# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S440 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 424 REFERRED RESOLUTIONS Wuereas, The congregations should have the direct privi- lege and responsibility of providing the delegate to the syn- odical convention; and Wuereas, No cogent reason has been shown for changing the present procedure for electing delegates to the synodical convention; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod refrain from changing the method of electing delegates to the synodical convention. To Decline Overture 5-29 (Leaving to the Discretion of Certain Synodical Officers Acceptance of Overtures on Social, Political, and Economic Subjects ) RESOLUTION 5-45 Overture 5-29 (CW, p. 259) Wuereas, The Synod’s Bylaws (1.27 c) provide: “Over- tures requesting the Synod to take action which is in con- flict with the Constitution or Bylaws of the Synod or in matters for which the Constitution or Bylaws have provided specific procedures; which contain defamatory allegations: or overtures which may subject the President of the Synod or the Synod to civil actions for libel or slander, shall not be published or presented to any floor committee or to the convention; nor shall any overture be accepted with refer- ence to any case involving suspension, expulsion, or ap- peals”; and Wuereas, It is unwise to grant to officers of Districts or the Synod additional powers at this time to prevent over- tures from coming before the convention; therefore be it Resolved, That we refrain from accepting Overture 5-29. To Provide Bylaw for Controversies Within Faculties RESOLUTION 5-47 Overture 5-81 (CW, p. 273) WHEREAS, Section 6.75 of the Bylaws (Handbook, p. 132) provides for the mediation of controversies among faculty members by the Board of Control, but does not state that faculty members, other than the president, shall have the right to request such mediation: and WHEREAS, It appears that all faculty members, including the president, should have the right to request mediation of the Board of Control: and Whereas, The aforementioned Bylaw makes the decision of the Board of Control final, contrary to the established principle of appeal in the Synod; therefore be it Resolved. That Bylaw 6.75 be amended by inserting in line 5 after the word “he” the following: “or any other mem- ber of the faculty involved in the controversy or disagree- ment”; and be it further Resolved, That the words in the last line of said section on page 132 of the Handbook which states “which shall be final” be deleted and in lieu thereof the following be in- serted: “from which decision any party to the mediation may appeal, either under the appellate procedure now in effect or hereafter adopted”: and be it finally Resolved, That with such changes Section 6.75 shall read as follows: Controversies and disagreements among mem- bers of the faculty (other than those set forth in 6.81) shall be submitted to the president of the in- stitution for mediation. If this Proves unsuccessful, he or any other member of the faculty who is in- volved in the controversy or disagreement shal] report the matter to the Board of Control for ar- bitration. After hearing the parties, the Board will render its decision, from which decision any party to the mediation may appeal, either under the ap- pellate procedure now in effect or hereafter adopted. Action: Since Resolution 6-01, which deals with a similar subject, had been referred by the convention to the Board of Directors for study, the delegates decided to refer also this resolution to the Directors for study (17), To Amend Constitution of LCUSA RESOLUTION 5-48 (Too late for printing in Today's Business) Special Assignment, President's Report (TB, p. 210) Whereas, A request has come from the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A. in regard to changes in its constitution; and Wuereas, These matters belong in the hands of the Board of Directors: therefore be it Resolved, That this request be referred to the Board of Directors of the Synod for study and that it report back to the 1973 synodical convention. Action: Referred under omnibus resolution to Board of Directors for study and report to the next convention, To Adopt “Handbook” Changes Regarding Removal from Office ( Faculties ) RESOLUTION 6-01 Overture 6-40 (CW, pp. 317—319) Wuereas, Resolution 6-37 of the Denver convention (1969) requests the Synod’s Board for Higher Education to prepare a revision of Handbook sections 6.75, 6.77, 6.81, and 6.83 in consultation with the Commission on Constitutional Matters and with appropriate legal authorities, for the consideration of the next convention and for inclusion in the official Hand- book of the Synod: therefore be it Resolved, That the following proposed Handbook changes be adopted: 6.75 (No change except to omit parenthetical phrase) 6.77 Removal from Office a. The Board of Control may decline to renew the appointment of a faculty member without per- manent tenure at the time of the expiration of the term of the appointment, in accordance with para- graph 6.53 c, b. No member of the faculty who has been granted permanent tenure and no member of the faculty without permanent tenure at times other than upon the expiration of the term of his appoint- ment shall be removed from the faculty except for causes hereinafter enumerated and by procedures hereinafter described. c. The only causes for which a member of the faculty may be removed from office (within the definitions of a and b above), other than honorable retirement, are: 1. professional incompetency; 2. incapacity for the performance of duty be- cause of physical, mental, or emotional disabilities; 3. refusal to cooperate; 4. neglect of or refusal to perform duties of office; 5. conduct unbecoming a Christian; 6. advocacy of false doctrine (Constitution, Ar- ticle II). 6.78 Procedure re Conduct Unbecoming a Chris- tian or Advocacy of False Doctrine a. If any person desires to bring a complaint of