# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_August 21 22 1974_S2
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

207. North Wisconsin Placement of Seminex Graduates (Ag 684): This matter was considered and motion
made, seconded, and carried to request Secretary Mueller to correspond with District President Henry
Simon and advise that Bylaw 4.01 would be pertinent. The letter should call attention to recent opinions
on the placement of Seminex graduates. It should then include a notation concerning the provisions of
Bylaw 6.163, b with special reference to "temporary or permanent engagement" and special reference to
"without the consent and approval of the RESPECTIVE FACULTY and District President." It should
contain a paragraph in appreciation for the "tone" of the letter and advise that if Synod is to be a Synod
we all must observe the covenants we have one with the other. The letter should contain a
recommendation that the District President contact the faculty at Concordia Seminary for any assistance
they might be able to render in qualifying these two students. Attention was called to the fact that the
Commission had already ruled on such a matter in the previous meeting (Minutes 162, Agenda 617) and
that the correspondence seems to indicate that the two graduates would function as pastors of the two
congregations and nothing less.
208. Florida-Georgia Convention Res. re Student Aid for Seminex Ag. 645): Attorney Phil Draheim
appeared before the. Commission and gave an oral presentation together with a written opinion
concerning agenda item 645. No action taken at this time and the matter was tabled (see Atlantic District
Special Fund).
209. Seminex Vicar Supervision (Ag. 631): Correspondence was considered and discussed and motion
made, seconded, and carried to hold action at this time pending receipt of further information and
awaiting further developments.
210. Seminex Student Teaching at Concord School, St. Louis (Ag 612): Commission reviewed all prior
correspondence, including letter of August 20, 1974 from Pastor Tom Baker and telephone report of
August 21, 1974 from Christiansen. Motion made, seconded, and carried to forward attached letter,
holding a parochial school association is not qualified to recognize a theological institution on behalf of
Synod and offering further counsel with respect to their situation.
211. Atlantic District Special Fund of $50,000 for Seminex (Ag 540) and Eastern District Aid (Ag. 624):
This matter was considered in conjunction with the previous agenda item 645 and the presentation of Phil
Draheim, with motion made, seconded, and carried to table for this meeting with Herb Freise to prepare
and circulate proposed draft of ruling.
212. Participation of Seminex Graduates, Lay Ministers, and Applicant Congregations in Delegate
Election Process (Ag. 662): In answer to five questions raised by Rev. O.D. Brack, Sioux Falls, South
Dakota, the Commission resolved:
1) The Seminex graduate in question cannot be elected as a lay delegate. Rev. Brack states, "has
been installed." The CCM assumes he is performing some pastoral functions and he therefore
apparently voluntarily removed himself from the category of layman status but has not yet been
properly ordained or properly installed as a pastor. So by vote of two to one Commission
suggests use of the word "limbo" to describe the status of this Seminex graduate.
2) The Commission also ruled primarily on the basis of its answer to #1, that such a Seminex
graduate cannot participate in the election of delegates.
3) The CCM has previously held that Lutheran Lay Ministers (graduates of the Lutheran Lay
Training Institute, Milwaukee) are entitled to serve as lay delegates both to synodical and District
conventions. The CCM holds that this applies also to the delegate selection process.