# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_February 6 7 2026_S5
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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Page 13, Administrative Assistant / Receptionist 4: The a/b break is likely not intended. The
reference here and elsewhere to “executive assistants” suggests that the “assistant to the president”
may represent a division of labor among other “executive assistants.”

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Pages 14–15, Board of Directors 1, Objectives: The description of the board’s duties should be
more closely related to Const. Art. XI E 2, XII 6; Bylaw 4.5.1.

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Page 16, Board of Directors 6, Relationships: The composition and authorization of these
committees need to be squared against Bylaws 1.5.3.2–4. Under (e), the board is noted to seem to
limit itself to policy governance, whereas the board is not so limited under Synod bylaws. Under
(f), the district president should not be indicated to be comprehensively responsible to the board,
which is charged with business, property, and legal matters. As to his ecclesiastical supervisory
work, he is responsible to the convention but not to the board “as an interim authoritative body.”

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Page 19, Endowment Fund Policy: The board is ultimately responsible, of course, for the
administration of this business and property aspect of the district’s work. Compare Bylaw 1.5.3.4.

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Pages 19–20, Addendum I, Iowa District East Endowment Funds: Presumably it is only the
accumulated income that would be liquidated quarterly.

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Page 20, Addendum I, Iowa District East Endowment Funds 4: The commission notes mention of
a “Camp Board of Directors” and questions whether this is essentially a committee of the district
or a board of a separately incorporated camp, though it apparently has some oversight of district
funds.

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Page 20, Addendum II, Guidelines for Establishing a Named Endowed Fund, Investment Fund, 4.
Risk Tolerance: Under “Intermediate Funds,” the math seems to leave some funds out, unless both
categories are maximized at 10 and 90 percent.

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Pages 24–28, 30–32, Mission and Schools Committees: The commission notes potentially
significant grant expenditures that it presumes are included in the district’s comprehensive expense
budget, approved by the board of directors (Bylaw 3.3.4.5[b][2]).

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Pages 34–36, Lutheran Church Extension Fund Loan Committee: The commission questions
whether the district can set these policies (particularly as regard delinquency) and whether they
represent current practice. Perhaps LCEF should be consulted.

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Pages 36–37, Office Committee: The commission notes an apparently obligatory ratification and
wonders whether the board’s executive committee might take emergency action here.

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Page 42, Office Policies: These provisions should be checked against Bylaw 1.5.4.

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Page 44, Disaster Relief Fund Usage Guidelines, 2. District Disaster Response Coordinator, b: The
“be,” we suspect is not to be.

The commission thanks the district and its secretary for submission of its document for review.
171. Presidential Appointment following Invalid Circuit Election (26-3074)
The Secretary of the Synod posed a question as follows:
Question:

A circuit conducted timely elections for pastoral and lay delegate and alternates to the
Synod convention, correct in all respects except that the alternate lay delegate was elected
from the same congregation as, and subsequent to, the alternate pastoral delegate. The
alternate lay delegate was, therefore, not certified by the district secretary. After the bylaw
certification deadline, the lay delegate was rendered unable to attend the convention. Does
the defective election of an alternate lay delegate preserve the ability of the district
president to appoint a replacement lay delegate for the circuit under Bylaw 3.1.2.1 (m)?
CCM Minutes – February 6–7, 2026 – Page 139