# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S225 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 224 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS Identical: 5-40B Emmaus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, N. Y., Joseph C. Weber, Secretary. 5-41 To Limit Delegates from Educational Institutions WHEREAS, The costs of synodical conventions are steadily increasing; and WHEREAS, Good stewardship requires that the gifts of God’s people be used in the wisest, most effective and prof- itable manner; and WHEREAS, Two delegates from a synodical educational in- stitution ought to be capable of adequately expressing the causes and concerns of their particular institution to the convention and its floor committees; and Wuereas, It is assumed that the larger the number of delegates the more unwieldy becomes the deliberative pro- cess; and Whereas, The number of advisory delegates at synodical conventions is disproportionate to the number of voting dele- gates and ought to be reduced: therefore be it Resolved, That the maximum number of advisory dele- gates from each of the synodical educational institutions be set at two. MANITOBA aND SASKATCHEWAN DISTRICT Maynard F. Pollex, Secretary 35-42 To Elect Teacher Delegates at Conferences Instead of District Conventions Wuereas, The LCMS requires that each District shall send advisory delegates to the synodical conventions: and Wuereas, According to the Bylaws of the LCMS the teacher advisory delegates are to be selected in a general election during a District convention; and Wuereas, Such an election does not give all teachers within a District the opportunity to vote for their delegate; and Wuereas, The District Teachers Conference is an officially designated meeting of each District of the LCMS;: therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod allow teacher delegates to synodical conventions to be elected during the District Teachers Conference next prior to the synodical convention; and be it further Resolved, That the synodical Handbook regulations be changed accordingly. CALIFORNIA AND Nevaba District District TEACHERS CONFERENCE Janice Alexander, Secretary 5-43 To Grant Speaking Privileges to Youth Delegates Wuereas, The existing convention rules of the Synod do not provide speaking privileges for youth delegates: and Wuereas, The presence of youth delegates is most desir- able if youth are allowed to Participate in convention de- liberation as fully as other advisory delegates: therefore be it Resolved, That youth delegates be granted the same speaking privileges as other advisory delegates. Grace LUTHERAN CHURCH Jacksonville, Fla. Herbert Schert, Chairman 5-44 To Rescind Right of Pastoral Conferences to Memorialize Wuereas, The right to memorialize Synod has been taken away from individual laymen: and Wuereas, Lay delegates to convention often cannot attend due to job conflicts; and WHEREAS, Pastoral conferences are allowed to memorialize Synod: and Wuereas, The above three statements result in a clergy- flominated convention in numbers and overtures; therefore ei Resolved, That the right of pastoral conferences to me- morialize Synod be rescinded; and be it further Resolved, That the numbers of voting pastors and laymen be equal in all national and District conventions; leftovers not to vote. LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR San Jose, Calif. Paul Noostra, President Richard Husman, Secretary 5-45 To Revise Procedure for Appointment of Convention Committees Resolved, That the Atlantic District petition the LCMS assembled in convention in New Orleans in July 1973 to di- rect the Council of Presidents to elect a committee of five (5) District presidents and further to direct the synodical Pres- ident to appoint the convention committees with the help and approval of the committee elected from the Council of Presidents; and be it further Resolved, That the committee of five district presidents and the convention committees are to be representative of the spectrum of opinion within the Synod. Reasons: 1. The convention committees at syncdical con- ventions render a highly significant service to the Synod in processing the reports and overtures and in preparing recom- mendations for consideration by the convention. 2. It is good stewardship that the selection of committee members be made from representative persons available throughout the Synod, 3. The Council of Presidents is able to give invaluable assistance to the Synod and her President in the selection of convention committees, since it is composed of elected officials holding administrative positions which provide wide acquaintance with current issues as well as with the pas- tors, teachers, and lay persons in their Districts. ATLANTIC District Arlin A. Maas, Secretary 5-46 To Clarify “All Matters of Doctrine and of Conscience Shall Be Decided Only by the Word of God” WHEREAS, The Handbook of the LCMS states: “All mat- ters of doctrine and of conscience shall be decided only by the Word of God” (Article VIII, c); and Wuereas, Delegates at recent previous conventions of the Synod seem to have decided some “matters of doctrine” by majority vote; therefore be it Resolved, That this stipulation of the Handbook be clari- fied before any “matters of doctrine and of conscience” are presented for decision by vote at the 1973 New Orleans convention. Facuity Concorpia COLLEGE Milwaukee, Wisconsin Walter W. Stuenkel, Chairman Walter A. Jennrich, Secretary