# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_September 15 2020_S1
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MINUTES
COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
Internet Conference Meeting (Zoom.us)
September 15, 2020
45. Call to Order and Opening Prayer
Commission Chairman Dr. George Gude called the meeting to order with all members present except for
Pastor Owen, who had parish obligations, calling upon Attorney Deadrick to offer the opening prayer.
46. Southern Illinois District Articles of Incorporation (20-2946)
By an August 5, 2020, email, the Secretary of the Southern Illinois District forwarded a proposed
restatement of the district’s articles of incorporation, the former attempt at restatement (approved by the
commission in Op. 17-2842 and adopted by the district’s 2018 convention) having been rejected by the
state due to certain formalities. The commission approves the present proposal for restatement of the district
articles for presentation to the district convention and adoption. The district is reminded to file the adopted
articles with the state and to forward a copy of the articles as accepted by the state to the commission for
its file. The district and its secretary are thanked for facilitating this review and bringing this process to
completion.
47. North Dakota District Bylaw Revision, Proposed (20-2948)
By an email of August 25, 2020, the Secretary of the North Dakota District forwarded for the commission’s
review a revision of his district’s bylaws, intended principally to incorporate changes necessitated by the
2019 Convention of the Synod and to revise the nomination procedure for district vice-presidents. The
commission notes the following points requiring attention:
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District (ND) Bylaw 1.8.5.1 continues to reflect the language of pre-2019 Synod Bylaw 3.1.3, but
with the change of “delegates” to “members;” it is inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws
of the Synod. District Bylaw 1.8.5.1 must be deleted and does not need to be replaced.
In ND Bylaw 1.8.5.3, “debut” should read “depute” and “advisory delegate” should read “advisory
lay delegate.”
ND Bylaw 1.8.6 should allow for presentation of valid excuses, as does Synod Bylaw 4.2.3.
ND Bylaw 2.2.1, in reciting by reference the principal duties of the district president, should include
also Const. XII 7–9.
ND Bylaw 2.3.1 (a) must reflect Synod Bylaw 4.3.1, reading in both instances: “an ordained
minister in with membership in a congregation of the…region of the District…”; likewise, ND
Bylaw 2.3.2 should read “…ordained minister from with membership in a congregation of the
region in which the vacancy occurs…” This congregational basis of individual region membership
should also be reflected in Bylaw 2.9.7.1 (a) and 2.9.7.2, with regard to “within each region.”
ND Bylaw 2.7.1.2 should clarify that it is not the location of residence that determines membership
in the district and eligibility for office, but membership in the district (as a rostered member) or
membership in a district congregation (for laypeople).
In ND Bylaw 2.7.4 (erroneously numbered 1.1.4), subparagraph (b), “government” should read
“govern.”
If the “major geographical areas of the District” in ND Bylaw 2.9.1 are the regions defined in Bylaw
2.3.1 (b), these regional offices would also be based on congregational membership rather than
residence. Again, if this is the intent, the language should, for consistency, use the word “region”
instead of “geographical area.”
In ND Bylaw 2.9.6, it needs to be clear that only the one candidate receiving the smallest number
of votes is removed per iteration of the presidential ballot.

CCM Minutes – September 15, 2020 – Page 32