# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_February 22 23 1991_S2
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

56. College and University Regents Eligibility (Ag. 1902,B,C; Min. 51): The Commission had
previously responded to questions received from several colleges regarding the eligibility of board
members for an additional term of service if they had been elected for a six-year period followed by a
three-year term. In 1986, the Bylaws had been changed to allow board of regents members to serve for a
period of nine years. The Commission had concluded that in these cases the number of years rather than
the number of terms was the governing factor. It noted that persons elected in 1988 would have been
aware of the nine-year limitation and could not rightly have had an expectation for an additional term of
service.
The Commission had now received letters from Concordia College, Bronxville, and Concordia
University, River Forest, requesting the Commission to reconsider its decision and allow for election of
boards of regents for either three terms or nine years for the present district election only. It was noted
that after this election no one should be left who would be caught in the transition from two six-year
terms to three three-year terms.
After reviewing the request and the argumentation for it, the Commission reconsidered the matter but
concluded once again that the number of years of service rather than terms served is the governing factor.
It noted that the Synod, upon recommendation of the Task Force on Higher Education, had concluded that
the number of years of service for boards of regents of colleges and universities should be reduced from
12 to 9 and must have had a reason for arriving at that conclusion. If that were not the case, it could easily
have allowed for four three-year terms, thus retaining the original number of years for eligible service. In
view of that, the Commission stated that it was convinced that the number of years was the governing
factor.
The Commission also recognized the value of the contributions which veteran members of boards of
regents could make to the institution and assumed that the colleges and universities would be innovative
in devising means for use of their services and support.
57. Voting Rights of Congregations (1907,A-D): The Commission had received requests from
members in at least three different districts regarding the right of franchise for congregations operating on
the basis of unapproved constitutions and bylaws. These had been received from the President of the
Minnesota South District, a -member of the Rocky Mountain District and a member of the CaliforniaNevada-Hawaii District. While the questions had been forwarded in various forms, in essence, they
revolved around the eligibility of congregations and pastors of those congregations to vote if they were
operating with unapproved constitutions and bylaws.
In response, the Commission decided to respond as follows:
During the past several months, the Commission on Constitutional Matters has received a number of
requests regarding the franchise of congregations operating under constitutions which had not been
approved by the districts through which they hold membership in the Synod. Questions raised also
related to the voting rights of pastors of those congregations. Before responding, the Commission
notes first of all that it is congregations who hold voting membership in the Synod and that these
congregations have two votes, one of which is to be cast by the pastor of the congregation who is a
voting member of the Synod and the other by a layman selected by the congregation.
In replying to the requests which have been forwarded, the Commission wishes to make it absolutely
clear that it takes seriously the responsibility of the congregations which are members of the Synod to
follow and comply with the Handbook of the Synod. This includes, among other things, the fact that,
"a member congregation which revises its constitution or bylaws or adopts a new constitution or