# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_December 8 1978_S3
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

1.

Clergymen who wish to remain on the clergy roster of the Synod cannot be members of AELC
congregations (see "Opinion re Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches," especially III, 6,
affirmed by the Synod in Dallas Resolution 5-01).

2.

The Commission is of the opinion that an overseas missionary who maintains professional
membership in one of the stateside Districts should remain a member of a member congregation
of the Synod as well as of the Synod itself, although he may be administratively responsible to
the partner church, depending upon his position description, and together with his family may
be guest communicants in that partner church.

3.

The Commission holds that a missionary in one of our Districts who has been commissioned to
start a new congregation should together with his family hold communicant membership in an
LCMS congregation near their place of residence until the new congregation is organized at
which time they may be expected to affiliate with it.

153. Lay Delegate and Alternate from a Dual Parish (Ag. 1334): In answer to a question from Secretary
Mueller in connection with the registration of delegates to the 1979 synodical convention, the
Commission ruled that the lay delegate and the alternate could come from the same parish as long as they
come from two different congregations in that parish and their pastor has not been elected as the pastoral
delegate or alternate.
154. Selection of Alternate Delegate (Ag. 1331): In answer to two questions posed by Herman W.
Kramer, Counselor, in behalf of the Sac City Circuit of Iowa District West, the Commission ruled that if
the lay delegate is elected from congregation B, congregation A in a dual parish would not be removed
from consideration for providing the alternate lay delegate if the pastor has not been elected as pastoral
delegate or alternate. The Commission also ruled that the pastor would be removed from consideration for
election as alternate pastoral delegate if either of his congregations in a dual parish has been chosen to
provide the lay delegate.
155. Status of Visiting Professors (Ag. 1327): Dr. Robert G. Hoerber, secretary of the Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis, faculty, had asked whether visiting professors were to be counted among faculty
members in determining how many faculty members could serve as advisory representatives to the
synodical convention. The secretary had ventured a personal opinion, since time was of the essence,
that.,such visiting professors should not be counted and that the size of the faculty governing the number
of representatives should be as of November 15 when lists were to be submitted to the BHE. The
Commission ratified this position.
156. Report to Convention (Ag. 1338): After making several changes and after checking off those
opinions which should be reprinted in their entirety in the appendix to the Convention Workbook, the
Commission ratified the report prepared by the secretary with the understanding that additional
paragraphs resulting from today's meeting would be circulated for approval. It was at about this time that
Donald Prevallet arrived.
157. Appeal Under Dallas Resolution 5-01 (Ag. 1307,A,B): No further word has been received regarding
any decision of the Board of Appeals regarding the request of the Colorado District Commission of
Adjudication for determining where such an appeal should be addressed, if at all. The Commission had
drafted an opinion at the previous meeting but because of this uncertainty the issuance of the opinion was
held up in order to avoid, if possible, any conflict with the Board of Appeals. After going through the
drafted opinion once again very carefully the Commission decided to revise it in the following way: