# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_February 2 3 2018_S16
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Question 3:

In practice, doesn’t Const. Art. VI 4 require exclusive use of one of the three hymnals
officially approved by Synod in convention—and if not, why not?

Opinion:
See the answers to questions 1 and 2, above. Const. Art. VI 4 requires “exclusive use of
doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms in church and school.” The centrality of these
materials in maintaining the faith—in the lives of our people and the life of our congregations and Synod—
is ensconced in this constitutional requirement. While the article does not require “exclusive use of officially
approved agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms in church and school,” members of the Synod are expected
to use diligent care and discernment in selecting for use only those materials consonant with the confessional
position of the Synod. Members (individual and congregational) are encouraged to take to heart such advice
as Synod and its proper agencies provide. When members have questions, they should seek advice from
their ecclesiastical supervisors.
128. Nebraska District Bylaws Proposed (Resubmission) (17-2854A)
By a November 21, 2017, e-mail, the President of the Nebraska District forwarded his district’s revised
bylaw proposal, composed in response to the CCM’s previous review (Op. 17-2854). The commission notes
that all requested changes have been applied except for:
•
•

Bylaw II C 2 c 5: “reviewed” should read “reviewed and verified” (cf. LCMS Bylaw 3.10.6.2
[8]).
Bylaw II E 1: the district’s constitution committee reviews congregational bylaws as well as
congregational constitutions. This may be inferred from LCMS Bylaws 2.2.1 [b] and 2.4.1 [b],
but it might be clearer simply to state the fact here.

With these changes applied, the bylaw proposal is approved for presentation to the convention. The district
is thanked for its cooperation with the review process and reminded to provide to the Office of the Secretary
with a clean copy of its bylaws as adopted by the convention.
129. Res. 9-02A Review of District Articles of Incorporation (18-2864)
The commission, continuing its work of reviewing the articles of incorporation of all Synod’s agencies, as
assigned by 2016 Res. 9-02A, and lamenting that agencies, including districts, have been slow to submit
articles for review, determined to review those district articles it had on file.
The commission has previously reviewed and approved articles (adopted or proposed for adoption) from
the following districts: Eastern, Iowa East, Iowa West, Mid-South, Minnesota South, Missouri, Montana,
North Dakota, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, North Wisconsin, South Dakota, Southern Illinois, and South
Wisconsin.
In this meeting, the commission reviewed and approved proposed articles from Central Illinois (Op. 182874),* Kansas (Op. 18-2844B), Minnesota North (Op. 17-2867),* and Wyoming (Op. 17-2852B)
Districts. Articles from Oklahoma District were reviewed and found to require more attention (Op. 172832B). Those districts having approval of proposed articles are reminded to file their articles with their
respective jurisdictions upon adoption, and then to file the adopted and filed version with the Office of the
Secretary.
* Approved pending incorporation of changes indicated by the commission.
The commission briefly reviewed articles from its files and from state corporation databases, considering
only whether or not relationship (Bylaw 1.5.3.6 [a]) and asset disposition (Bylaw 1.5.3.6 [b][1]) language
is present to satisfy Bylaw 1.5.3.6 and Bylaw 9-02A. Documents reviewed are from the years indicated.
Results are as follows:
•
•
•

Atlantic (1948): Articles as filed lack both relationship and asset disposition language.
California-Nevada-Hawaii (2003): Articles as filed lack relationship language but contain
satisfactory asset disposition language.
English (1968): Articles as filed lack both relationship and asset disposition language.
CCM Minutes – February 2, 2018 – Page 104