# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_March 3 4 1978_S6
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

41. Assistant Pastor as Voting Delegate (Ag. 1261): The registrar of the Atlantic District convention had
asked whether an assistant pastor could serve as a voting delegate from a congregation. The Secretary had
replied in the negative on the basis of long-standing decisions. The Commission ratified this letter.
42. Worker-Priest as Delegate (Ag. 1267): In answer to a question from President Heckmann of the Texas
District the Secretary had stated that the CCM had reiterated on many occasions that the three
requirements for a pastor to be seated as a voting delegate at a convention would be 1) official roster
status, 2) regular call as the astor of the congregation, 3) authorization of installation by the District
president. A worker-priest who is called to minister to workers in the factory and is not called to serve as
the pastor of the congregation would not be eligibile to serve as the pastoral delegate. Otherwise, if a
worker-priest had been called as the pastor of the congregation and met the other requirements outlined
above, he could serve as a voting delegate. The Commission ratified this reply.
43. Membership in Federation of Lutheran Churches,- Cincinnati (Ag. 1205): It was decided to hold on
the agenda the carbon copy of the letter addressed by the president of the Federation to the CTCR,
inquiring whether a congregation which had now joined the English Synod could still remain in
membership.
44. Federated School, New Orleans (Ag. 1224, A,B): The Commission took up the three exchanges of
correspondence with Mr. G. Robert Murphy of Salem Church, Gretna, Louisiana, asking about the
eligibility of a congregation which had joined the AELC to continue membership in the Federated School
Association. The Commission continued to conclude that the decision would need to be made locally on
the basis of Article III of the Federation's Constitution, which permits membership on the part of
congregations "affiliated with the LCMS and such other congregations as may be in doctrinal agreement
with us." It will need to be determined whether the congregation left for doctrinal reasons or for other
reasons. The Secretary was asked to convey this decision of the Commission to Mr. Murphy with
renewed assurance of our interest and concern.
45. Questions Re South American Colleges (Ag. 1212): The recent floor committee had raised several
questions regarding South American colleges, some of them of a constitutional nature, and had suggested
that the CCM become involved also in some of these questions. The Commission had alerted the BHE to
the effect that it did indeed believe that constitutional considerations were involved. Since no further reply
had been received the Commission decided to remove this item from the agenda.
46. Missionary Representation (Ag. 1_213): Since this item had already been removed from the agenda at
the last meeting and since no further developments had occurred, the Commission resolved to remove it
once again from the agenda.
47. Greater Involvement of Black Youth on Synodical Boards (Ag. 1227): The same applied to this item.
48. Separation Language (Ag. 1238): Pastor R. L. Jackson of Zion, Independence, Kansas, had asked for
wording regarding the division of property. The Secretary had referred this request to the Synod's legal
counsel. The Commission ratified this action.
49. Southern District Bylaw Revisions (Ag. 938A, B): The Commission had asked for verification of the
fact that the Southern District had made the suggested changes in its Bylaws. The District secretary since
then had asked for a new copy of what those suggestions had been. The item will be held on the agenda.
50. Colorado District Bylaws (Ag. 1185, A,B): President Phipps had replied that when he has time he
would study the CCM response and would take appropriate action. The Commission decided to hold this
item on the agenda to make certain that the recommended changes are really made.