# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S240
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 239

Wuereas, The Denver convention (1969) of the LCMS
permits the participation of women in these structures;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Commission on Constitutional Matters
immediately undertake to rewrite the Constitution and By-
laws of Synod in such a manner as to indicate the full and
equal eligibility of women to participate in the governing
and administrative structures of the synodical organization.

ComMISSION ON MissIOon AND MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH
L. C. Wuerffel, Chairman

Similar:

5-93B

Commission on Mission and Ministry in the Church, L. C.
Wuerffel, Chairman.

5-94

To Admit Advisory Members
to Executive Sessions

Wuereas, The synodical Handbook does not define who
may attend executive sessions of boards; and

Wuereas, Robert's Rules of Order defines an executive
session as one whose proceedings are secret, to which all
members are to be admitted; and

Wuereas, The synodical Handbook makes provision for
advisory membership on certain boards to provide for ad-
ditional needed input, e. g.. on the Board for Missions which
was reduced from 42 to 13 voting members; and

WuereEas, The theological and missiological expertise of
advisory members may be needed especially when sensitive
personnel issues are discussed; and

Wuereas, The service of a veteran missionary and staff
member of the Board for Missions was terminated after a
series of so-called executive sessions from which advisory
members were rigidly excluded; therefore be it

Resolved, That advisory members shall be admitted to all
sessions, including executive sessions, of synodical boards,
including the Board for Missions.

BrETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH
University City, Mo.
Kenneth Guebert, Chairman
Walter Mueller, Secretary

5-95

To Request Special Study of Procedure
for Appeals

WHEREAS, It is desirable that an addition be made to the
Bylaws to provide procedures for handling appeals that are
allowed under other Bylaws provisions; and

Wuereas, The guarantee of procedures for handling ap-
peals is especially vital to the welfare of a church body
which has a democratic polity: therefore be it

Resolved. That the Synod's Committee on Organization,
creation by Resolution 5-09 of the Milwaukee convention
(See also Res. 4-47), and or the special Committee on Ap-
pellate Process, give careful and particular attention to the
need and significance of the following proposal:

“Inasmuch as the Constitution of the Synod establishes
the principle of accountability: ‘Synod at all times has the
right to call its officers to account and, if circumstances re-
quire it. to remove them from office in accordance with
Christian procedure’ (Art. XI. A, 2); and

“Inasmuch as the Bylaws similarly require such account-
ability and grant to members of the Synod the right to
appeal the decisions and actions of officers and boards, for
instance: ”

2.13: All officers, boards, and commissions shall
be accountable to the Synod for all their actions,
and any decision of such officers, boards, and com-
missions may be appealed to the delegate conven-
tion of the Synod.

2.29c: In the event the President exercises ex-
ecutive functions, any member of the Synod shall
have the right to appeal to the convention of the
Synod from his action.

2.77 d: The Board of Directors shall be account-
able to the delegate convention of the Synod for
all discharge of its duties.

“And inasmuch as the Bylaws (1.27) make no provision
for handling such appeals as a legitimate part of convention
business for the Synod; therefore be it

“Resolved, That Bylaw 1.27 be amended to include the
term ‘appeals’ wherever this is appropriate (e.g., 1.27 a: ‘The
principal business of a synodical convention shall be the
consideration of reports, overtures, and appeals’); and be
it further

“Resolved. that a new provision be inserted into the By-
laws after 1.27f, the subsequent provisions being renum-
bered, and that this addition to the Bylaws read as follows:”

Appeals made in accordance with Article XI,
Par. A. 2, which may call for the removal of an
officer from his office shall be reviewed by a com-
mittee of five. selected by the District Presidents
from among their number, for report and recom-
mendation to the delegate convention of the Synod.

Appeals made from the executive functions of
the President under Bylaw 2.29 c¢ shall be reviewed
by a special convention committee of five delegates
selected by the District Presidents, said committee
to consist of two pastors, two laymen, and one
teacher. for report and recommendation to the
delegate convention of the Svnod.

All other appeals shall be published in the ap-
propriate section of the Convention Workbook and
shall be reviewed by the floor committee to which
the work of a particular officer, board, or commis-
sion is assigned, for report and recommendation to
the delegate convention of the Synod.

Boarp oF DIREcTORS
Covorapo DIstRICcT
Ralph A. Phipps, Secretary

To Change Synod’s Name

WHEREAS, God in His grace and wisdom has caused our
beloved Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod to flourish
across the width and breadth of this land: and

Wuereas, This growth under God has become so wide-
spread as to cause the name, Missouri. to become an anom-
aly: and

Wuereas, The name Missouri connotes a provincialism
that fails to reflect her nationwide influence and authority;
and

Whereas, Her border-to-border import tends to be mini-
mized by her name's limited focus: and

WHEREAS, The national implications by name have here-
tofore been claimed by the American Lutheran Church and
the Lutheran Church in America; therefore be it

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
change its name to The Lutheran Church so that its vast
work may be viewed by all in a perspective devoid of local-
ized implication and more properly conveyed as, under God,
limitless.

ConcorpDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH
San Antonio, Tex.
Wehland Steenten

5-97
To Require Two Thirds Vote on Fellowship
Matters

WuereEas, In our opinion much unnecessary disunity has
resulted among us through the close vote on the ALC fel-
lowship at the Denver convention; and

WHEREAS, Matters of fellowship should have a large pre-
ponderance of opinion on their side; therefore be it