# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S223 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 222 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS the English District, the Board of Directors set the pattern for them; and be it further Resolved, That the number of advisory delegates be re- duced by 45 to 65 percent, according to a policy to be de- termined by the Board of Directors; and be it finally Resolved, That this system take effect in the first con- vention following the 1973 convention. Peace LUTHERAN CHURCH Glidden, Iowa Phillip Bushman, Secretary 5-31 To Revise Procedure Order for Electing Delegates Wuereas, The pastoral delegate and the lay delegate usually represent their electing circuits: and Whereas, The alternate pastoral delegate and the alter- nate lay delegate usually do not represent. their electing circuits; and Wuereas, The present order of electing delegates is 1. Pastoral delegate: 2. Alternate pastoral delegate; 3. Lay delegate; 4. Alternate lay delegate; therefore be it Resolved, That the order of electing delegates (Bylaw 1.53) be changed to 1. Pastoral delegate: 2. Lay delegate; 3. Pastoral alternate: 4, Lay alternate: and be it further Resolved, That the sentence reading, “The same pro- cedure shall then be followed in determining who shall be the pastoral alternate and, in turn, which congregation shall supply the lay delegate and which congregation shall supply the lay alternate” be changed to read, "The same procedure shall be followed in determining which congregation shall supply the lay delegate and. in turn, who shall be the pas- toral alternate and which congregation shall supply the lay alternate”; and he it finally Resolved, That the sentence reading, “Those congrega- tions supplying the pastoral delegate and alternate shall be eliminated from consideration in determining which congre- gations shall supply the lay delegate and alternate” be changed to read, “The congregation supplying the pastoral delegate shall be eliminated from consideration in determin- ing which congregation shall supply the lay delegate, the pastoral alternate, and the lay alternate. The congregation supplying the lay delegate shall be eliminated from con- sideration in determining which congregation shall supply the pastoral alternate and the lay alternate. The congrega- tion supplying the pastoral alternate shall be eliminated from consideration in determining which congregation shal] supply the lay alternate.” St. Paut’s Lutyeran Cuurcn Enid, Okla. Kenneth E. Wade, Pastor Walter Lemke, Chairman Gilbert Williams, Secretary i eo ho To Provide for Substitute at Circuit Election Meetings Wuereas, The pastor of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church was incapacitated by serious illness and was unable to attend the regularly scheduled circuit meeting of the Ann Arbor Circuit — Michigan District on October 1972 at which meet- ing pastoral and lay delegates were elected to attend the 1973 convention of the LCMS in New Orleans; and Wuersas, St. Luke’s Congregation of Ann Arbor, Mich., was advised that the rules of the Synod do not permit a congregation in such circumstances to designate a substi- tute or alternate clergyman on the synodical roster to repre- sent it and to cast a vote on behalf of its pastor; and Wuergas, St. Luke's Congregation of Ann Arbor, acting through the Voters Assembly, expressed its desire and will- ingness to designate such alternate or substitute clergyman, and directed the Church Council of said congregation to memorialize Synod to amend the synodical rules to permit designation of an alternate or substitute clergyman in simi- lar circumstances; therefore be it Resolved That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, acting in convention assembled in New Orleans July, 1973, so alter its rules and Bylaws governing the selection of pastoral and lay delegates to synodical conventions in cir- cuit meetings that hereafter any member congregation whose pastor, by reason of illness, is unable to attend and vote at circuit meetings, where such delegates are selected, may designate an alternate clergyman on the synodical roster, with the consent of such alternate clergyman, to attend and vote in place of its pastor, under appropriate procedures set forth in such amended synodical rules. Sr. Luke’s LutHeran Cuurcy Ann Arbor, Mich. Charles Hoopes, Secretary William Steude, President 5-33 To Permit District Board of Directors to Make Exceptions Wuereas, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod has always been interested in hearing the opinions of all seg- ments of its church; and Whereas, Synod and _ its President cannot always be aware of the factors involved in the election of delegates for conventions when it is required by Synod and its Presi- dent that two visitation circuits must join together to be an cligible electoral circuit under the provisions of Bylaw 1.51 of Synod’s Constitution which reads in part as follows: - each pair of delegates shall represent from 7 to 20 member congregations, involving an aggre- gate communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000 therefore be it Resolved, That the following wording be accepted as a constitutional revision of Handbook Section 151: PRESENT WORDING Exceptions to these requirements and limitations can be made only by the President of the Synod upon request of a District Board of Directors. PROPOSED WORDING Exceptions to these requirements and limitations can be made only by the District Board of Directors of the District directly involyed upon request by the circuit or circuits involved. IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH Oakley, Kans. Don Moore, President Alan Nathan, Pastor Raymond Strub, Secretary 5-34 To Revise the Delegate Procedure Wuereas, The present system of electing a pastoral and lay delegate from each circuit has certain inequalities and imbalances in the proportionment of the delegates in rela- tionship to the membership of the Synod; and, Wuereas, The large number of delegates assembled under the present procedure incurs a substantial expense; be it therefore Resolved, That one voting delegate be elected in each Circuit from among all eligible voting members; and be it further Resolved, That the Committee on Constitutional Matters be directed to provide for a distribution of voting delegates to the Synod in approximate proportion to their numerical membership in the Synod. Grace LuTHeRaAn CHURCH Jacksonville, Fla. Herbert Schert, Chairman