# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_December 11 12 1981_S1
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

e. The preparatory entity certifying the applicant as a candidate
for the deaconess ministry shall 13.03,b, c - Since there is no longer any "Board of Stewardship" this reference was changed to
"Department of Stewardship and Financial Support."
Footnote reference in Constitution - Since Bylaw 1.09, b, will now be numbered 1.19, b, the
appropriate change should be made in the footnote to Article IX of the Constitution.
269. District Terms of Office, Bylaw 3.125 (Ag. 1545) : Several District presidents have already
registered their dissatisfaction with this particular bylaw. Does it really refer also to all elected boards or
just to the District officers? The Commission discussed this item for some time and came to the
conclusion that unless and until a subsequent convention makes an exception, the term of all District
officers and board and commission members will need to be three years.
Herbert Mueller, Secretary

Minutes of the Commission on Constitutional Matters - December 11-12, 1981
270. After the opening prayer, notice was taken of the fact that this would be the last meeting attended by
the chairman, Donald Prevallet. All members were present except Dr. Carl Eberhard, who was excused
because of his recent injuries. The minutes of the September 11-12 meeting and of the October 26
telephone conference call meeting were approved as submitted.
271. 1981 Handbook: Four copies of the 1981 synodical Handbook, separately bound, had been made
available to the CCM for this meeting. The Secretary called attention to the fact that even though the
material in the new Handbook is much shorter, the size of the book does not seem to give much indication
of that fact. This is due to several factors: heavier paper, seemingly somewhat larger type in a different
type face, and above all more lead between the lines, which results in taking up approximately 12% to
15% more space than each line in the 1979 Handbook.
272. Model Constitutions (Ag. 1446, A): This item was held on the agenda for the next meeting.
273. District Bylaw Changes (Ag. 1526, A): The Secretary had prepared for the Commission a document
entitled "Guidelines for District Presidents Re District Conventions and Structural Changes" in order to
take care of some of the changes that would need to be made at the upcoming District conventions in
view of the reorganization of the Synod last July. The Commission adopted these guidelines (attached to
the Minutes) for transmittal to the District presidents.
274. Personnel of Board for Evangelism Services (Ag. 1551): This board had called attention to the fact
that the recent convention resolved that the three clergymen on that board should be three parish pastors.
However, a holdover member was a mission executive of a District and the convention had elected a St.
Louis seminary professor as another clergy member. The elections were held before the bylaw changes
were adopted in the convention. The Commission therefore ruled that since both men had been elected
before the new bylaws had been adopted, it was permissible for both to complete their present terms.
275. Congregation Members who are Members of the AELC (Ag. 1552 ) : Concordia Church of
Maplewood, Missouri had raised the following three questions: