodox Congregations (09-2544) – The CTCR has informed the CCM that it
has placed this question on its active agenda. Given the CTCR’s February 2, 2010 opinion on a
related matter, however, which provides indication of its response to the questions at hand, the
CCM decided to proceed with its own research of the matter in preparation for its formal
response.
North Dakota District Bylaws (09-2549) – Conversations with the president of the district
indicate that the district is working diligently to complete its work on its Bylaws in time for
review by the commission prior to the district’s 2012 convention.
CU Ann Arbor Bylaws (09-2552) – No response has been received to the secretary’s most recent
letter to the school administration and legal counsel.

44. Other Matters
The commission spent the remainder of its meeting time with the following list of topics of interest to the
commission:
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Chairman Sohns received agenda items to take to the initial meeting of the Commission on
Handbook, July 7–8, 2011.
Secretary Hartwig shared materials describing latest administration conceptualizations of the
revamped structure of the Synod with its two mission boards and two mission offices. He was
asked to communicate the commission’s observations to the President’s staff.
Chairman Sohns will communicate with district officers and boards and other agencies via letter,
calling their attention to their need to update Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws following the
Synod’s 2010 convention, stressing the need for districts to communicate proposed changes to the
Commission on Constitutional Matters prior to submission to district conventions. The letter will
also include a revised version of the commission’s document, “Frequently Noted Concerns and
Aberrations” attached to these minutes.
Secretary Hartwig will draft materials for inclusion on the reconfigured Synod website and obtain
input from the commission before they are posted. The commission discussed the content of the
site and the links to be included.
Secretary Hartwig distributed a chart prepared by his office showing the status of required
reviews of agency documents by the commission. It was suggested that a column be added
showing the date of the most recent review and that the document be provided electronically to
the members of the commission.
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