# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_May 28 1995_S1
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

After careful consideration, the Commission declined the requests received. A copy of the responses to
Chairman Thompson and Dr. Bohlmann are attached to the protocol copy of the minutes.
Walter L. Rosin, Secretary

Minutes of the Commission on Constitutional Matters - May 28, 1995 Telephone Conference
123. : The Commission on Constitutional Matters met in telephone conference on May 28, 1995 to consider
a request from President Alvin Barry to the Commission, asking it to withdraw the opinion issued on March
6, 1995 in response to questions relating to identification of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for
accounting purposes. The request was made in view of concerns expressed regarding the effects of the
opinion, as well as the fact that a Blue Ribbon Committee had been appointed to review issues involving the
structure of the Synod.
After considerable discussion, the Commission adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, The opinion of the Commission on Constitutional Matters dated March 6, 1995, in
reference to questions addressed to it by the Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial
Officer of the Synod, may have been interpreted more broadly than written by the Commission;
and
WHEREAS, The Commission has been requested by the President of the Synod to reconsider
its opinion;
Therefore, The Commission withdraws its opinion for purposes of reconsideration thereof in
light of the concerns expressed.
Secretary Rosin did not participate in the telephone conference.
Walter L. Rosin, Secretary

Minutes of the Commission on Constitutional Matters - June 10, 1995
124. Opening Prayer : After Chairman Groh had called the meeting of the Commission to order, Dr.
Richard Schlecht, at the Chairman's request, led the Commission in prayer.
125 Congregational Constitution Approval (Ag. 2005) : The Commission had received a request from a
pastor regarding the possibility of following a process of temporarily suspending the Bylaws while the
congregation experimented with a new system of management and made several other minor wording and
structural changes. It was indicated that none of these changes came close to disharmony with the
Scriptures, the Confessions, or the teachings and practices of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The
question was asked as to whether it would be necessary to hold up change for months while awaiting for the
district to act on the various proposals. The question was, "Is all experimentation and trying out new things
before they are locked into bylaws forbidden by Synod? Is not Synod's concern to ensure that what we do is
in harmony with Scriptures and the Confessions, or does Synod/District want to micro manage the local
church operations?"
In response, the Secretary had prepared a personal reply which stated