# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_March 21 22 2025_S14
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Outside the board’s sphere there are areas (i.e., in ecclesiastical supervision) where it does not even
oversee. The commission, therefore, does not give its approval to this change.
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Bylaw VIII A 4: If the commission correctly understands, relative to Bylaw III A 1, which sets
forth the composition of the board, this bylaw should read: “Each The district convention shall elect
to a six-year term on the Board of Directors one (1) Minister of Religion — Ordained, elected at
large and one (1) Minister of Religion — Commissioned, elected at large, and two three (23)
laypersons, elected at large (two of the three at-large laypersons shall be elected at one convention,
and the other elected at the subsequent convention). At alternating district conventions laypersons
shall be elected at large to six year terms, with two 2 (2 two) being elected at one convention and
one (1) one being elected at the following convention.”

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Bylaw VIII C 2 a: With the addition of “Convention business” it seems the original wording of
“business transaction” should be struck.

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Bylaw VIII C 2 f 5 (as presently numbered): This provision would seem to violate Synod Bylaw
4.7.3 (b), in which only the candidate receiving the fewest votes is removed from a successive
ballot in vice-presidential elections. Missouri’s procedure seems to reduce immediately to twice
the number of seats to be elected. This provision should read “When a second or succeeding ballot
is required for a majority, the candidates receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped from the ballot,
leaving two candidates for each position to be filled.”

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Bylaw IX B 2: The district should review the assignment of the “Lutheran Education Association
National Convocation” as a commissioned minister conference against the Bylaw description of
such conferences in Synod Bylaw section 4.8 to see if this is consistent with the purposes and
procedures described.

The district and its secretary are thanked for submitting these documents for review and requested a draft
addressing the above for the commission’s further review and approval.
105. Indiana District Bylaws, Proposed Revision, Revised and Extended (24-3044A)
By an email of March 14, the Indiana (IN) District Secretary forwarded for the commission’s review a
bylaw proposal revised pursuant to Op. 24-3044. The commission notes:
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IN Bylaw 10.2.2.3: with regard to deriving successive ballots, the procedures of Synod Bylaw 4.7.3
(b) apply to the election of vice-presidents. The Indiana Bylaw presumes there will be no more than
three individuals receiving the greatest number of ballots (cf. Bylaw 10.2.1.3). This may not be the
case if a tie results in including more than three; if this happens, a reduction to two on the second
ballot may reduce by more than one. IN Bylaw 10.2.2.3 needs to be replaced with the language of
Synod Bylaw 4.7.3 (b): “When a second or succeeding ballot is required for a majority, the
candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped from the ballot.” Alternatively, this could be
included by reference as in IN Bylaw 10.2.3 as proposed.

With the above change, the proposal is found to be in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and
resolutions of the Synod, and is approved for presentation to the district’s convention for adoption. The
district is thanked for its submission of these documents for review and reminded to transmit, for the
commission’s files, a clean copy of the bylaws as finally adopted.
106. Opinion Request: Adjunct Seminary Faculty (24-3031)
By an email of May 17, a congregation of the Synod requested an opinion in response to the following. The
commission requested, under Bylaw 3.9.2.2(b), and has received input from the seminary presidents. The
opinion request is as follows:
The Handbook of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod defines the “faculty” of a seminary of
the Synod, for most purposes, in Bylaw 3.10.5.7, which provides that “The faculty of each
CCM Minutes – March 21–22, 2025 – Page 81