# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_April 7 2025_S3
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

113. English District Bylaw Revisions, Proposed (25-3060)
By two emails of March 26, the Secretary of the English (EN) District forwarded for the commission’s
review four overtures calling for revision of the district’s bylaws, along with the district’s articles and
bylaws (as revised by the 2022 district convention) and Corporate Operations Manual (dated March 2025),
noting that the 2022 changes should have addressed issues outstanding from the commission’s last review
of the articles and bylaws in Op. 22-2983.
In its review of the proposed overtures, the commission noted:
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To Amend EN District Bylaw 5.1: It may be clearer to combine (a) and (b), to read: “Such persons
may become eligible again for election or appointment to the same office or function after an
interval of three (3) or more years, except that they may be appointed to fill an unexpired term after
an interval of two (2) or more years.”
It is not clear to the commission whether the interval of two or more years, in such a case, concludes
the consecutive terms served by the individual so appointed to an unexpired term, so that such
individual would be eligible for not only the vacancy term being filled but also four new successive
terms in addition. This may be worthy of clarification.
That said, the commission finds this proposal to be in harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and
resolutions of the Synod and approves it for presentation to the convention for adoption.
To Amend EN District Bylaws 5.4.4 and 9.1.1: The commission finds this proposal to be in
harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod and approves it for
presentation to the convention for adoption.
To Amend EN District Bylaw 6.2.5: The commission finds this proposal to be in harmony with the
Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod and approves it for presentation to the
convention for adoption.
To Amend EN District Bylaws 6.2.5 and 9.1.2: The commission finds this proposal to be in
harmony with the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod and approves it for
presentation to the convention for adoption.

In broader review of the district’s articles and bylaws, the commission noted:
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The issues raised in Op. 22-2983, regarding EN Dist Bylaw 3.2 (c) and 8.2, have been addressed
by the district’s 2022 convention, albeit in language not approved prior by the commission. The
commission now gives its consent to the adopted language in these two locations.
EN Bylaw 12.1: The commission notes that the district may include, but has yet not included,
language allowing for Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 (b) to be operative. This could be added to (c) as follows:
“If prior review is not possible, changes may be adopted contingent upon Commission on
Constitutional Matters approval and possible emendation by the Board of Directors, as described
in Synod Bylaw 3.9.2.2.3 (b), but such are not operative approved by the commission.”

With regard to the district’s articles of incorporation, approved in draft in Op. 22-2996 and adopted at the
2022 district convention, the commission questions whether these have been filed with the State of Illinois.
The commission requests for its records a copy of these articles indicating filing with the state.
The district’s operations manual will be carried over for review as a separate item, to be labeled Agenda
25-3060A.
The district and its secretary are thanked for the submission of these documents for review and reminded
to submit, for the commission’s files, a clean copy of the bylaws as finally adopted by the convention.
114. Plan for Next Meeting
The commission has planned an internet conference meeting for 6:30–9pm on Tuesday, May 6.

CCM Minutes – April 7, 2025 – Page 89