# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_August 10 12 2012_S1
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MINUTES
COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
St. Louis Airport Crowne Plaza Hotel
August 10–12, 2012

146. Opening Devotions, Prayers, and Review of Agenda
After calling the meeting to order with all members of the commission present, Chairman Wilbert Sohns
called on Daniel Lorenz (who served as devotion leader for the entire meeting) for an opening devotion.
Chairman Sohns reviewed the agenda and provided an overview of the meeting.
147. Bylaws Section 2.16 Standard Operating Procedures Manual
The commission reviewed the changes to the Bylaws section 2.16 Standard Operating Procedures
Manual and made a number of final minor changes of its own before Chairman Sohns declared the
manual now ready for publication and use (a copy of the revised manual is attached to the protocol copy
of these minutes).
148. Final Approval of District Bylaws Changes
The commission reviewed final versions of district Bylaws following adoption by district conventions.
The following satisfactorily incorporated the input provided and received the commission’s approval:
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English District Bylaws [11-2613 (C)]
Northern Illinois District Bylaws [11-2622 (A)]
Pacific Southwest District Bylaws [12-2637 (A)]

The following satisfactorily incorporated the input provided, also making additional change(s) pending
the commission’s approval, which was granted:
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Montana District Bylaws [11-2593 (B)]
Southeastern District Bylaws [11-2601 (A)]
Missouri District Bylaws [11-2608 (B)]
Ohio District Bylaws [12-2630 (C)]

The following incorporated the input provided by the commission and received the commission’s
approval with further input to be addressed by the next district convention:
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New Jersey District Bylaws [12-2629] – Under district Bylaw 2.21, paragraph b, the provision of
a ballot listing clergymen residing in the proper vice-presidential area does not honor the Synod’s
bylaw provision that all clergymen on the roster of the Synod are to be considered for nomination
and election. Better wording would be “a listing of those clergymen who currently reside in their
vice-presidential area,” which would allow opportunity to inform the congregations of area
clergymen without improperly restricting their consideration by printing only those clergymen on
the ballot to be used for nominations. The district will want to give this paragraph further
attention prior to its next convention, also in light of any changes that may be made by the 2013
Synod convention.