# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_January 25 26 2013_S22
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

The 2010 convention of the Synod created new boards for international and national mission and changed
the composition and appointment process of the Commission on Handbook. However, the convention
failed to give thought to the advisability of creating staggered terms for these new board and commission
positions, resulting in the election or appointment of all members for six-year terms. This failure to create
staggered terms has created the possibility of a total turnover of board and commission membership each
six years, potentially resulting in a corresponding loss of continuity. In order to enable the 2016
convention to create a staggering of terms by electing one-half of all mission board members and
appointing some of the commission members to three-year terms, the Commission on Handbook proposes
the following changes to Bylaws 3.8.2.2 and 3.8.3.2.
In addition, the terms of those board and commission members elected or appointed to three-year terms
will not be counted as full terms in this case, allowing those who will have served one six-year and one
three-year term to be eligible for an additional six-year term at the time of the 2019 convention. In order
to accommodate this change, the Commission on Handbook proposes that Bylaw 3.2.4.2 (b) also be
amended, as follows.
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.8.2.2 The Board for National Mission shall be comprised of eleven members:
1. Five laypersons and five individual members of the Synod (one of each from each
region of the Synod) elected in the same manner as are all other regional elections
(Bylaws 3.12.1 and 3.12.2.5)
2. The President of the Synod or his representative
In 2016, the laypersons elected from the Great Plains and East/Southeast regions and the
individual members of the Synod elected from the West/Southwest, Central, and Great Lakes
regions shall be elected for three-year terms.
3.8.3.2 The Board for International Mission shall be comprised of eleven members:
1. Five laypersons and five individual members of the Synod (one of each from each region
of the Synod) elected in the same manner as are all other regional elections (Bylaws
3.12.1 and 3.12.2.5)
2. The President of the Synod or his representative
In 2016, the individual members of the Synod elected from the Great Plains and East/Southeast
regions and the laypersons elected from the West/Southwest, Central, and Great Lakes regions
shall be elected for three-year terms.
3.9.4.1 The Commission on Handbook shall consist of eight members, five voting and three nonvoting.
Of the five appointed members, three shall be individual members of the Synod and two shall be
attorneys. In 2016, one of the individual members and one of the attorneys shall be appointed for
three-year terms. The remaining individual members and attorney shall be appointed for six-year
terms:
1. The Secretary and the Chief Administrative Officer of the Synod and a voting member of
the Commission on Constitutional Matters shall serve as advisory members.
2. The five voting members (whose terms shall be for six years renewable once) shall be
appointed in the following manner….
3.2.4.2 All members of all boards and commissions of the Synod shall be ineligible for reelection or
reappointment to the same board or commission after serving a total of two successive six-year
elected terms or three successive appointed or elected three-year terms, unless otherwise
provided in the Bylaws.
Page 49 – 01.25 to 01.26.13 – COH Minutes